Area Lead – West Yorkshire and York & North Yorkshire
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £60,732 to £67,296 a year |
| Hours: | Full-time |
| Location: | York |
| Working pattern: | Hybrid - 2 days remote |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Posting date: | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Closing date: | 19 Oct 2026 |
Summary
The G7 Area Lead is a senior, place-based policy role responsible for shaping BIST’s approach to economic growth across West Yorkshire and York & North Yorkshire. The postholder will connect regional priorities and evidence to national policy development, ensuring that BIST policy reflects the economic strengths, constraints and opportunities of both Mayoral Strategic Authority areas.
Working closely with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, the Area Lead will develop a strong regional evidence base, identify policy opportunities and barriers, and provide clear advice to Ministers and senior officials. The role will build coalitions across government, local government, business and other regional institutions to influence policy, investment and delivery decisions.
A central responsibility will be to support the development and delivery of major regional priority projects, including the West Yorkshire portfolio of Leeds South Bank and the wider New Town proposition, Bradford Station and Interchange, the Northern Square Mile and financial services cluster, and the economic opportunities linked to West Yorkshire Mass Transit; alongside the York & North Yorkshire portfolio of York Central, and the BioYorkshire-led bio-industrial cluster with Tees Valley. The postholder will define BIST’s policy contribution, convene the right departmental and cross-government expertise, resolve barriers and help translate these projects into investable propositions and measurable economic outcomes.
The role will lead policy engagement for the two areas: coordinating BIST input into mayoral growth plans and local growth priorities; producing high-quality briefings, submissions and recommendations; and ensuring regional intelligence informs the department’s Industrial Strategy and wider growth policy. The Area Lead will track progress across the priority project portfolio, escalate risks and dependencies, and maintain momentum across partners.
As part of the wider LIG North team, the postholder will also lead a defined policy portfolio on behalf of the directorate, working with central policy teams and the Deputy Director to develop positions, test proposals with regional partners and support implementation.
This is a high-impact role for an experienced policy professional who can work across organisational boundaries, turn complex evidence into clear recommendations and build the partnerships needed to advance strategically important projects.
Job description
The successful candidate will be responsible for a broad range of interventions across West Yorkshire and York & North Yorkshire, including:
Lead LIG’s policy engagement across West Yorkshire and York & North Yorkshire, building a detailed understanding of each area’s economic priorities and ensuring they are reflected in BIST policy development and advice.
Support the development and delivery of cross-government and No. 10 North priority projects, including the West Yorkshire portfolio of Leeds South Bank and the wider New Town proposition, Bradford Station and Interchange, the Northern Square Mile and financial services cluster, and the economic opportunities linked to West Yorkshire Mass Transit; alongside the York & North Yorkshire portfolio of York Central and the BioYorkshire-led bio-industrial cluster with Tees Valley.
Work closely with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to align BIST priorities with mayoral growth plans, identify shared objectives and develop practical policy interventions.
Produce concise, evidence-based advice, briefings and submissions for Ministers and senior officials on regional economic opportunities, project progress, delivery barriers and emerging risks.
Build and use a strong regional evidence base, drawing on business intelligence, sector analysis and partner insight to shape policy positions and influence departmental priorities.
Convene policy and delivery partners across BIST, wider government and the region to unblock issues, agree actions and maintain momentum on strategically important projects.
Develop policy propositions that support priority sectors, including Financial and Professional Services, Life Sciences and Advanced Manufacturing, and connect regional strengths to the Industrial Strategy.
Maintain clear oversight of the regional priority project portfolio, including milestones, dependencies, risks and opportunities, and provide regular reporting and recommendations to the Regional Head and Deputy Director.
Lead a defined LIG policy portfolio on behalf of the directorate, working with central teams to develop policy, test proposals with regional partners and support implementation.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
