25 September 2025
Position Title: Somerset LSIP – Business Engagement Manager
Reporting to: Managing Director
Location: Taunton and working from home (hybrid)
Salary: £35,000 – £39,000 per annum
Duration: Initially a full time, six months, fixed term contract until March 31, 2026 (our intention is to make the role permanent from April 2026 once funding extension is agreed)
Somerset Chamber of Commerce introduction
Somerset Chamber of Commerce is one of only 51 Chambers nationally that are accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Somerset Chamber is the business representative organisation for Somerset. The Chamber is funded by business, for business, and has a key role with championing business in Somerset and helping to tackle business challenges through stakeholder engagement.
Somerset Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)
With developing the skills required within the workforce remaining a key challenge for Somerset’s employers, Somerset Chamber are working in partnership with Business West to develop a new Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Somerset.
Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are transforming how post-16 technical education is designed and delivered. Building upon the impact of the Devon and Somerset LSIP created in 2023, Somerset Chamber are working in partnership with Business West and wider stakeholders to create a new skills plan for the region.
The LSIP Business Engagement Manager will play a critical role in ensuring the employer voice is consistently captured, analysed, and acted upon across Somerset. Reporting to the Somerset Chamber Managing Director and working closely with colleagues at Business West, they will lead targeted business engagement activity gather the business voice, liaise with education providers and ensure activity is targeted, high quality, and aligned to LSIP objectives.
Focus of the role
The LSIP Business Engagement Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of employer-facing engagement activity for the Somerset LSIP. This includes managing the day-to-day activity to achieve the required outputs of the Somerset LSIP, liaising with stakeholders, providing reports and updates and ensuring outputs are robustly evidenced in line with Department for Education LSIP and other requirements.
Key responsibilities
- Employer engagement & outreach: Proactively identify and engage a wide range of Somerset employers, including SMEs, rural businesses, and under-represented sectors. Generate ideas to extend reach to businesses not typically engaged in the skills landscape.
- Research & intelligence gathering: Lead structured interviews, calls, and online meetings to capture in-depth employer perspectives on skills gaps, training needs, and opportunities.
- Events & forums: Facilitate and host Somerset LSIP events, roundtables, and forums, leading discussion on future skills needs and ensuring balanced representation across sectors.
- Evidence capture & reporting: Record all engagement activity on the CRM system, coding data for analysis and ensuring outputs can be robustly evidenced in LSIP reporting.
- Impact & feedback loops: Demonstrate to employers how their input influences action, maintaining trust and ongoing engagement.
- Signposting & support: Refer businesses to relevant training providers, wider Chamber services, or external programmes, ensuring employers can act on opportunities identified.
- Collaboration: Work closely with colleagues across all LSIP regions to deliver consistent, high-quality engagement and share best practice.
- Inclusion & diversity of response: Ensure employer voices reflect the breadth of the economy, actively seeking engagement from under-represented sectors and microbusinesses.
- Stakeholder engagement: Engage with a variety of stakeholders to deliver LSIP outputs by attending partnership meetings and presenting LSIP updates to stakeholders including Somerset Council, Somerset Careers Hub, Devon Chamber, Somerset Chamber members, the Dorset & Somerset Training Provider Network, industry associations and local business representative organisations in Somerset.
- Performance monitoring: Track business engagement delivery against agreed KPIs, reporting progress and risks to the managing director and Business West LSIP Project Manager / Head of Skills.
- Data & insight: Oversee analysis of business engagement data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities, working with Business West colleagues to shape LSIP reports.
Person Specification
Essential
- Minimum of 5 years business to business (B2B) relationship management experience.
- Experience of facilitating and leading discussions with businesses including research focus groups or roundtable discussions.
- Understanding of some fundamentals of the business environment
- Awareness of the post 16 education and skills landscape, qualifications, Apprenticeships, T Levels, and how this relates to businesses / employers
- Experience of partnership working on business change or business improvement projects.
- Excellent relationship-building capabilities and communication skills, both written and telephone manner.
- Digital skills including capability to use Microsoft 365, experience of using CRM systems, and willingness to learn new systems introduced as the Chamber evolves its digital capabilities.
- Strong organisational and project management abilities, with excellent planning skills and organisation skills, with a methodical approach to planning time to achieve tasks.
- Flexible approach to work independently and as a committed player team.
- Flexible approach to working times, as out of hours working will occasionally be requested (time off in lieu provided).
- Access to own transport to visit member premises across Somerset.
- Problem-solving and strategic thinking skills.
- Effective presentation skills and experience.
- Leadership skills with the ability to represent Somerset Chamber externally, professionally at all times.
Desirable
- Qualified to degree or equivalent employment experience
- Understanding of how the Further Education sector, colleges and independent training providers’ work
- Previous experience working in or an underlying knowledge of business drivers and needs
- Knowledge of the skills landscape
- Knowledge of training and skills providers in Somerset, including Further Education and independent learning providers
- Extensive project management experience.
- Understanding of marketing techniques including social media.
Terms & Conditions
- Contract duration – Fixed term contract until 31st March 2026. The role may be extended subject to external funding approval for the LSIP project.
- Working Hours – Full time, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Occasional flexibility required to attend LSIP events or meetings. Working hours may vary depending on event times, including pre-planned morning and evening events (Time Off in Lieu provided).
- Working arrangements – Flexible and hybrid working. This will involve Monday and Tuesday in the Somerset Chamber office in Taunton (TA1 2PX) and Wednesday to Friday hybrid working (attending events, employer meetings and working from home).
- Travelling Expenses – 45p per mile (from Taunton office for business mileage)
- Holiday – 25 days per year (plus bank holidays) increasing with length of service
- Benefits – Healthcare plan, free car parking, pension, well-being support and benefits access to GP and counselling services, hybrid working
- Annual salary – £35,000 – £39,000 per annum
Application process
- To apply, email a CV and covering letter to the David Crew the Managing Director at manager@somerset-chamber.co.uk
- Closing date is Friday 10th October at 5pm.
- Shortlisting and interviews to take place as soon as possible following the closing date
- The successful post-holder can commence the role as soon as possible.
