Workforce Development Manager (London and Essex)

Drive workforce development. Influence regional skills. Build partnerships that transform the sport and physical activity sector.

Are you passionate about developing people, building influential partnerships and driving meaningful change across communities?

The Workforce Development Manager will play a key role in helping employers, education providers and strategic partners strengthen the sport and physical activity workforce across London and Essex.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-performing national team that works collaboratively to support workforce development, professional recognition and skills growth across the sector.

You'll combine relationship building, stakeholder engagement and commercial awareness to influence regional workforce priorities, develop local skills plans and grow partnerships that make a lasting impact.

What you'll be doing

As Workforce Development Manager, you'll work closely with employers, local authorities, education providers and strategic partners to identify workforce needs and deliver solutions that support skills development and professional recognition.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Building and managing strong partner relationships
• Developing and delivering local workforce and skills plans
• Generating income through partnership growth and professional status opportunities
• Identifying and converting new employer partnerships
• Supporting employers with workforce planning and skills development
• Influencing regional stakeholders and championing workforce development priorities
• Working collaboratively across CIMSPA teams to deliver exceptional partner experiences
• Representing CIMSPA at meetings, events and sector forums.

About you

We're looking for someone who combines commercial awareness with a genuine passion for supporting people and organisations to thrive.

You'll likely bring:

• Proven experience building and managing successful stakeholder relationships
• Experience generating income, achieving targets and growing partnerships
• Strong influencing, negotiation and communication skills
• Experience identifying opportunities to upsell and deepen customer engagement
• An understanding of workforce development, skills planning or employability initiatives
• Knowledge of local funding, devolution or regional skills priorities
• Confidence presenting, facilitating workshops and engaging diverse audiences
• Strong organisational and CRM skills
• Knowledge of the sport and physical activity sector and its workforce development challenges.

Most importantly, you'll be someone who enjoys connecting with people, creating opportunities and making a positive impact across communities.

If you're passionate about workforce development, partnership management and creating opportunities that strengthen the sport and physical activity sector, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and help shape the future workforce of sport and physical activity.

For full details about the role, please click here.

Salary: £40,030.95 per annum
Contract: Fixed term until March 2028

Closing date: Monday 26 October 2026 at 9am.

First stage - if successful, video interview submissions will take place and need to be received by Wednesday 28 October 2026.

Second stage - if successful, interviews will be held at SportPark, Loughborough University on Wednesday 4 November 2026.

Please note:

• Using AI to write your cover letter is discouraged, as we want to understand your own voice, experience, and motivation.
• This is a remote role with substantial local travel requirements (travel expenses are covered).
• It will require occasional attendance at CIMSPA’s Head Office in Loughborough.
• Candidates ideally reside within or near the designated areas (London and Essex).