Head of Employment
London Borough of Islington
About The Role
Focused on making an impact.
Do you want to lead work that genuinely changes lives and shapes a fairer local economy?
As Head of Employment, you will play a pivotal role in driving Islington’s ambition to reduce poverty, tackle inequality, and ensure residents can access good work and meaningful career progression. This is a senior leadership role with real influence—working across the council, with employers, schools, and partners—to design and deliver employment services that open doors for those who face the greatest barriers.
You will provide strategic leadership across employment and youth progression services, ensuring residents are supported from education through to sustained employment, while embedding inclusive growth and community wealth‑building principles into everything we do.
About the role
In this role, you will:
- Lead a borough‑wide employment service focused on improving access to work, progression, and in‑work retention, particularly for marginalised residents.
- Shape and deliver strategies that address systemic employment barriers and strengthen Islington’s inclusive local economy.
- Oversee youth employment and progression activity, working closely with schools, colleges, and youth services to prevent young people from becoming NEET.
- Build strong, trusted partnerships with employers across priority sectors, promoting good work, local recruitment, and long‑term career pathways.
- Drive innovation by developing new employment pathways, securing external funding, and aligning local delivery with national policy.
- Use insight and data to manage performance, demonstrate impact, and continuously improve services.
What we’re looking for
You will bring:
- Extensive senior leadership experience within employment services, education, or local government.
- A strong track record of designing and delivering complex, outcome‑focused programmes at scale.
- Deep understanding of youth employment, post‑16 education, and inclusive labour market approaches.
- Proven ability to lead multi‑disciplinary teams and influence senior stakeholders, elected members, and partners.
- Excellent communication skills, with the confidence to represent the service internally and externally.
- Experience of financial management, funding development, and delivering value for money in the public sector.
About the team
You’ll be part of the Inclusive Economy department within Community Wealth Building, reporting to the Assistant Director of Inclusive Growth. The team is ambitious, collaborative, and deeply committed to improving life chances for Islington residents. Together, we work with employers, communities, and partners to create pathways into good work and ensure economic growth benefits everyone.
This role sits at the heart of the council’s mission to create a more equal Islington and contributes to corporate leadership across the organisation.
Ready to Shape the Future? Apply Now!
For further information or for an informal conversation about the post, please contact:
Name and Job Title: Siobhan Scantlebury, Assistant Director of Inclusive Growth
Email: [email protected]
Note to Recruitment Agencies
We kindly ask that recruitment agencies do not contact us regarding this vacancy. We are managing the recruitment process internally and will reach out directly should we require external support. Thank you for your understanding.
Working for the team, service and our organisation
Islington is a place rich with diversity and culture. As a council our sense of purpose couldn’t be clearer: we serve. It’s in the logo. We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Together we can change the future.
We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive.
To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out ‘CARE’, which is what we think public service is all about.
- Up to 31 days leave per year, increasing to 36 days after five years of local government service
- A range of flexible working arrangements to maintain a healthy work-life balance, as well as a 35-hour working week
- Learning and development opportunities to maximise your potential
- Competitive pay and a commitment to paying all staff the London Living Wage at minimum
- Excellent local government pension scheme
- Cycle to Work scheme and discounted gym memberships
- Local discounts from restaurants, shops, health and beauty therapists, and more!
We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to any unlawful discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on the grounds of any protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act, including but not limited to race, disability, sexual orientation, sex, religion and belief, age, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity. Any incidents of discrimination will be promptly investigated and addressed in line with our HR policies to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all colleagues.
We use data to identify and address disparities, ensuring that our policies and practices are transparent and impactful in promoting a diverse representation of backgrounds and perspectives at all levels of the organisation. We look at inequality through an intersectional lens, recognising that different aspects of someone’s identity can combine to create unique experiences of discrimination and disadvantage.
We know that advancing diversity and inclusion is a continuous journey, and we must listen to our colleagues and learn where we can further improve. We work closely with our Colleague Forums and Trade Unions, supported by active allies from our Corporate Management Team, to monitor and evaluate our practices, identify barriers, and empower colleagues to promote equality and inclusion in the workplace.
Every one of us has a role to play in making Islington Council a truly inclusive workplace. By living out our CARE (collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering) values every day and embedding the principles of equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our work, we can all actively contribute to empowering people and creating a more equal Islington.
Pre‑Employment Checks
Any offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of required pre‑employment checks. These may include:
- Proof of address
- Evidence of any name changes (if applicable)
- Right to work in the UK
- Overseas criminal record check (if applicable)
- Satisfactory references
- Occupational Health clearance
- Evidence of professional qualifications or registrations
- DBS check at the appropriate level (if applicable)
