About the Role
Are you passionate about supporting people to overcome barriers to employment and achieve their career aspirations? Do you have the leadership skills and experience to inspire and develop a team while making a positive difference to people's lives?
We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Senior Employment Specialist / Team Leader to lead and support a team of IPS Employment Specialists delivering high-quality, person-centred employment support through our Connect to Work service.
In this rewarding role, you will lead, supervise and develop your team, ensuring they have the skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver effective, individualised employment support. You will also manage a small caseload of participants, leading by example and demonstrating best practice in supporting people to enter, return to or sustain employment.
You will play a key role in ensuring the service operates in line with Connect to Work requirements, IPS principles and fidelity standards, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and high-quality service delivery.
Building and maintaining strong relationships will be central to your success. You will work closely with employers, NHS and clinical teams, local authorities, community organisations and other key partners to identify opportunities, develop effective partnerships and help create sustainable employment outcomes for participants.
As a hands-on leader, you will provide coaching, guidance and training to your team, monitor performance, oversee service quality and ensure participants receive the personalised support they need to achieve their employment goals.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about employment support, confident in leading others and committed to making a meaningful difference within their local communities.
Please note: A full, valid driving licence and access to your own vehicle are essential for this role, as regular travel is required across Thanet, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe to meet with participants, employers and partner organisations.
About You
You will be an experienced employment support professional with a strong understanding of IPS or supported employment approaches and a genuine passion for helping people achieve their potential.
You will have experience supporting people with mental health conditions, physical disabilities or long-term health conditions, understanding the barriers they may face and the importance of providing personalised, strengths-based support.
With previous supervisory or team leadership experience, you will be confident in motivating, coaching and developing others, creating a supportive environment where your team can thrive and deliver excellent outcomes.
You will also be a natural relationship builder, able to engage effectively with employers, health professionals, clinical teams and community partners to develop opportunities and promote inclusive employment.
You will be highly organised, proactive and confident managing competing priorities, monitoring performance and maintaining high standards of service delivery. Most importantly, you will share our commitment to empowering people, promoting independence and supporting individuals to achieve meaningful and sustainable employment.
Essential Requirements
- Experience delivering IPS or supported employment services to people with mental health conditions, physical disabilities or long-term health conditions.
- Previous supervisory or team leadership experience.
- A strong understanding of IPS principles and fidelity standards (training can be provided where required).
- Experience in employer engagement and developing effective partnerships.
- Excellent coaching, communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise workloads, monitor performance and meet deadlines.
- The ability to work collaboratively with clinical teams, NHS partners, local authorities and community services.
- A full, valid driving licence and access to your own vehicle, with the ability to travel regularly across Thanet, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe.
Desirable Experience
- Experience in quality assurance, service audits or working within compliance-led environments.
- Experience of co-production and involving service users in shaping service delivery.
- Experience working within health, social care, substance misuse or mental health settings.
If you are an inspiring leader who believes everyone deserves the opportunity to achieve their employment aspirations, we would love to hear from you!