Strategy & Programme Manager NEET & Youth Unemployment

Job title: Strategy and Programme Manager Leeds Young Futures - NEET and Youth Employment Strategy

Salary: PO6 £53,051 - £56,293

Hours: 37 per week

Contract: 12-month fixed term contract. With potential to extend. Secondments accepted

Location: Hybrid/Leeds Merrion House

Help shape a city where every young person can see a positive future for themselves. Lead the Leeds Young Futures strategy development and action plan to tackle rising NEET and Youth Unemployment rates. Opening doors and creating opportunities for education, training and work for young people.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

You bring:

• A relevant degree, professional qualification or equivalent experience.
• Significant strategy, policy, programme or project management experience in a complex service or partnership environment.
• Experience of managing multi-agency workstreams, governance, risks and senior reporting.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, translating evidence into clear priorities and proposals.
• Effective influencing, negotiation and facilitation skills, building consensus with senior stakeholders.
• Experience of strong partnership working, convening multiple organisations to achieve a common goal.
• Experience of working with political members

About the role

This is an opportunity to lead one of Leeds' most important priorities. With significant numbers of young people at risk of becoming or remaining NEET, and youth unemployment continuing to affect life chances across the city, you will shape and drive a partnership-led strategy that delivers lasting change for young people

Based in Employment and Skills but working closely with other Services, you will bring council services, employers, education, health, community and regional partners together with a shared vision. You will establish effective governance through a Strategic Partnership Board, working with senior leaders and elected members. Your work will turn evidence and young people’s experiences into practical delivery plans, funding proposals and early action. You will connect solutions building partner ownership and measuring progress towards better outcomes for young people.

What we offer you

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please apply via the Leeds City Council Jobsite.

Interview date is Thursday 10th December 2026.

For an informal discussion, contact Gillian Wallace – Employment and Skills Head of Service on Gillian.Wallace@leeds.gov.uk.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job Purpose

To lead and coordinate the development of a citywide NEET and Youth Employment Strategy for Leeds, providing strategic programme and project management capacity across a complex multi-agency partnership environment. The postholder will work with internal council services, education and training providers, employers, health partners, the voluntary and community sector, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and other key stakeholders to develop an evidence-led, inclusive and deliverable strategy. The role will translate data, policy, lived experience and partner insight into clear priorities, delivery plans and investment-ready proposals which support improved outcomes for young people and align with the Leeds Ambitions, Council Plan priorities and Inclusive Growth agenda.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy and Policy Development

• Lead the development of the Leeds NEET and Youth Employment Strategy, ensuring it is evidence-led, partnership-owned and focused on improving outcomes for young people.
• Analyse and interpret national policy, local data, performance information, best practice and stakeholder insight to identify priorities, gaps and opportunities.
• Ensure the strategy reflects the needs of young people across Leeds, including those who are NEET, at risk of becoming NEET, care experienced, disabled, have SEND, have mental health needs, or face barriers linked to poverty, transport or place-based deprivation.
• Prepare high-quality strategy documents, reports, briefing papers, consultation materials and action plans for senior officers, elected members, boards and partnership groups.
• Ensure the strategy is aligned with the Leeds Ambitions, Council Plan priorities, Inclusive Growth agenda, regional employment and skills priorities and relevant national policy.
• Ensure that partners across the city own the strategy along with LCC and understand our shared roles in delivery.

Programme and Project Management

• Provide effective programme and project management advice and support across the workstreams required to develop and implement the strategy, including employer engagement, skills pathways, mental health, SEND, transport, community provision and place-based delivery.
• Develop and maintain programme plans, milestones, risk and issue logs, governance arrangements and reporting mechanisms.
• Coordinate activity across council services, partners and workstreams to ensure alignment, avoid duplication and maintain progress against agreed outcomes.
• Monitor delivery progress, identify risks or barriers, and escalate issues with proposed solutions where required.
• Provide accurate and timely updates to senior officers, boards, elected members and partnership governance structures.

Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including elected members, civic institutions, employers, education and training providers, health partners, VCSE organisations, regional partners and council services.
• Plan and facilitate meetings, workshops, task-and-finish groups and steering groups to support strategy development and implementation.
• Set up, oversee and maintain effective governance arrangements through a Strategic Partnership Board or NEET Task Force to support strategy development and implementation, working with colleagues to arrange meetings, prepare papers, record agreed actions and ensure the board’s activity adds value to the strategy and delivery of the agreed vision.
• Use effective influencing, negotiation and facilitation skills to secure partner engagement, shared ownership and commitment to agreed actions.
• Act as a key point of coordination between Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and local delivery partners in relation to NEET and youth employment priorities.
• Promote inclusive partnership working and ensure young people’s needs, experiences and barriers are appropriately reflected in strategic proposals.

Implementation and Delivery Readiness

• Ensure strategic priorities are supported by practical delivery plans, commissioning proposals, business cases and implementation arrangements.
• Identify funding opportunities, resource requirements, partnership contributions and delivery models to support implementation.
• Identify and make recommendations on future resourcing needs to support the sustainability of the work, including the identification of potential funding sources for posts or activity where funding is not currently in place.
• Develop investment-ready proposals which enable the council and partners to respond effectively to devolved funding, external grants or commissioning opportunities.
• Develop performance measures, monitoring arrangements and reporting mechanisms to track delivery, outcomes and impact.
• Identify and progress early actions, opportunities and quick wins to maintain momentum during strategy development.

General Duties

• Carry out duties in accordance with Leeds City Council policies, procedures and values.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the role and ensure that services and proposals support fair access and improved outcomes.
• Comply with responsibilities relating to safeguarding, health and safety, information governance, data protection and confidentiality.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade and purpose of the role.

Person Specification

Essential Requirements

• Relevant degree, professional qualification, or equivalent experience in a related field such as employment, skills, education, youth policy, economic development, public policy, programme management or partnership working.
• Significant experience of strategy, policy, programme or project management within a complex public service, partnership, education, skills, employment, health or economic development environment.
• Experience of managing multi-agency workstreams, governance arrangements, milestones, risks, issues and senior reporting requirements.
• Experience of developing strategies, policy proposals, service improvement plans, delivery frameworks, commissioning proposals or business cases.
• Knowledge and understanding of employment, skills, education, youth transition, social inclusion or work and health issues, ideally within Leeds or West Yorkshire.
• Experience of producing high-quality written reports, briefings, presentations and decision-making materials for senior audiences.

Essential Skills

• Ability to provide strategic leadership and coordination across complex programmes, partnerships and workstreams.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret data, policy, evidence and stakeholder insight to inform priorities and recommendations.
• Excellent programme and project management skills, including planning, risk management, monitoring, reporting and delivery of outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to a range of audiences.
• Effective facilitation, influencing and negotiation skills, including the ability to work with senior stakeholders and build consensus.
• Ability to work with political and organisational sensitivity within a local authority and wider partnership environment.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work to deadlines and maintain progress in a complex and changing environment.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Committed to improving outcomes for young people and reducing inequalities across Leeds.
• Able to build trust and credibility with a wide range of partners and stakeholders.
• Diplomatic, resilient and solution focused, with the ability to work constructively through complexity and challenge.
• Organised, proactive and delivery focused, with strong attention to detail.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively, using initiative and sound judgement.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters