Team Manager (2 Posts)

Are you passionate about reducing health inequalities in our communities through employment? Do you have demonstrable experience of building effective relationships with a variety of partners from both the private and public sector?

Derbyshire County Council Public Health are committed to improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities, long-term health conditions and other complex barriers to employment in Derbyshire. We will be delivering the Connect to Work programme which is aimed at supporting people aged 18+ to achieve paid employment using the Supported Employment Quality Framework model.

This work sits within the Wider Determinants of Health team and supports the development and implementation of work linking to the Council's Public Health strategy.

Reporting to the Service Manager, the Team Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Connect to Work programme, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, person-centred supported employment services. The role has overall responsibility for service performance, quality assurance, staff management, and partnership development, with a clear focus on achieving sustainable paid employment outcomes for people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, and other disadvantages. The postholder will:

• Provide strong leadership and line management to the Connect to Work team, including supervision, performance development reviews, wellbeing and absence management, recruitment, workforce planning, and responding to training and development needs.
• Oversee the delivery of the Connect to Work programme, ensuring compliance with Supported Employment Quality Frameworks (e.g. SEQF), funder requirements, and Council policies, while monitoring performance, outcomes, and KPIs to manage risk and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure robust systems are in place for accurate data capture, performance reporting, financial claims, and audit compliance, with clear accountability across the team.
• Manage and monitor allocated resources and budgets in line with Council financial regulations and contractual requirements.
• Provide specialist professional leadership and advice in disability employment and supported employment practice.
• Lead oversight of front-line delivery through caseload reviews, ensuring high-quality vocational profiling, effective job matching, employer engagement, and in-work support.
• Develop and maintain strong strategic relationships with employers, partner organisations, and internal stakeholders to promote inclusive recruitment and sustainable employment pathways.
• Ensure safeguarding, health and safety, equality, diversity, and data protection responsibilities are embedded across the service, responding appropriately to complaints, feedback, and risk issues.

The successful candidate will:

• Have significant experience of managing and leading teams within employment, supported employment, health, or social care services.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of supported employment models, quality frameworks, and the barriers faced by disabled people in accessing and sustaining work.
• Show experience of service leadership, performance management, and continuous improvement within a commissioned or quality-assured environment.
• Be confident analysing data, monitoring KPIs, and using performance information to inform strategic and operational decision-making.
• Demonstrate strong IT capability, including the use of management information systems and Microsoft Office tools to support service oversight and reporting.
• Be able to operate with a high level of autonomy, accountability, and professional judgement in a complex service environment.

We have 2 posts to cover the north and south of the county. The post holder's base will be determined by the area that they will be covering.

The post holder will be expected to work from home and travel when needed to staff one-to-ones, meetings and other events. Some travel across other areas of Derbyshire will also be required from time to time.

As a Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from disabled candidates.

If you wish to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact Michelle Cartawick, Disability Employment Service Team Manager by email michelle.cartawick@derbyshire.gov.uk

Important: Derbyshire County Council holds a sponsorship licence, but this role does not offer visa sponsorship. Please apply only if you already have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship, as applications that do not meet this requirement will be rejected.

Important Fixed-term Contract Information:

These are fixed-term posts funded specifically to deliver the Connect to Work programme. Appointments will be made on a fixed-term basis for up to 4 years, aligned to the duration of the project and the availability of project funding. While postholders will commence employment at the same time, individual contracts may end at different points during the project lifecycle as funding reduces or delivery phases conclude.

The roles exist solely to deliver this defined project and are not part of the organisation's ongoing, permanent staffing structure. Employment will therefore come to an end when the role's project funding ceases or the project concludes.

Apply now and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with us! By joining Derbyshire County Council, you will have access to a range of amazing rewards and employee benefits, including our generous annual leave scheme, excellent local government pension and fantastic employee discounts. To discover more detail about the rewards and benefits available to you, click here

We welcome applications from individuals who share our values - being Collaborative, Innovative, Empowered and Accountable. These values describe who we are and what we stand for as a council. They help shape our culture, encourage consistent behaviour and guide how we work together to make a positive difference for both our employees and the residents we serve.

Provisional Date - Week beginning 31 May 2026

Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Click here to see our policy on criminal background checks.