Head of Economic Development – PO9: £69,258 - £73,818

About Lambeth:

Located in the heart of South London, Lambeth Borough is a vibrant community of over 317,600 residents. Stretching from the dynamic neighbourhood of Streatham in the South to the iconic landmarks of Waterloo in the North, we are proud to be the 9th largest borough in London. Our diversity is our strength, with more than 130 languages spoken, making Lambeth the home of the Windrush generation, London's largest LGBTQ+ community, and a thriving Portuguese-speaking community. 

With exceptional schools, lush green spaces including Brockwell Park, cultural gems like the Black Cultural Archives, and world-renowned institutions such as St Thomas's Hospital, Lambeth offers an enriching and dynamic environment.

It is an exciting time to join Lambeth Council, we have bold ambitions for the future of Lambeth’s communities and residents through our Lambeth 2030 Plan ‘Our Future, Our Lambeth. To deliver on these ambitions, we have embarked on our transformational One Lambeth Programme ensuring we are ‘connected by purpose’ in everything we do to deliver excellence. Our approach is encapsulated in our One Lambeth Values and Behaviours: equity, ambition, kindness and accountability.

About the Team:

The Business, Culture and Investment team shapes and delivers the council’s economic strategy, working in close partnership across different service areas and a myriad of external partners.  The team’s work programme is varied, encompassing:

• Arts and culture – encompassing cultural infrastructure; night time economy ELEVATE; public art and events
• Inward investment promotion and support
• Priority growth sector strategies and work programmes – creative and digital, green economy and health and life sciences
• Business and economic focussed partnerships 
• Affordable workspace 

The team is formed of the Culture and Creative Economy team (led by the Head of Culture and Creative Economy) and the Business and Inward Investment team (led by the Head of Economic Development – this role).

About the Role:

As the Head of Economic Development, you will be responsible for leading our strategic sector and cluster development initiatives to unlock high value job growth and promote Lambeth’s involvement in strategic partnerships. Responsible for a team of six, and working across a significant network of partners, you will ensure that the team deliver high quality economic development projects that generate income and positive outcomes for local people. These include:

• Affordable workspace - The team provide strategic input into the council’s Local Plan and S106 negotiations on major development schemes and deliver the £8 million Future Workspace Fund. We have invested in 10 projects currently, including our Sustainable Ventures’ workspace at County Hall - Europe’s largest clean tech hub. 
• Green economy - Last year we developed and adopted a green economy strategy. This is an exciting new area of work for the team, building on the success of Sustainable Ventures. We are currently setting an Innovation Challenge – pairing local anchor institutions with climate tech innovators to tackle problems together – and delivering the strategy in partnership with a network of likeminded stakeholders.
• SC1 - This is a health and life science innovation district partnership, with a mission to deliver health equity for local and global populations. The forthcoming Royal Street development will provide a major affordable workspace contribution to support the health and life sciences sector in the borough.
• Inward Investment - The team is responsible for promoting the borough for investment through targeted communications and industry events. This includes working with developers, regeneration and planning colleagues to ensure growth and investment contributes to an inclusive economy.
• Night time economy - Last year we delivered a Night Time Enterprise Zone in Vauxhall with funding from the Mayor of London, working in partnership with LGBTQI+ focused organisations, Portuguese businesses within ‘Little Portugal’ and many others. Now, we are expanding our focus to the rest of Lambeth and are producing a borough-wide night time strategy.
• Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) -The team manage the council’s strategic relationship with seven BIDs in Lambeth. The BIDs are major assets that share insights from business across the borough and collaborate with the council to create a business friendly borough.

We are looking for someone who is committed to making places and local economies more inclusive. You will lead the delivery of major economic development projects that will deliver meaningful change for our communities and need a strong track record of making things happen – whether your background is in economic development, regeneration or other relevant areas of expertise.

For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification in hyperlink below:

Job Description and Person Specification 

If you’d like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact Brodie Turner at bturner1@lambeth.gov.uk. 

How to Apply:

If you're interested in this opportunity, click on the apply button and complete an online application by 11:59pm on 14th April 2024.

Interviews will take place on 2nd May. 

In your supporting statement, please clearly demonstrate how you meet the shortlist criteria marked with an 'A' at shortlist stage. We operate an anonymised application process, so be sure to remove personal details when uploading your CV or personal statement.

At Lambeth, we are dedicated to providing quality services and equal opportunities for all. We are committed to safer recruitment and are proud to be a Stonewall diversity champion, a Living Wage Employer, and to guarantee interviews for all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the role. For a full list of our accreditations.