Service Manager – Invest Sheffield

This is an exciting time to join Sheffield City Council and lead our inward investment function.

Sheffield is delivering at scale, with momentum and confidence. Major regeneration is happening across the city, new innovation and commercial spaces are emerging, and national confidence in Sheffield continues to grow.

We are looking for a Service Manager to lead Invest Sheffield at a pivotal point – shaping how we attract, secure and support investment into the city.

The role

You will lead a small but highly skilled team responsible for inward investment across Sheffield, working with UK, international and regional partners to bring new businesses, jobs and opportunities into the city.

This is both a strategic and delivery role – combining leadership, partnership working and hands-on delivery.

You will:

• Lead and develop a specialist inward investment team
• Work closely with City Futures colleagues across property, regeneration and investment to bring forward opportunities
• Manage relationships with investors, developers and occupiers, including FDI opportunities and office market activity
• Lead the delivery of the city’s inward investment pipeline and propositions
• Work with partners including SYMCA and wider South Yorkshire colleagues to align investment priorities and delivery

Why now

Sheffield is entering a new phase of growth, with a strong pipeline of opportunities and increasing national and international interest.

Key programmes include:

• The Sheffield Innovation Spine – supporting deep tech growth, connecting the universities to the city centre and enabling scale-up space
• The Don Valley Corridor – a nationally significant growth area anchored by the AMRC and Olympic Legacy Park
• City centre regeneration – building on the success of Heart of the City, with major schemes progressing across West Bar, Castlegate and Neepsend

The city has a clear trajectory for growth, with a significant pipeline of new homes and employment space and increasing confidence from investors and government.

Alongside this, wider strategies including the Northern Growth Strategy and strong regional collaboration with SYMCA are positioning Sheffield as a key part of the UK’s future economic growth.

This is a moment where Sheffield has both the story and the delivery – and Invest Sheffield plays a critical role in converting that into investment.

Partnerships and influence

You will work across a strong partnership network, helping to shape and deliver the city’s investment offer.

You will:

• Work closely with SYMCA on regional inward investment priorities and delivery.
• Manage and develop the Landing Pad partnership to support businesses locating and growing in Sheffield – Landing Pad partners include Sheffield Property Association, SYMCA, Sheffield Technology Parks, Sheffield Bid and Sheffield Chamber.
• Work with developers, agents and partners to drive commercial activity, including office take-up.
• Lead the development and delivery of a coordinated Invest Sheffield campaign, working alongside partners to ensure a clear and compelling external narrative.

This includes representing Sheffield in national and international settings and ensuring the city is consistently positioned as investable, confident and opportunity-led.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience in inward investment, economic development or a related field
• Can operate strategically while delivering tangible outcomes
• Has experience of working with public and private sector partners
• Can lead and develop a small, high-performing team
• Is confident leading external engagement and shaping a strong place narrative

Why join us

This is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping Sheffield’s next phase of growth.

You will be working in a city that has a clear long-term vision, strong partnerships, and a growing track record of delivery.

You will lead a function that sits at the heart of that agenda – attracting investment, supporting business growth and contributing to the city’s future success.

For further information and a conversation about this position please contact Yvonne Asquith, Head of Business Sheffield Yvonne.asquith@sheffield.gov.uk

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.