Jobs

Are you passionate about driving forward innovative new approaches to support our Barnsley residents to benefit from work? We're looking for a skilled system service manager to help make Barnsley the place of possibilities.

As part of our Employment and Skills team, we're looking for a dynamic and strategic systems service manager to deliver Barnsley's trailblazing approach to creating better pathways to work.

In July 2023, under the guidance of Rt Hon Alan Milburn, former cabinet minister and social mobility champion, leading labour market, skills and health experts came together to form the Pathways to Work Commission.

A year later, in July 2024, the independent commission published local, regional and national recommendations in the Pathways to Work report.

Since then, Pathways to Work has been selected as a trailblazer initiative in the UK Government's Get Britain Working White Paper. The proposals set out our strategy to enhance access for Barnsley's economically inactive residents to high-quality, sustainable employment. This approach is guided by the findings of the Barnsley-led Pathways to Work Commission.

The delivery plans aim to support 10,000 South Yorkshire residents into work over the next four years. This approach will deliver personalised support to 2,200 people in Barnsley, so they can overcome barriers that prevent them from working, while improving their skills and employability.

This builds onto our wider Barnsley 2030 Strategy and our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy, working to empower our communities to thrive.

Working in collaboration with System Service Managers across South Yorkshire, you'll be responsible for driving this initiative forward.

Your role as System Service Manager will be key in our efforts to support our residents and to simplify the employment and skills eco-system.

Key responsibilities

In this varied and exciting role, you'll be responsible for:

• liaising, negotiating, influencing, and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders at local, regional, and national levels
• leadership and management of all internal employment support programmes
• developing and shaping a trailblazer to move economically inactive people in Barnsley into work
• making sure the momentum of the commission's recommendations remains a visible force for change
• conducting ongoing data analysis and driving innovation in using insights to support better pathways to work
• interpreting complex information to produce solutions, inform strategy development, and predict future circumstances affecting the service system

Requirements

• Experience in employment and skills strategy and policy.
• Excellent strategic relationship development and strategic leadership skills.
• Strong communication, negotiation, organising, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritise workload effectively and provide consistent high-quality reporting.
• Leadership skills and experience to hit the ground running.

Our values

At Barnsley, we live and work by four important values:

• Honesty
• Teamwork
• Excellent service
• Taking pride in what we do

Why join us?

• We're an award-winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people.
• Great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme.
• Flexible working hours to help you balance work and life.
• We're an equal opportunities employer committed to removing barriers in our recruitment process.
• Opportunity to contribute to a thriving borough and help make Barnsley the place of possibilities.

You can find out more about joining our team at Barnsley Council and get help with your application. If you'd like further information or an informal discussion, please email Tom Smith (tomsmith@barnsley.gov.uk), leaving your name and contact number.

Join us and be part of a high-performing council with a growing economy, a thriving town centre, and impressive community outcomes. We hope to conduct interviews week commencing Monday 19 May 2025.