Leadership Engagement and Events Officer x 3

Licensed sponsor United Kingdom Posted 16 hours ago

Purpose of post

Academi Wales is transitioning to Arwain - Wales National School for Government, supporting the development of confident, capable and connected leaders across One Welsh Public Service. Through leadership programmes, conferences, schools, coaching, board development and collaborative learning, Arwain brings together public service leaders from across Wales to improve outcomes for citizens and communities.

The Leadership Engagement and Events Teams are responsible for planning and delivering leadership training and a portfolio of high-profile national events and leadership programmes, including Summer School, Winter School, board leadership events, conferences, leadership forums and development programmes.

The Leadership Engagement and Events Officers will play a pivotal role in the planning, coordination and delivery of leadership events and learning programmes across Wales.

Working as part of a small and agile team, postholders will ensure events are professionally organised, accessible, bilingual and customer-focused, providing an excellent participant experience from initial enquiry through to post-event evaluation.

The role combines event management, stakeholder engagement, customer service, financial administration and operational delivery.

We are actively seeking leadership engagement and event specialists, with an ability to contribute effectively within a high performing team. You will be involved in designing, developing and delivering engagement activities (online and in person) which will support leaders to develop in a range of leadership and development models, programmes and workshops. The successful candidates will be expected to work across Wales; this will include overnight stays.

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, self-motivated, innovative and creative, with the ability to inspire leaders from diverse backgrounds to develop through our engagement activities and events. They will be an excellent communicator who can multitask in a dynamic environment with changing demands, including finance and procurement, application processing and sifting, developing literature and online resources, communications and marketing.

They will need to be both proactive and responsive before, during and after engagement activities and events, determining what support is needed in the moment. They will also provide feedback and insights to the wider Academi Wales team to inform future business planning.

Key tasks

Postholders will undertake a range of the responsibilities below, depending on the requirements of the team to which they are assigned. They may not be responsible for every task listed, but priorities can change according to business needs:

Event Planning and Delivery

Coordinate the end-to-end delivery of multiple leadership events, conferences, programmes and engagement activities simultaneously.
Manage event logistics, including venues, digital platforms, accessibility requirements and supplier arrangements.
Support the design and delivery of impactful leadership events for diverse audience groups across the Welsh public service and third sector.
Develop and coordinate event literature, promotional materials and participant information that is accurate, accessible and bilingual.
Contribute to service improvements, new initiatives and more effective ways of working.

Stakeholder and Partner Engagement

Build and maintain effective relationships with public service organisations, partners, facilitators and suppliers.
Promote events and engagement opportunities to maximise participation and impact.
Act as a key contact for stakeholder enquiries, providing professional and timely support.
Support marketing and engagement campaigns to increase awareness of leadership development opportunities.

Programme Coordination, Administration and Financial Management

Deliver efficient administrative support for leadership events and engagement activities, including liaising with suppliers and contractors to ensure services are delivered effectively.
Maintain accurate records, databases and booking systems
Coordinate meetings, prepare documentation and support programme governance activities.
Liaise with the business team to process purchase orders, invoices and payments in accordance with organisational procedures, monitoring event expenditure and supporting value-for-money delivery.
Ensure collection of participant and stakeholder feedback to measure event effectiveness, to support continuous improvement and future planning.

Network Development

Build stakeholder and participant networks with partners to strengthen engagement across the Welsh public service and third sector.
Support the development of leadership networks and alumni engagement activities collaborating with Customer Insights.
Facilitate opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing and peer learning across sectors.
Model positive leadership behaviours and actively maintain personal and professional development.

Development opportunities

You will gain unique insights into leadership practices, develop a deeper understanding of organisational dynamics, and broaden your expertise through exposure to a wide range of perspectives and challenges.

This role places you at the centre of a vibrant network, offering opportunities to influence positive change and innovation throughout Wales.

The role offers significant opportunities to develop

Event and project management skills.
Stakeholder engagement and relationship management.
Financial and procurement knowledge.
Leadership and organisational development expertise.
Knowledge of Welsh public services and governance.
Customer service excellence.
Digital event delivery and engagement techniques.

Other vacancy related information

The post will require travel across Wales, including overnight stays depending on the event schedule. This will include one week in February and one week at the end of June when four consecutive overnight stays will be required to support the annual Winter and Summer Schools.

Smart Working

We support Smart Working: a flexible, inclusive and safe approach that balances organisational needs with individual wellbeing.

Most colleagues are expected to spend at least 40% of their working time in the office (around two days a week, pro rata for part-time colleagues) to support collaboration, connection and delivery. The remainder of the week may be spent working from home or other locations, although some roles may require more office-based attendance to meet business needs. We recognise that some colleagues may require workplace adjustments or alternative working arrangements, and these will be considered in line with individual circumstances and organisational policies.

Smart Working is supported through regular conversations with managers, Team Charters and agreed working arrangements that help teams work effectively across office, remote and blended environments.

Sift

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Experience 1.

Only candidates who meet the required standard will progress to a full sift against the remaining application criteria.

Interview arrangements

Interviews will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams. Following the full sift, candidates will be ranked in total score order and the top-scoring applicants will be invited to interview.

A 5-minute presentation will form part of the interview and will be assessed against Managing a Quality Service. Further information will be provided to candidates if they are invited to interview. Candidates may use slides or present verbally.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered reserve status will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

Desirable criteria

Qualification – A recognised qualification or certification in event management, training, teaching, learning and development, or another directly relevant discipline is desirable. This will not be scored or used to determine eligibility or progression at sift. All candidates invited to interview will be asked consistently to confirm whether they hold a relevant qualification or certification, which may be verified if it is required as a published final tie-break.
Welsh language – Welsh language skills are desirable for this role. All candidates invited to interview will be asked consistently whether they can develop and deliver leadership engagement and events in Welsh. This will not be scored but may be considered as a published final tie-break if candidates remain tied after the qualification criterion has been applied.

Work with stakeholders and customers to understand needs and deliver a professional, accessible, bilingual and customer-focused service, seeking feedback to improve the quality of event and programme delivery.Take responsibility for organising and completing work to agreed timescales, balancing competing priorities across multiple events and engagement activities while maintaining quality and attention to detail.Build constructive working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, delivery partners and suppliers, sharing information and supporting others to deliver successful events and leadership development activities