Head of Partnership Development

Job Introduction

Head of Partnership Development

We’re looking for an exceptional partnership leader who is passionate about bringing people, organisations and sectors together to deliver transformational outcomes for residents across the West of England.

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) is seeking to appoint a Head of Partnership Development to join the Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholders team, where your key responsibility will be to deliver the Mayor’s priorities by:

Supporting the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholders in shaping and delivering a coherent partnership approach that drives the successful delivery of the West of England’s Growth Strategy.

Developing and leading high-impact partnerships across the public, private, voluntary, community and academic sectors, ensuring they are strategically aligned, outcome-focused and capable of delivering meaningful change.

Ensuring robust governance, accountability and performance frameworks are in place to support effective collaboration, decision-making and delivery across complex partnership arrangements.

Completing strategic engagement and negotiation with senior leaders, partners and stakeholders to align priorities, unlock opportunities and build collective commitment to shared outcomes.

Providing visible, inspiring leadership to the Partnership Development team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement while building organisational capability to work effectively across systems and sectors.

What you'll be doing

You will lead the development and delivery of the Combined Authority's priority partnerships, bringing together organisations, expertise and resources to tackle regional challenges and maximise opportunities for growth and prosperity.

Using strategic insight, relationship-building expertise and a strong focus on outcomes, you will create and sustain partnership arrangements that deliver real impact, strengthen collective leadership across the region and support the successful delivery of mayoral priorities.

What you'll bring

Success in this role relies on exceptional partnership leadership and influence. You will work across local government, business, academia, the voluntary and community sector, and wider public service partners to build ambitious, trusted and effective relationships that drive collective action.

As the strategic lead for partnership development, you will act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and decision-makers, bringing fresh thinking, political awareness and a collaborative mindset to the design and delivery of regional partnerships. You will be comfortable operating in complex environments, balancing competing priorities while maintaining focus on shared outcomes and long-term impact.

You will champion a culture of collaboration, co-production and system leadership, helping partners work across organisational boundaries, overcome barriers and create innovative solutions to regional challenges.

We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

A proven track record of leading high-impact partnerships and influencing senior stakeholders across complex organisations and sectors.

Strong strategic thinking and the ability to translate ambition into practical partnership models, programmes and governance structures.

Outstanding relationship-building, negotiation and influencing skills.

Experience of shaping policy, strategy and investment opportunities through partnership working.

The ability to lead teams with confidence, inspire collaboration and drive high-quality delivery.

An entrepreneurial and innovative approach, with the ability to identify opportunities and build momentum for change.

Why choose us?

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of partnership working across one of the UK's most ambitious and innovative combined authorities.

You will play a leading role in developing strategic relationships that influence regional growth, strengthen communities and improve outcomes for people and places across the West of England.

Working at the heart of regional leadership, you'll have the opportunity to influence major decisions, collaborate with senior leaders across multiple sectors and help create the conditions for long-term success across the region.

If you have a passion for partnership working, exceptional leadership skills and the ability to bring people together around a shared vision, this is the role for you.

Find out more

If this sounds like your next opportunity, please apply so you can tell us why you'd be a great fit.

More information is in the job description but if you have any questions about the role or would like to have an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact the Resourcing Team: resourcing@westofengland-ca.gov.uk

The closing date for this role is midnight on 4th August 2026.

Interviews are planned to take place mid-August.