Workforce & Future Talent Lead

We’re looking for an experienced and influential Workforce & Future Talent Lead to join the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) and play a critical role in aligning employer demand with the region’s skills and talent system. If you’re passionate about employer engagement, thrive in complex partnership environments, and want to deliver long‑term economic impact, this could be your next leadership move.

Who Are We?

The West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) is the region’s dedicated economic development delivery organisation.

From April 2026, WMGC will lead regionally commissioned economic development activity aligned to the West Midlands Growth Plan, working in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority, local authorities, universities and the private sector.

We attract investment, support high‑growth organisations, and help create better jobs and opportunities across the region. Our work delivers real, visible impact — strengthening businesses, boosting productivity, and improving quality of life across the West Midlands.

If you want your work to directly support regional growth and prosperity, this is your opportunity.

The Role

As Workforce & Future Talent Lead, you will lead WMGC’s Workforce & Future Talent function, ensuring that employer skills and workforce needs are embedded across our core activity—including Inward Investment, Cluster Management, Strategic Account Management and High Growth Business Support.

Using employer insight, you’ll help shape regional skills responses, strengthen the feedback loop into policy and commissioning, and improve how businesses navigate and engage with the employment and skills system.

You’ll lead a small team, operate at a senior level across complex systems, and act as a connector between employers, WMGC, WMCA, local authorities and skills providers.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead the Workforce & Future Talent function, setting direction and priorities aligned to regional growth objectives.
• Gather and translate employer skills needs into clear, actionable insight for partners.
• Embed workforce and skills considerations into investment propositions, Cluster Action Plans, Strategic Account Plans and High Growth services.
• Use employer insight to inform WMCA skills strategies, commissioning cycles and Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs).
• Increase employer engagement in skills pathways such as bootcamps, apprenticeships, T Levels and HTQs.
• Support employers to navigate recruitment, job‑matching and workforce expansion support.
• Act as a senior system connector across WMGC, WMCA, local authorities, DWP, FE/HE and training providers.
• Shape a clear, consistent regional narrative on skills and workforce pathways for employers.
• Contribute to employer‑focused initiatives including careers programmes, investment in training and the Good Work Charter.
• Lead and develop a small team, embedding effective ways of working and collaboration.

What You’ll Bring

Essential

• Degree‑level education or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience working in employer engagement, economic development, skills or a partnership‑led environment.
• Strong understanding of the employment and skills system and how it supports business growth.
• Proven ability to lead, influence and collaborate across multiple organisations without formal authority.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to tell a clear and persuasive skills narrative.
• Experience using insight, intelligence or labour market data to inform strategy or delivery.

Desirable

• Postgraduate or professional qualification (e.g. CIPD, IED or similar).
• Knowledge of regional and national skills policy, including LSIPs and commissioning cycles.
• Experience in inward investment, business support or sector/cluster development.
• Confidence representing organisations in external forums, panels and employer events.
• Experience with CRM systems or labour market insight tools.
• Understanding of good work, fair work or workforce wellbeing frameworks.

What You’ll Bring

Essential

• Degree‑level education or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience working in employer engagement, economic development, skills or a partnership‑led environment.
• Strong understanding of the employment and skills system and how it supports business growth.
• Proven ability to lead, influence and collaborate across multiple organisations without formal authority.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to tell a clear and persuasive skills narrative.
• Experience using insight, intelligence or labour market data to inform strategy or delivery.

Desirable

• Postgraduate or professional qualification (e.g. CIPD, IED or similar).
• Knowledge of regional and national skills policy, including LSIPs and commissioning cycles.
• Experience in inward investment, business support or sector/cluster development.
• Confidence representing organisations in external forums, panels and employer events.
• Experience with CRM systems or labour market insight tools.
• Understanding of good work, fair work or workforce wellbeing frameworks.