What if your next role could influence how an entire region connects people to employment, skills, health and opportunity?

We’re looking for a strategic relationship-builder, opportunity spotter and systems thinker to lead regional integration and growth activity across the North East. This is a role for someone who thrives on influence, collaboration and turning insight into action — someone who can connect partners, shape solutions and help unlock meaningful change at scale.

You’ll work at the heart of regional systems, building trusted relationships with senior leaders across Combined Authorities, local authorities, the NHS, DWP and employer networks. Your ability to understand local priorities, identify gaps and create credible, fundable opportunities will directly shape future services and partnerships across the region.

This isn’t a traditional business development role. It’s about building long-term strategic partnerships, navigating complexity and helping create solutions that genuinely improve lives and strengthen communities.

What you’ll be doing

• Building and influencing senior relationships across the North East system, including Combined Authorities, local authorities, NHS, DWP and employers
• Developing a deep understanding of regional priorities, funding landscapes, provision gaps and emerging opportunities
• Shaping place-based propositions aligned to local needs and organisational strengths
• Translating insight and relationships into viable opportunities, pilots, partnerships and future contracts
• Working collaboratively across Engagement, Commercial, Operations, Finance, Strategy and Data & Insight teams
• Supporting early-stage pathway design and positioning as a trusted regional partner
• Using data, evidence and learning to inform future growth and opportunity development
• Spotting trends, risks and opportunities within a changing policy and commissioning landscape

About you

You’re commercially aware, politically astute and confident operating in complex systems. You know how to build credibility quickly and influence across organisations without formal authority.

You’ll likely bring experience from employability, skills, public services, health, regeneration or related sectors, alongside a strong track record of developing partnerships and translating insight into tangible opportunities.

You’ll also be:

• A natural relationship-builder with strong stakeholder management skills
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and shaping emerging opportunities
• Confident using data and evidence to support decisions and strategy
• Curious, proactive and solutions-focused
• Resilient and adaptable in fast-paced environments
• Collaborative by nature, with experience working across multi-disciplinary teams
• Results-driven, with a focus on both quality and impact

The behaviours that matter most

Success in this role comes from how you work as much as what you deliver. We’re looking for someone who demonstrates:

• Customer Impact
• Determination
• Delivering Results
• Adaptability
• Teamwork
• Self-belief
• Integrity
• Equity & Diversity
• Capability Management

Why this role matters

This is an opportunity to play a visible role in shaping regional partnerships and influencing how services evolve across the North East. You’ll help bring organisations together, identify what communities need most and create opportunities that have real social and economic impact.

If you’re motivated by collaboration, systems change and creating opportunities that improve lives, we’d love to hear from you.