Resilience Business Partner

Job: Business Partner

Team: Greater Manchester Resilience Unit (Greater Manchester Combined Authority; Resilience Directorate)

Salary: £50,908 to £55,224

Hours: 36.25 hours per week, Monday-Friday, with out of hours as required as part of a 365/24/7 on-call rota

Contract: Permanent Hybrid Working

Location: GMCA Offices, Tootal House, 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EU/ GMP Force HQ, Central Park, M40 5BP.

Advert closing date: November 22nd at 23:59

Interviews: Early December in Central Manchester, dates will be confirmed to successful applicants.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work on urban resilience in Greater Manchester, a city-region that is recognised as a global leader in resilience. As a Business Partner the post holder will provide an emergency planning, response, and resilience service to the ten Councils of Greater Manchester, operating as part of the Greater Manchester Resilience Unit, a directorate within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). This shared service was established by Greater Manchester's Councils to deliver expertise in civil contingencies.

The Role

If successful you will have responsibility for managing the relationships with one or more specific Councils/GMCA, in addition to leading work programmes across Greater Manchester that address risks, or resilience challenges.

As a Business Partner, you will work within a wider multi-agency environment to strengthen resilience across Greater Manchester. This work is coordinated through the Greater Manchester Resilience Forum, a statutory partnership bringing together over 80 organisations to plan for, respond to and recover from emergencies.

The role holder will build and maintain effective relationships with designated councils or GMCA, ensuring their resilience needs and priorities inform the Greater Manchester Resilience Unit's business plan. They will ensure that the Unit's tools and services are accessible to councils and GMCA and promote the sharing of good practice across all authorities.

The role holder will have responsibility for specific thematic resilience workstreams and projects, ensuring business cases are developed and approved, project outcomes are delivered on time and within budget, and evaluation of impacts is undertaken.

As a Business Partner, you will work collaboratively with multi-agency teams, local authorities, GMCA and voluntary sector organisations to understand risks and develop emergency response plans. You will also support policy leads to develop and deliver a programme of work that addresses the key priorities of the Greater Manchester Resilience Strategy and the Greater Manchester Strategy.

In the role you will

• Manage a portfolio of Greater Manchester Councils which includes working directly with senior stakeholders including Chief Officers for civil contingencies and Directors of Public Health, together with partner agencies, to increase resilience within Greater Manchester.
• Support delivery of GMRU's business plan and the annual work programme agreed with councils or GMCA, ensuring alignment with the strategic direction set by the Greater Manchester Resilience Forum.
• Maintain up-to-date expertise in emergency response, including the potential impacts of risks, emergency plans, JESIP principles and the use of Resilience Direct, to provide specialist and technical advice to councils during emergency response and recovery.
• Understand how changes to legislation, strategies and policies at national, Greater Manchester and local levels affect councils' delivery of civil contingencies services and their work to strengthen place-based resilience.
• Lead specific areas of resilience and civil contingencies, promoting leading practice and embedding agreed approaches across Greater Manchester's councils. This may involve developing business cases, managing projects and coordinating multi-agency project teams, contractors and external partners as required.
• Deliver the full range of civil contingencies activities, including assessing risks, developing plans, delivering training, designing and running emergency exercises, and promoting community resilience. Work with decision-makers to prevent emergencies and strengthen place-based urban resilience.
• Lead the identification of lessons following an incident, focusing on those relevant to councils. Recommend actions to address these lessons and promote continuous learning.

NB: This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. Further details can be found in the attached role profile.

About You

We are looking for a highly capable resilience professional with experience of civil contingencies functions, emergency and business continuity planning, and the wider resilience agenda. The post holder will have excellent communication and relationship management skills with the capacity to work with senior managers, operational staff and different stakeholders. They will have the drive, enthusiasm, and experience to lead the shaping and delivery of services to meet business needs in Councils/GMCA. The post holder will also enjoy working under pressure, managing sometimes conflicting priorities, and working in fast-paced crises.

You will bring:

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of emergency and business continuity planning, and delivering multi-agency projects or programmes of work.
• Knowledge of the statutory framework within which the civil contingency function operates.
• A detailed understanding of the national and local context within which civil contingencies operates both within and external to local authorities.
• Ability to build and maintain strong networks of support both internally and externally and to forge effective partnerships.
• Problem solving and decision making, including when under pressure.
• Business planning skills with ability to identify and assess risks, manage change and make long term plans.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to identify best practice, key risks to the delivery of objectives, and analyse trends and patterns to develop ideas for the strategy of the service.
• Effective team worker.
• High levels of emotional resilience

Mandatory Requirements

• The post holder must successfully undertake police security clearance through Greater Manchester Police.
• The post holder will be required to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service and commit to being a member of GMRU's strategic on-call rota, providing 24/7/365 support to the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities in their response to emergencies, in line with agreed procedures and escalation arrangements.
• At time of appointment hold a full driving license and have access to a vehicle for business use for which casual car user allowance will be paid.
• Be prepared to travel across Greater Manchester, and outside of Greater Manchester if business needs require.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in strengthening Greater Manchester's resilience and preparedness for future challenges.

You will work at the heart of a dynamic partnership environment, helping to ensure that resilience capabilities continue to evolve across the city-region.

By joining the Resilience Directorate, you will contribute directly to protecting communities, supporting effective emergency preparedness and building a safer, stronger and more resilient Greater Manchester.

The Selection Process

Candidates will be shortlisted following the closing date. Successful applicants will be invited to attend a selection process consisting of:

• A formal interview
• A written assessment
• A short presentation

Selection activities are expected to take place early December in Central Manchester and last approximately 3 hours.

Mandatory Information

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We embrace AI to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for passionate individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions carefully to maximise your chances of success.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that AI may be used as a reasonable adjustment, if using AI to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection process.

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Hybrid working

This role is part of GMCA's hybrid working scheme. As part of our commitment to 'Build Back Fairer' in Greater Manchester following the Covid-19 pandemic, we have evolved our management methods by trusting and empowering staff to deliver their work in the best way that suits the business and their individual needs, and supports health and wellbeing. Our hybrid working policy sets out a flexible approach, combining attendance at our Manchester city centre office, allocated GM Local Authority office(s), or on site in the community, with remote working, typically from home (within a reasonable commutable distance from Greater Manchester); the location of work is primarily dictated by the needs of the business: 'Do what is right for you and the business on that day'. If appointed to the role you will work with your manager to agree and regularly review the best working pattern for you, your team and your work.

GM Elevate Programme

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme within the last two years, please indicate this within the 'About You' or 'Supporting Statement' section of your application?