Connect to Work Employment Specialist

The salary range for this role is 38,090 - 41,134 per annum based on a 36-hour working week. The role is fixed term up until 31/03/2029.

Surrey County Council has established a new service within our Economy and Growth team to deliver supported employment programmes, including Connect to Work and WorkWell. We are now growing the team, and this is an exciting opportunity to be help deliver the best results for Surrey businesses and residents by contributing to a capable and competent local workforce.

We are excited to be recruiting three Employment Specialists to join our service in delivering the Connect to Work programme operating within our supported employment function and contributing to our wider work across Economy & Growth. The role is community based with substantial travel across Surrey to meet programme participants and employers. As part of the role, you will work with participants in community locations. You will also be expected to attend the office one day a week in Woodhatch Place, Reigate (usually Tuesday). The post reports directly to the Connect to Work Team Leader and you will be expected to work horizontally across the wider Economy & Growth function of over 80 people.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (prorated for part-time staff)
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About Economy and Growth

The Economy and Growth function focuses on growing Surrey's economy, working to grow a sustainable economy and ensure no one is left behind. We provide strategic leadership and direct delivery of services in business support, innovation, skills, and places for the benefit of Surrey's 110,000 businesses and 1.2 million residents.

We have a highly skilled workforce, respected educational and research institutions, and an enviable location. We're home to world-leading sectors - including creative industries, cybersecurity, gaming, and health - who we're proud to champion and support.

Supporting residents into good, sustainable work is a key priority for the Economy and Growth team and supports our wider objectives of driving sustainable economic growth across Surrey. Connect to Work within our supported employment function is a key element of our Get Surrey Working plan and forms part of a broader portfolio of programmes addressing skills gaps, responding to employer needs and supporting local growth.

We are committed to the cross-team consolidation of activity across our area of work, and the integration of programmes both with each other and across the wider team is a fundamental principle of how we operate. By working collaboratively across services and with external partners, we deliver seamless employment and skills support through a single, coherent front door for residents, businesses and employers.

About the Role

The role will be crucial in delivery of our supported employment function, and you will be expected to work in a target driven and fast-paced environment. The post holder will have responsibility for leading on building relationships with other services and supporting participants within community-based locations but will also be required to work across the county as required, however the expectation is that this role will focus initially in the Guilford and Woking area. Please note, that as a community based position, this role is not suitable for home working.

You will be responsible for a caseload of participants, supporting them to gain or return to paid competitive employment, following the IPS principles and aiming for high Fidelity compliance. You will be person-centred in your practice, working holistically with participants to understand them and find them the right type of employment but also ensuring that you recognise and support the needs of employers as this will be essential to make the programme a success.

You will be working in a target driven environment and with experience working with residents to help develop a more diverse talent pool. You will work horizontally across the Economy and Growth team and with partners to help identify a pipeline of residents that could benefit from Connect to Work and other employment support.

Some of the responsibilities you'll have for each participant on your caseload are vocational profiling, promoting positive health disclosure, employer engagement, action planning, job searching, CV writing, job matching, interview preparation, signposting to support, in-work support when employment is secured.

You will also support employers with aspects such as:

• Understanding the available job opportunities by building established and trusting relationships
• Helping with any candidate's required training needs prior to recruitment
• Work with employers to carve any necessary adjustments to roles including possible job carving
• Assistance with navigating related support such as Access to Work
• Continued contact and underpinning support after recruitment to ensure sustained success
• Providing new employees with in-work support

The role will involve working closely with Job Centre Plus, health and social care, charities and employers to encourage referrals from residents. This will also include working with employers to identify existing and 'hidden' employment opportunities that can allow participants to flourish in the role. This could involve making necessary adjustments or job carving to ensure success in the role.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Experience working at pace on a 1-2-1 basis in a target driven employment support setting (or similar) managing a caseload of people with diverse needs looking for work
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of meeting employer workforce needs, and ability to be a bridge between employer workforce needs and the opportunities presented by the residents on your caseload
• Experience managing relationships with a range of stakeholders, especially employers, tailoring communication style appropriately for the audience
• Ability to utilise case management systems (or similar) to effectively manage participant information and records

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 3 questions:

1. Outline your experience of working in an employment support setting, providing 1-2-1 support and advice to achieve the best outcome for the individual and ensuring you keep high-quality notes of support given.
2. Outline your experience of engaging and working with employers and other stakeholders to help generate opportunities for individuals.
3. Please describe how you have worked alongside other support services (such as community or health services) to deliver successful outcomes for a participant and how you have recorded and evidenced this success.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 1st November 2026 with interviews planned to follow.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion please contact us by e-mail at or .

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

Full job description from WhatJobs. Apply for this role →