Business Engagement & Inward Investment Advisor

Business Engagement & Inward Investment Advisor

Join to apply for the Business Engagement & Inward Investment Advisor role at Essex County Council

Employment type: Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week

Salary: £32,701 to £38,471 per annum

Location: Chelmsford, England, United Kingdom

Working style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 14th January 2026 (23:59)

Essex County Council is a systems leader for Skills and Economic Growth, partnering with public and private sectors to position Essex as a hub of innovation, enterprise, and ambition. Through our business-facing services, we drive an inclusive, integrated approach to skills development, business support, sector growth, and inward investment across the County.

The Business Engagement and Inward Investment Advisor supports the delivery of ECC’s business partnership growth and engagement initiatives, related to existing partnerships, Greater Essex business collaboration, and building a Greater Essex partnership and delivering activities to attract and secure foreign and domestic investments into Greater Essex. The role will involve supporting the development of strong public/private sector partnerships for growth sectors (e.g., construction, the visitor economy), using creative multi-agency collaboration that makes Greater Essex stand out and compete as an attractive place to invest, work, visit, study and live.

Accountabilities

• Working with colleagues across ECC business-facing services, economic growth and procurement, the role supports implementation of key business and partnership activities by providing support focused on business and partner engagement, project procurement, delivery and report writing.
• Support the Inward Investment Leads in building and managing a supportive network that attracts inward investment through organising collaborative activities to: define compelling inward investment offers; select and engage potential investors; convert leads to wins; provide aftercare; influence policies to improve the Greater Essex investment offer.
• Support secretariat functions for the Greater Essex Business Board and any existing and emerging business and public sector partnership activity.
• Provide data-driven insights and strategic recommendations to support collaborative cross-functional working groups that enable a cohesive, data-driven approach to ECC’s economic development goals, reinforcing the role of outcomes measurement in achieving strategic objectives.
• Lead research into benchmarking and best practice to support service innovation and continuous improvement.
• Prepare detailed reports and presentations on programme performance, client feedback, and economic insights, providing data and analysis to support strategic decision-making and continuous improvement across business-facing functions.
• Engage directly with Essex-based businesses to understand their capacity and readiness to supply to public and private sector projects.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of a structured client engagement and business account management approach, facilitating effective communication and coordination with Essex businesses.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration between ECC, local authorities, educational institutions, and other partners to strengthen a cohesive business support network and drive local supply chain resilience.
• Assist in promoting ECC’s business-facing services through outreach activities, workshops, and events, helping to raise awareness and connect businesses with relevant support programs and procurement opportunities.
• Deliver ECC’s business account management approach and serve as a primary point of contact to build and maintain trusting relationships with businesses, industry representatives and partners.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF level 4 in a business-related area or equivalent through experience.
• Knowledge of competitive inward investment attraction processes and best practices, including in defining investment opportunities; selecting and engaging potential investors; client management and lead conversion.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and knowledge of the Essex economy and its key sectors, with an understanding of local supply chain, public sector procurement and social value.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience in data collection, performance measurement, and translating data into actionable insights to improve program effectiveness and support data-driven decision-making.
• Ability to provide robust written and verbal recommendations on proposed courses of action to leaders.
• Experience in client engagement, with a demonstrated ability to build relationships and collaboration with businesses and partners.
• Knowledge of business support programs, economic development, and skills strategies, with a focus on helping businesses access resources, enhance productivity, and overcome growth and skills challenges.
• Project coordination skills, with the ability to manage tasks, meet timelines, and contribute to team objectives.
• Skilled in report writing and presenting findings to diverse audiences, with a focus on clarity and relevance to drive informed strategic actions.
• Analytical skills to interpret economic data, market intelligence, and client feedback, providing insights to improve program effectiveness and support data-driven decision-making.

For further information and to discuss your suitability for the role please contact Zoe Gordon – Business Partnerships Manager (zoe.gordon@essex.gov.uk) or Karthik Durgaprasad – Inward Investment Lead (Karthik.Durgaprasad@essex.gov.uk).

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone’s Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026.

Equality and Diversity

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We are also committed to interviewing all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Employee Support

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

Company Values

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

DBS Requirements

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service.

Safeguarding and Welfare

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community.

For any queries or further assistance, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk.

#J-18808-Ljbffr