Barnsley Council
Lead Key Account Manager
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Position reference: 50146803
Directorate: Place | Service: Economic Development
Salary: £51,356 - £54,495
Working Arrangements: Mon - Fri
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch.
See our range of Employee Rewards
Closing date: 24/08/2026 at 23:59
The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.
This post requires a Basic Criminal Record Check.
Prospective employees will be required to give a reasonable account of any significant periods (6 months or more in the past 3 years) of time living abroad.
When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.
Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.
At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be.
We’re an award-winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees. As part of the team, we offer lots of benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, like flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.
There’s so much happening in our thriving borough, and now’s the perfect time to join our excellent Economic Development team as we work to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
We’re an award-winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough supporting around 243,000 people. Working at Barnsley Council means being part of a team that makes a real difference to people’s lives, where you can develop the skills you need to make change happen.
If you join the team you’ll receive great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme. With flexible working we’ll also support your work/life balance, helping you to adjust your hours and take time off when you need it.
We’ll help you to develop your career and grow your skills with opportunities for training and development. There’s so much happening in our thriving borough and your talent and skills will help us make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
Key to our success is working with our residents, partners, businesses and organisations and building these partnerships to bring about change in Barnsley.
About The Post
Help Shape the Future of Barnsley's Economy
At Enterprising Barnsley, Barnsley Councils business support service, we're not just supporting businesses, we're helping shape the future of one of the UK's most ambitious local economies.
Businesses are at the heart of everything we do. From innovative tech companies and advanced manufacturers to major logistics operators and high-growth SMEs, we work with organisations that are creating jobs, driving investment and shaping Barnsley's future.
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We're now looking for an exceptional Lead Key Account Manager to lead our award-winning Key Account Management team.
This is a unique opportunity for an experienced and commercially minded leader to influence how we engage with businesses across the borough, help shape economic development priorities, and ensure Barnsley's most important businesses have the relationships, support and connections they need to thrive.
If you're passionate about business growth, enjoy building influential relationships, and want to play a leading role in shaping the future of a place, we'd love to hear from you.
About The Role
As Lead Key Account Manager, you'll lead and develop a team of Key Account Managers responsible for supporting businesses across Barnsley's key growth sectors.
You'll work directly with senior business leaders, investors, partners and stakeholders, developing a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the borough's business community. Alongside managing strategic business relationships of your own, you'll ensure the wider team delivers a consistently high-quality service that supports business growth, investment and resilience.
This role is about much more than leadership and performance management.
You'll play a key role in identifying opportunities, understanding risks within the local economy, strengthening relationships with major employers and investors, and helping shape future economic development activity through insight, intelligence and strategic engagement. You'll work with senior council leaders, elected members, regional partners and the wider business community to influence decision-making and maximise opportunities for Barnsley's economy.
Working closely with businesses, partners and colleagues across the Council, you'll help ensure Barnsley remains one of the best places in the UK to start, grow, innovate and invest in a business.
What You'll Be Doing
- Leading, developing, and motivating a team of Key Account Managers to deliver outstanding business engagement and support.
- Building and maintaining trusted relationships with senior business leaders, investors and strategic partners.
- Managing a portfolio of strategically important business relationships across the borough.
- Acting as a key link between businesses and Barnsley Council.
- Identifying opportunities for growth, investment, innovation and collaboration within the local economy.
- Providing intelligence and insight that helps shape economic development priorities and future business support activity.
- Monitoring the health of key businesses and identifying potential risks or opportunities at an early stage.
- Influencing and shaping service improvements to ensure Enterprising Barnsley continues to deliver exceptional support to businesses.
- Representing Barnsley and Enterprising Barnsley at high-profile events, stakeholder meetings and business forums.
- Working collaboratively with partners across the public and private sectors to maximise opportunities for local businesses and the wider economy.
About You
We're looking for someone who understands business, can inspire people and has the credibility to engage confidently with senior decision-makers.
You may currently be working in a senior commercial, operational, economic development or business leadership role. You may have experience leading teams, managing strategic relationships, driving growth, supporting investment, or helping organisations navigate change.
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Most importantly, you'll bring strong commercial awareness, strategic thinking and a genuine passion for helping businesses and places succeed.
We particularly welcome applications from candidates who have built successful careers in industry, business leadership, commercial management or economic development and are looking to apply that experience on a wider stage.
Successful Candidates Are Likely To Have
- Extensive experience of senior business engagement and stakeholder management.
- A successful track record of leading teams and delivering high-quality outcomes.
- The ability to build credibility and trust with senior business leaders and key stakeholders.
- Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of what drives business success and investment decisions.
- Experience influencing decisions at a senior level and working across complex stakeholder environments.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
- Strong analytical thinking and the ability to translate insight into action.
- A passion for business growth, economic development and creating opportunities.
Previous public sector experience is not essential. We're particularly interested in hearing from people who can bring fresh perspectives, commercial insight, leadership experience and valuable networks into the team.
Why Join Enterprising Barnsley?
This is a rare opportunity to have a genuine influence on the future of an entire borough.
You'll lead a talented and ambitious team, work with some of Barnsley's most significant businesses, and help shape the economic priorities that support future growth and investment.
In Return, You'll Benefit From
- A highly influential role at the heart of Barnsley's growth ambitions.
- The opportunity to shape how businesses engage with Barnsley Council and its partners.
- Flexible and agile working arrangements.
- A supportive, ambitious and collaborative team environment.
- Access to senior business, investor and stakeholder networks.
- Ongoing professional development and leadership opportunities.
- The chance to make a visible and lasting impact on Barnsley's economy.
If you're ready to use your experience, leadership and commercial expertise to help shape the future of Barnsley's economy, we'd love to hear from you.
Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.
- Job Profile: Lead Key Account Manager Job Profile.pdf
- Vacancy Exposure Profile: Exposure Profile.pdf
Help with your application form
Why work for us?
Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your application form how you meet the required criteria.
We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.
We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.
CV's are not accepted for this role.
At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We're committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
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