Employer Engagement Lead

Job Description

Working within Catch22’s Employability division, you will lead employer engagement for the National Jobs Guarantee, managing two Employer Engagement colleagues while maintaining direct employer relationships. Working with Team Leaders and Career Coaches, you will convert suitable vacancies into applications, interviews, offers and confirmed job starts.

You will take accountability for team KPIs, accurate vacancy and employment forecasts, timely performance improvement and contribution to Catch22’s wider organisational Employer Engagement Strategy.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Lead the day-to-day employer engagement function for the National Jobs Guarantee, directly managing two Employer Engagement colleagues and coordinating activity against agreed vacancy, interview, job-start and employer service targets.

Own and maintain a credible, live employer and vacancy pipeline across the designated contract area; distinguish initial contacts, qualified opportunities, confirmed suitable vacancies, applications, interviews, offers and actual job starts.

Set clear individual objectives and activity plans, review conversion rates and forecast job starts using evidence; challenge stalled opportunities and implement timely performance recovery actions.

Ensure employer opportunities are genuine, accessible, appropriately paid and suitable for participants and programme requirements; check job descriptions, working arrangements and onboarding expectations before opportunities are promoted.

Coordinate engagement with local, regional and national employers, avoiding duplicated approaches and working with the Senior Operations Manager and wider partnerships where relationships span multiple areas.

Provide direct line management, supervision, coaching and performance reviews for two Employer Engagement colleagues, including regular one-to-ones, observation of employer conversations and constructive feedback.

Coordinate workloads, sector and geographical coverage, diaries, annual leave, sickness and vacancy cover to protect employer relationships, interviews and planned job starts.

Support recruitment, induction, probation, development and wellbeing; address underperformance promptly through agreed improvement actions and Catch22 HR processes.

Maintain a hands-on employer portfolio and personally lead complex or strategically important employer relationships, modelling high-quality consultative engagement.

Develop and sustain productive employer relationships through prospecting, networking, site visits, employer forums and consultative discussions about workforce needs.

Work closely with Team Leaders, Career Coaches and Trainers to understand participant aspirations, readiness, location, adjustments and training needs, and translate these into suitable vacancies and recruitment routes.

Coordinate employer introductions, recruitment events, interviews, feedback, reasonable adjustments and onboarding arrangements; resolve issues quickly and maintain a positive employer experience.

Promote inclusive recruitment and support employers to remove unnecessary barriers without compromising the suitability, safety or integrity of opportunities.

Coordinate with Career Coaches on early employment issues and six-month in-work support, escalating risks to retention and seeking alternative opportunities where a placement breaks down.

Ensure employer and vacancy records, contacts, job descriptions, matching activity, recruitment stages and forecast start dates are accurate, complete and updated promptly in agreed CRM and case-management systems.

Check that employer opportunities and recruitment activity meet contractual rules, safeguarding, equality, data protection, health and safety and Catch22 policies; escalate concerns and support audit readiness.

Provide concise, evidence-based weekly performance reports, employer pipeline analysis, conversion forecasts and risks to the Senior Operations Manager.

Use employer and participant feedback to improve matching, onboarding, service quality and sustained employment outcomes.

WHAT GOOD LOOKS LIKE

Take accountability for team and individual KPIs covering employer approaches, suitable live vacancies, candidate submissions, interviews, offers, confirmed job starts and contribution to sustained employment outcomes.

Review employer-to-job-start conversion, vacancy quality and expected start dates weekly; challenge unsupported forecasts, address stalled recruitment and implement measurable recovery plans.

Contribute to Catch22’s wider organisational Employer Engagement Strategy through shared employer intelligence, regional and national relationships, coordinated approaches and cross-programme learning.

The team maintains a strong, evidenced pipeline of suitable vacancies and productive employer relationships, with reliable forecasts and successful conversion into verified job starts.

Both Employer Engagement colleagues receive effective supervision, clear objectives, timely feedback and practical support to address underperformance.

Career Coaches and Trainers receive timely vacancy intelligence, employers experience responsive coordination, and recruitment and onboarding proceed without avoidable delays.

Inclusive, safe and compliant recruitment is embedded; data and employer records are complete and accurate; hub outcomes and positive participant experiences are achieved.

Qualifications

Five GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above, or relevant professional experience.

Additional Information

Salary: up to £44,000

The salary shown reflects the band for this role, with the final offer taking account of experience and relevant skills.

Checks: Enhanced DBS check

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See the benefits of working for Catch22 here.

Unless otherwise stated, interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

We aim to review applications as quickly as possible. However, due to the volume ofinterest we receive, we may not be able to contact all applicants individually. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful this time.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.

Please note, we will conduct an online search as part of our due dilligence checks for successful candidate(s). This will involve a search of all publicly available information online and in social media. 

Catch22’s Commitment to Ban the Box

Catch22 is proud to have “Banned the Box”. This means that we do not ask for candidates to disclose criminal convictions at the application stage. Instead, we invite disclosures at interview stage, and encourage them at the offer stage. Please see our statement of commitment on hiring people with convictions for more information.

Compensation: N/A to 44000 (GBP) (YEARLY)