NWDA JOB DESCRIPTION Job Details Job Title Postholder Directorate/ Team Reports to Payband, role profile & job family Location Date produced or updated
Graduate Post Economic Development, Various Teams Director/ Head of Team D Lower, Role Profile 2 (Prof & Dev Job Family) Warrington 15 April 2009
Job Purpose A one sentence summary which describes why this job exists and its primary contribution to the organisation. To provide graduate support to the development and delivery of Economic Development strategy, activities and projects, contributing to the achievement of Economic Development Directorate objectives in the areas of Business Relations, Enterprise, Environment and Energy, Science and Innovation, Skills and Employment. 5 vacancies are available as 2 year fixed term appointments, rotating on a 6 – 12 month basis amongst the following teams: Business Relations, Environment & Energy, Enterprise, Science & Innovation and Skills and Employment.
Organisation Chart Organisation chart showing the reporting relationships relevant to the role, i.e. manager, peers and direct reports. Various
Principal Accountabilities & Performance Measures The main areas of responsibility and accountability of the role undertaken in priority order. Where the job has specific areas of accountability and sign-off (e.g. staffing, budget and decision making) this is clearly stated. Also list the performance measures per accountability, i.e. the outputs of the job which will indicate success/ how the job impacts and contributes to the business of the NWDA. Finally, list the % proportion of time spent on each accountability. Principal Accountability Performance Measure % of time 30 1. Collect, collate and analyse data 1. Appropriateness, relevance, and depth of from internal and external sources data and information gathered and to support strategy, project advice/ recommendations provided. development and delivery in the Strategy and project development and Economic Development Directorate. delivery is enhanced through improved data and data analysis.
2. To mange activities and projects of varying size and complexity to enable the delivery of Economic Development Directorate objectives, providing advice and guidance to external partners, meeting internal best practice guidelines and procedures. 3. Contributes technical input and provides operational support to the development of Economic Development strategies, policies, papers and projects, including collating responses to external papers and requests for information. 4. Devise draft communication
2. Feedback from stakeholders and
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programme team. Review by Line Manager.
3. Evidence of effectiveness of technical input. Collation of external responses in a timely manner.
30
4. Feedback from partners. Review by Line
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material and liaise with external and internal partners to ensure their continued collaboration against agreed strategies, projects and plans in order to deliver Economic Development Directorate objectives. 5. Scan the external environment for trends and best practice as directed and incorporate these through briefings, research reports and presentations to Economic Development activities, Strategies and plans as appropriate. This can include national, international and regional policy and initiatives.
Manager.
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5. Evidence of research and information gathering. Quality, relevance and impact of briefings, research reports and presentations.
Dimensions Scale, scope and complexity of the role. How many functional areas, staff and budget does this job directly or indirectly influence as well as the planning and decision making parameters within which this role operates. Scale • Role involves at least two rotational placements (6 -12 months in duration) across the Economic Development Directorate in the areas of Business Relations, Enterprise, Environment and Energy, Science and Innovation, or Skills and Employment. • Responsible for the management and delivery of projects and strategy work under the direct guidance of a Director or Head of Team. Staff • No direct line management • Assists the Director or Head of Team to influence agendas across the directorate. Financial • The postholder may assist in budget delivery and manage small amounts of spend under the direction of the Director of Head of Team. Planning
• Planning would generally be on an annual basis for liaison and communication activities and would be set up at the commencement of the placement. • Postholder would be expected to develop relationships with external and internal partners to assist with the long term objectives of the directorate.
Decision Making • The postholder would be expected to make decisions on the delivery of individual projects, activities or strategies within the parameters set by the Director or Head of Team.
Relationships List of the jobs and areas with which the post interacts, showing internal and external relationships and the purpose of the interaction. Internal External • Build strong relationships with key • Develop close working relationship across the stakeholders at regional level, both within the team, Directorate and Agency. Northwest and across the RDA network. • Engage with Local Authorities, Sub Regional Partners and other stakeholders to ensure support for functional strategic direction. • Engage, interact with and influence key private sector organisations through established
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mechanisms.
Specific Minimum Requirements for the Job List of the experience (in terms of knowledge and technical skills) and educational qualifications needed for the job. • Recent or predicted 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent) • Demonstrates excellent research skills, analytical and numerical ability in order to communicate ideas and concepts concisely. • Well developed communication and interpersonal skills to be able to deliver presentations and develop strong working relationships with a diverse range of partner organisations ranging from Local Authorities, Universities and private sector businesses. • Knowledge of IT including databases, word processing, spreadsheets, email and internet applications. • Able to demonstrate an understanding of issues affecting Regional Development Agencies, specifically in relation to economic development. • Demonstrates knowledge of financial management in order to manage small delegated budgets as appropriate. • Capable of working flexible and under pressure • Ability to work as part of a team.
Mandatory Development List of the mandatory development and training required by the postholder to be fully competent. To be confirmed
Competency Profile The behaviours, attitudes and people skills required by the job to develop good working relationships and technical capabilities. Building and Managing Relations B Actively develops relationships o Opens discussions with others about the quality of working relationships in addition to task focus o Has a strong, purposeful wide network of contacts o Takes steps to manage how others view them o Makes time to meet people and develop mutual understanding o Takes part in professional association or other similar social and networking events Effective Influencing B Develops and implements influencing approaches o Adapts the content, style and tone of communications to the needs of the audience; varies the language and business terms with different customers. o Uses a combination of logical argument, personal conviction and passion to create a winning case. o Uses understanding of the organisation (culture, structure) to tailor the approach. o Involves others in decisions in order to gain support. Information Seeking C Conducts ongoing, proactive investigating o Routinely reviews, scans and analyses trends to keep up to date with the external environment, economic and market trends. o Networks for strategic information both within NWDA and externally. o Focuses others on what regular business and commercial information is needed. Team work B Proactively engages others o Identifies and responds when colleagues need support. o Seeks help outside the immediate team when appropriate. o Solicits help from colleagues e.g. an “expert” on a particular type of issue. o Shares information, skills and ideas with others.
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o
Thinks of team performance in addition to the achievement of personal accountabilities.
Thinking and Acting Ahead B Looks ahead o Anticipates obstacles not obvious to others and thinks ahead; takes action to avoid a crisis. o Thinks ahead to identify opportunities to achieve better outcomes. o Put things in place now to avoid difficulties later. o Prepares for all eventualities; draws up contingency plans. o Predict the futures by reviewing past situations.
Postholder Signature Postholder signature Date
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