Academy Officer

The West Midlands Combined Authority is delivering an ambitious agenda for the region, focused on unlocking opportunity, connecting people to good work and creating the conditions for our communities, businesses and places to thrive. To deliver the Mayor’s ambitions, the West Midlands Growth Plan and our wider organisational priorities, we need people across WMCA to have the right skills, confidence, knowledge and support to do their best work.

As Academy Officer, you will help make that possible by supporting the implementation, coordination and continuous improvement of the WMCA Academy. This role is about making learning easier to access, better connected to our workforce priorities and more impactful for colleagues, managers and leaders. Through clear learning pathways, self-service resources, data, digital tools and strong stakeholder engagement, you will help build a culture of continuous learning that supports our People & Culture Strategy and helps WMCA become the best place to work and belong.

This is a fixed-term contract until 30 November 2028.

What you’ll be doing.

• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of the WMCA Academy operating model, ensuring activity, processes, risks, reporting and stakeholder input are well coordinated and aligned to agreed priorities.
• Develop and maintain accessible, user-centred Academy services, learning pathways, guidance, self-service resources, content, systems and communications.
• Monitor Academy performance, learner experience and organisational impact, using data, feedback and agreed reporting frameworks to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with People Business Partners, Organisational Development and Change, Talent, Workforce Planning, Internal Communications and wider stakeholders to maximise Academy engagement, adoption and impact.
• Research emerging technologies, AI, digital learning trends and workforce development best practice, making recommendations that support future Academy development and improve the learner experience.
• Support Academy governance, quality assurance, action tracking, supplier activity, financial administration and reporting to ensure learning activity is effective, well managed and delivers value for money.

What’s essential.

• Experience of coordinating projects, programmes or organisational initiatives
• Experience of developing, maintaining or administering learning and development services, systems or programmes
• Experience of producing reports, performance information and management data
• Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills
• Educated to Level 4 or above in HR, Learning and Development or equivalent relevant professional experience
• Commitment to continuing professional development

For a full list of duties and essential criteria, please refer to the job description attached.

Location.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

There may be a requirement to work outside normal office hours on occasion, including working within stakeholder and partner offices within the WMCA constituent area on a regular basis.

How to apply.

Applying for a role with WMCA is straightforward. Follow these steps to get started.

Please note, we reserve the right to close any vacancy from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Anonymised Applications.

Your uploaded CV won’t be visible after submission. Our process is anonymised, and only the information in your profile is used for shortlisting. Be thorough in each section. It’s your chance to showcase your skills and experience.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We cannot stop anyone from using AI to help write application content. Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit the FAQs section of our careers site.

Reasonable adjustments.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team ([email removed]).

Salary and benefits.

We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing, and mortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e-bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more. You can now also obtain a Costco membership through the WMCA.
• Boundless unlocks unlimited entry to top-rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• Eye Care Scheme, offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.

Why join WMCA?

WMCA is laser-focused on improving the West Midlands, bringing economic growth, jobs, homes, and better journeys to the region. We target local needs where it matters most, ensuring everyone has a job that pays well and has access to safe and affordable places they can call home.

We put people and place at the heart of everything we do, working hand in hand with our partners to direct funding where it's needed most. What you do, really matters. Your expertise will help make a big difference, improving people's lives,