EMPOWUK
Public Affairs & Government Partnerships manager
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EMPOWUK Advisory Role
EMPOWUK is an AI-powered employment support platform designed to enhance existing employability programmes and strengthen the capability of provider teams. Rather than replacing work coaches, our platform acts as an intelligent support layer, providing participants with continuous, personalised support between appointments while enabling advisers to work more effectively. Providers gain AI-powered insights, automated progress monitoring, employer engagement tools, and early identification of risks, allowing work coaches to focus on higher-value interventions, improve participant engagement, increase employer connectivity, and support more people without increasing caseload pressures.
The Role
We're looking for someone who understands how the welfare-to-work sector actually works from the inside not a general public affairs generalist, but someone who has sat within a DWP prime contractor, a local authority commissioning team, or a Connect to Work / Youth Hub delivery partner, and understands how supply chains, subcontracting, and procurement processes like RFIs and framework bids actually function in this space.
This is a part-time, advisory role at the moment. It's not a promise of DWP access or approval no one has that for an early-stage product it's about opening the right doors at council, charity, and prime-contractor level, and helping us navigate the process credibly and correctly when we're ready.
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What you'll do
- Advise and manage realistic routes into Connect to Work supply chains, Youth Hub partnerships, and local Trailblazer pilots
- Help us identify and approach the right contacts within prime contractors (e.g. Reed in Partnership, Ingeus, Maximus UK, Serco, Fedcap, Seetec, Shaw Trust) and local commissioning teams
- DWP procurement processes (RFIs, market engagement, PQQs, framework participation) as they become relevant, including the current JCS employment support market engagement
- Shape how we position outcome data and evidence for future conversations with councils, charities, and eventually DWP
- Flag policy and compliance developments relevant to Get Britain Working, JCS, and Connect to Work that affect our roadmap
What we're looking for
- Direct experience within a DWP prime contractor, subcontractor, local authority commissioning team, or careers/employment support delivery organisation
- Understanding of how welfare-to-work supply chains, framework contracts, and public sector procurement actually operate
- Existing relationships within the sector — councils, VCSEs, Connect to Work commissioners, or prime contractor partnership teams
- Comfort working with an early-stage startup: this is not a polished, DPIA-approved, fully accessible platform yet, and we need someone who can be straight with us about what stage we're realistically at
- Genuine interest in supporting vulnerable claimants back into work, not just the contract opportunity
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What this role is not
- It is not a lobbying role promising DWP sign-off
- It is not a full-time position at this stage
- It does not require you to leave your current role: this suits someone with existing sector standing looking for a part-time advisory commitment
To Apply
Send a short note on your background in the sector and what you think a realistic 6–12 month engagement path with DWP, councils, charities, or primes looks like for a platform at our stage. info@varawellness.com
EMPOWUK — built for people navigating real barriers to work, with the governance and humility that requires.
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