Employment Specialist / Team Leader

Are you an experienced employment professional with a passion for helping people overcome barriers and achieve their goals in work?

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Senior Employment Specialist / Team Leader to join our Connect to Work service and lead a team of IPS Employment Specialists delivering high-quality, person-centred employment support across Thanet, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who combines strong leadership skills with practical experience of supporting people into sustainable employment. You will lead, supervise and develop a team of Employment Specialists, while also managing a small caseload of participants yourself.

You will be responsible for modelling excellent employment support practice, providing coaching and guidance to your team, and helping to ensure participants receive consistent, personalised and effective support throughout their employment journey.

Working within the Connect to Work framework and in line with relevant Individual Placement and Support (IPS) principles and fidelity standards, you will champion best practice and help create a service that puts participants at the heart of everything it does.

What You'll Be Doing

As Senior Employment Specialist / Team Leader, you will:

Lead, supervise, support and develop a team of IPS Employment Specialists.

Provide regular coaching, guidance and constructive feedback to support high-quality service delivery.

Manage a small caseload, providing direct employment support and modelling excellent practice.

Support participants to identify their skills, strengths, interests and career aspirations.

Provide high-quality support with CVs, job searching, applications, interviews and preparation for employment.

Build participants' confidence, self-esteem and motivation to help them achieve their employment and career goals.

Support people who may experience a range of barriers to employment, including people with health conditions, disabilities and those in recovery.

Develop strong relationships with employers and proactively identify suitable employment opportunities.

Liaise with employers to arrange interviews, secure opportunities and obtain constructive feedback on candidates.

Match participants' skills, qualities and aspirations to appropriate vacancies.

Support participants to move into employment and, where required, provide ongoing support to help them sustain their employment.

Develop effective partnerships with employers, community organisations, health and support services and other stakeholders.

Maintain effective operational oversight and ensure the service meets Connect to Work requirements.

Promote and embed IPS principles, fidelity and best practice across the team.

Contribute to continuous improvement and help identify solutions to challenges faced by participants and the wider service.

Maintain accurate records and ensure activity and outcomes are recorded appropriately.