Employer Engagement Officer

Help people into work. Build great employer partnerships.

PeoplePlus, together with our expert delivery partners, is recruiting for a range of roles to support the delivery of the Jobs Guarantee programme across North & East Scotland.

We are looking for a passionate and driven Employer Engagement Adviser to join our team and help create meaningful employment opportunities for people across North and East Scotland.

This is a remote/home-based role, but it is not a fully remote/no-travel position. You will need to be based in Scotland and able to travel regularly across the Scottish region, particularly across North and East Scotland, to meet employers, attend events, build local partnerships and support recruitment activity.

As part of our coordinated recruitment campaign, applications will be managed by the relevant expert delivery partner based on the area and role to which you have applied.

As an Employer Engagement Adviser, you’ll build strong relationships with employers across the private, public and voluntary sectors, helping them understand the benefits of the Jobs Guarantee and supporting them to create inclusive, sustainable employment opportunities.

You’ll be a key link between employers and our participants, working closely with Youth Coaches and delivery partners to make sure the right people are connected to the right opportunities.

What you'll be doing

You will:

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of employers and quality vacancies across North and East Scotland.
• Develop lasting relationships with employers of all sizes across private, public and voluntary sectors.
• Identify sectors offering sustainable employment, progression and development opportunities.
• Promote the Jobs Guarantee through employer networking, events, forums, chambers of commerce, partnerships, digital campaigns and existing networks.
• Act as a trusted adviser to employers, understanding their workforce needs and helping them develop inclusive recruitment opportunities.
• Manage employer accounts through regular contact, vacancy reviews and forward planning.
• Carry out appropriate employer due diligence and quality checks, ensuring roles meet the required standards around pay, hours, health and safety, safeguarding, supervision, accessibility and progression.
• Work closely with Youth Coaches and delivery partners to match participants to opportunities based on their strengths, aspirations, skills, location, travel requirements and support needs.
• Arrange employer introductions, interviews, work trials and job starts, ensuring both employers and candidates are prepared.
• Support employers with onboarding, mentoring, workplace adjustments, inclusive supervision and retention planning.
• Maintain regular post-placement contact and help resolve any issues that arise.
• Identify alternative opportunities where a placement doesn't proceed or ends early.
• Work collaboratively with PeoplePlus colleagues, subcontractors and national teams to coordinate employer engagement activity and ensure clear account ownership.
• Monitor vacancy supply, employer engagement, conversion, job quality, retention and progression, using insight and data to identify opportunities and gaps.
• Maintain accurate and timely records across relevant systems, including the shared employer register, ICONI and swipejobs.
• Ensure all employer activity meets contractual, compliance, safeguarding, equality, data protection and audit requirements.
• Represent PeoplePlus professionally at employer and stakeholder meetings and promote social recruitment.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who is confident building relationships, comfortable speaking to employers and motivated by helping people move into sustainable employment.

You'll ideally have:

• Experience in employer engagement, business development, recruitment, employment support or a similar role.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills.
• The confidence to approach new employers and develop opportunities from scratch.
• Experience of working with businesses and understanding their recruitment needs.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues and delivery partners.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple employer relationships and vacancies.
• Good attention to detail, particularly when dealing with compliance and records.
• An understanding of inclusive recruitment and the barriers people can face when entering employment.
• A proactive approach and the ability to identify opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to you.
• A full driving licence and the ability to travel regularly across Scotland.

Experience working within employability, skills, recruitment, youth employment or government-funded programmes would be advantageous.

The important bit – location and travel

This role is home-based/remote, giving you the flexibility to work from home. However, the role involves regular travel across Scotland, particularly across North and East Scotland, to meet employers, attend networking events, stakeholder meetings and recruitment activity.

You must live in Scotland and be able to travel as required for the role.

Because of the geographical nature of the role, you'll need to be comfortable spending time on the road and managing a varied diary of virtual and face-to-face employer engagement.

How we'll measure success

You'll make a real difference by:

• Building a strong pipeline of high-quality, compliant vacancies.
• Connecting participants with sustainable employment opportunities.
• Developing strong employer relationships and repeat recruitment opportunities.
• Supporting successful job starts, retention and progression.
• Ensuring employers and vacancies meet all required quality and compliance standards.
• Working effectively with Youth Coaches, delivery partners and internal teams.
• Using labour-market insight to identify new sectors, employers and opportunities.
• Contributing to a positive experience for both employers and participants.