Our Story

Surrey County Council is making its most significant ever investment in supporting Surrey's economy. As the largest economy outside of London, and set against the backdrop of one of the most challenging and complex economic horizons in recent times, Surrey's new Economy Team will support the Council in its ambitions to focus on the whole Surrey economy and to provide a resilient and ambitious economic environment through unprecedented economic challenges. This work has already started with the development of Surrey's 2030 Economic Strategy which establishes a positive strategic context for growth, sets out the opportunity to both retain and secure additional investment in the county and focuses on how we will create inclusive, vibrant centres within the county through a 'hyper-local' approach to innovative place making.

The One Surrey Growth Board is also bringing forward its Plan for Growth, setting out how a focus on Surrey's economic strengths can be enabled by sustainable, long-term planning of transport and digital infrastructure as well as the creation of high-quality homes and communities of the future. Through targeted economic interventions linked to the delivery of high-quality place-based growth, Surrey will retain its role as an economic leader and continue to underpin the economic recovery of the UK. Sustained, strong partnership working is at the heart of the programme of work and our Growth Board intends to work with all stakeholders to build from the Plan for Growth bringing an appealing Growth Deal proposition to Government early in 2021. The proposition will set out how a different arrangement of resources, freedoms and flexibilities for Surrey can deliver at speed and scale against multiple Government priorities.

We are seeking a number of high calibre candidates to join us on this exciting and rewarding journey. If you have a track record in working in complex partnership structures, delivering on ambitious economic strategies using innovative economic interventions through an empirical approach, then we want to hear from you.

About the Role

This is a newly created role reporting to the Head of Economy at Surrey County Council. You will be expected to work horizontally across business investment and retention, sectoral clusters, senior-level strategic business and partner relationship management and strategic skills systems and programmes.

We are looking for candidates who can support our Heads of Service in bringing to life the county's economic strategy objectives. Your work will include the development and delivery of a comprehensive, segmented business and sector influencing programme designed to directly support Surrey's strategic ambitions as well as a skills strategy and a new inward investment model. All our activity is underpinned by stakeholder and partner engagement in a co-design and co-delivery culture.

The role will take on a high-profile local place leadership role on behalf of SCC. You will act as a cross-cutting economic specialist for sectoral and cluster development, ensuring that targeted activity is informed by up to date economic and labour market evidence and best practice.

Focus will be upon supporting the successful delivery of Surrey's 2030 Economic Strategy with priorities including levering in growth funding, supporting the delivery of a new, strategic Surrey CC Capital Programme which intends to retain the Surrey £ as well as developing a new focus on economic inclusion through strategic skills system coordination and providing the practical support required to develop a new Surrey investment proposition to business.

About You

These roles will support the delivery of a high profile portfolio of work for Surrey, therefore we are looking for candidates who are able to present themselves positively with confidence and conviction and with the ability to inspire both respect and trust amongst colleagues, partners and peers. Other key experience/skills we are looking for include the following:

• Experience of being creative, innovative with the ability to challenge appropriately in a cross-cutting economic environment
• An ability to deliver programmes at scale (across boundaries) and sub regionally
• Personal resilience with the ability to adapt and thrive in a fast-moving and changeable environment
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to work collaboratively with internal/external partners and professionals to achieve positive outcomes
• Ability to work on own initiative with solution focussed problem solving skills
• Demonstrate the ability of working at scale comparable with county level

For more information please refer to the role profile attached at the bottom of this advert as well as the research piece charting-surreys-post-covid-rescue-recovery-and-growth.pdf

A structure chart of the Economy & Growth Team is also attached at the bottom of this advert which you may find useful to understand the reporting lines of the team and overall position of the role within the organisation.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Additional information

Contact details

To request an informal chat about the role with Dawn Redpath please contact Kate Northwood via email Kate.northwood@surreycc.gov.uk 

We look forward to receiving your application. 

Additional information

The job advert closes at 23:59 on Sunday 31st January 2021.

Interviews will be held virtually and are anticipated to take place W/C 1st February 2021. Details of the selection process will be shared with you if your application is successfully shortlisted.

Please note that Surrey County Council's headquarters, where this role is currently based, will be phasing a relocation back into Surrey to support our Community Vision 2030. Agile and flexible working is welcomed and supported; we care about the job you do, not where you do it.

From flexible working to job sharing (where possible) we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance. A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 26 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service, a generous local government salary related pension, as well as the option to join our car lease scheme. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit MyBenefits for Surrey County Council staff.

Surrey County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under represented groups.