Employment Consultant (London & East of England)

Job Title: Employment Consultant (London & East of England)

Location: Home-based with significant travel across designated region 

Salary: £31,270 (full time equivalent)

Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week (part time or flexible working options available)

Contract: 2 years with possibility of extension

Would you like to be inspired every day in a highly rewarding role? Whether it’s the veterans we support, your colleagues or the other services that we collaborate with, you will be working with an exceptional group of people.

At the Poppy Factory, we help armed forces veterans with health conditions to find meaningful and sustainable employment after service. This often means overcoming significant barrier to employment. Our aim is to empower veterans, help them to recognise their unique skills and give them the confidence to move forwards in their career.

As an Employment Consultant, you will be assisting veterans across South Wales back into work. Based at your home, but with extensive travel, you will help with application materials, overcome challenges, and connect with employers. You will also work alongside professionals in other services such as health or welfare to ensure that the veterans have access to all the support they need to overcome barriers to gain and retain employment.

What do we need from you?

• Empathetic and effective communicator. You will be comfortable building rapport and trust with people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• A collaborative mindset. You will enjoy working as part of a team with colleagues based across the UK who support each other in what can sometimes be a challenging role. You will also work closely with many other organisations for the benefit of the veterans you will be supporting.
• Motivation and commitment. It takes hard work, tenacity and time to help people reach their employment goals. You will sometimes be helping people in challenging circumstances who need intensive support to move forwards.
• Adaptability. This is hugely varied role and no two days are the same. You will often need to balance competing priorities or quickly shift focus depending on the needs of the people you will be supporting.

Why should you apply?

• A chance to give back to our armed forces and make a positive and lasting impact to the lives of veterans and their families.
• Competitive salary and benefits package including generous holiday and pension contributions.
• A welcoming and empowering culture, with regular opportunities for team connecting and shared learning throughout the year.
• Variety in the role, a mix of travelling in your area, home working and occasional visits to the historic Poppy Factory in Richmond, London
• The opportunity to develop your region and build relationships with employers and other support services that best meet the needs of the people you’re supporting.
• Be part of an iconic charity with a 100+ year history

For further information, including the full job description for the role, please refer to the candidate pack.​

Due to the travel requirements of the role and region covered, it is essential that the post holder holds a full driving licence and has access to a car for business purposes. 

Applicants may have experience in roles such as Employment Advisor, Job Coach, Employment Coach, Employability Advisor, or IPS Advisor. 

How to apply

To apply for this position please prepare your CV and a covering letter clearly outlining how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification as set out above and submit via the online application process. Please address your covering letter to Kirsty Gronow, Service Delivery Manager.

The closing date for this vacancy will be ​28 July 2024. Please note, we cannot accept late or incomplete applications. Only applications submitted through the online process will be considered. 

No agencies please.

Equality & Diversity

We are committed to equality, valuing diversity, and promoting inclusion within our workforce, including the volunteers who give their time to us. We work to maintain an environment where the needs and aspirations of all employees are met, irrespective of characteristics protected under the legislative framework of the Equality Act 2010. We expect everyone to understand and accept their personal responsibility to recognise and value differences and the unique contributions that people make to the way we deliver our work.

As an equal opportunities employer our commitment is to take positive measures to recruit people from underrepresented groups, and we actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds.

As a Disability Confident employer, we offer a guaranteed interview for any job applicant with a disability who meets the essential criteria for the role. Please indicate in your covering letter if you wish to be considered under this scheme. We are also happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process to accommodate disabled candidates.

Additionally, we offer a guaranteed interview to veterans of the UK armed forces or members of the Reservist forces who meet the essential role criteria. Please make it clear in your application if you wish to be considered on this basis. Please note, to be eligible for consideration under this scheme your application must demonstrate that you meet the essential role criteria as set out in the person specification.

We are a family friendly employer and happy to discuss flexible working.

About The Poppy Factory

The Poppy Factory aims to be an exemplar employer. We recognise the impact that working with a challenging cohort can have on our staff, which is why we prioritise work/life balance and support mechanisms including training, supervision and EAP provision.

The Poppy Factory provides competitive terms and conditions of employment, including:

• Opportunity for home-based/hybrid and flexible working
• 28 days’ basic leave entitlement per year (including a day in lieu of Armistice Day, and 3 days’ Christmas closure), rising to 32 days with long service, plus bank holidays
• Double-matched pension contributions up to 10% employer contribution