Team Lead

Jobs Guarantee is designed to give young people who have experienced long-term unemployment more than another employability programme.

It gives them the opportunity to move into a real, paid job with personalised support around them to help them succeed.

We are looking for Team Leads who can turn that ambition into excellent day-to-day delivery.

You'll lead and support colleagues working with young people throughout their Jobs Guarantee journey - from first engagement and preparation for work through to employment, in-work support and progression.

That means knowing your team, knowing your participants and knowing your performance.

You'll make sure referrals are picked up quickly, relationships with young people are strong, barriers are understood, appropriate employment opportunities are being identified, and people receive the support they need to keep moving forward.

You'll work closely with Mentors, Employment Pathways, Partnership colleagues and wider teams so participant support and employment opportunities connect around the person.

Our Relational Mentoring approach will sit at the heart of delivery.

Your role is to help colleagues build strong, trusted and purposeful relationships while maintaining clear expectations and momentum towards employment.

We are also looking for Team Leads who understand that leadership is more than managing caseloads and targets.

You'll develop your people, create meaningful coaching conversations, encourage ownership and make it safe for colleagues to raise problems early.

You'll help your team understand how their work contributes not simply to Jobs Guarantee, but to the wider impact of the Wise Group.

What you'll lead

1. Your team

Lead, coach and support colleagues to perform at their best.

Set clear expectations while creating an environment where people feel trusted, supported and accountable.

Use regular supervision, coaching, case reviews and performance conversations to develop colleagues and strengthen delivery.

Make development meaningful rather than simply an administrative exercise.

Help colleagues solve problems rather than automatically escalating them.

Encourage colleagues to take ownership, stay curious, learn continuously and work collaboratively.

Recognise and celebrate strong practice while addressing performance or quality concerns early.

Help people understand the purpose behind performance expectations and the difference their work is expected to make.

2. Participant journeys

Maintain strong visibility of every stage of the participant journey.

Know who has been referred, who is engaging, who needs additional support, who is approaching job readiness, who requires an employment opportunity, who has started work and whose employment may be at risk.

Support colleagues to understand what is helping or preventing progress.

Make sure participants do not become stuck within the service.

Maintain pace while protecting the quality of support and the participant relationship.

Make sure colleagues intervene early rather than allowing challenges to become crises.

3. Performance

Use data and case information to understand what is happening across your team.

Maintain a clear view of caseloads, engagement, job matching, employment starts, sustainment and progression.

Act early where performance begins to drift.

Understand why something is happening, not simply whether a target has been met.

Turn performance information into focused conversations and practical action.

Help your team understand their individual contribution to collective performance.

4. Relational leadership

Model the way we expect colleagues to work with participants.

Be curious about what sits underneath the presenting issue.

Support Mentors to listen well, challenge appropriately and understand the whole person.

Help colleagues maintain relationships that are supportive and purposeful without doing things for people that they can increasingly do for themselves.

Create space for reflective practice and learning.

5. Employer connections

Work closely with Employment Pathways colleagues to connect participant needs with employment opportunities.

Help Mentors understand the opportunities available and make sure Employment Pathways colleagues understand participants' strengths, ambitions and support needs.

Identify gaps in employment opportunity quickly.

Support constructive relationships with employers where participants need additional help to sustain employment.

6. Local intelligence and place

Pay attention to what your team is learning about the communities where they work.

Look for patterns.

What barriers are appearing repeatedly?

Are people experiencing particular transport, housing, wellbeing, skills or financial challenges?

What is helping people succeed?

Where are opportunities emerging?

What are local employers and organisations telling us?

Share useful frontline intelligence with the Operations Manager, Partnership Executive and other relevant colleagues.

Make local intelligence part of normal operational leadership rather than an additional exercise.

Encourage colleagues to think Wise Group first and understand that useful knowledge should travel beyond an individual team.

7. Quality, safeguarding and evidence

Maintain high standards of case management, safeguarding, evidence and participant experience.

Ensure colleagues understand their responsibilities and have the confidence to raise concerns.

Use case reviews and quality information to improve practice rather than simply check compliance.

Make sure the evidence supporting performance is accurate and complete.