Director of Investment

• Hours:
  
  37 hours per week
• Contract:
  
  Permanent
• Salary:
  Grade 17 £ 94,841 - £106,612
• Location:
  
  Sheffield (This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office)

This is a significant senior leadership opportunity to shape and deliver investment that drives economic growth, business success and opportunities for people across South Yorkshire.

As Director of Investment, you will provide strategic leadership for a major service area within the Growth, Business and Skills Directorate, helping to translate organisational priorities into impactful programmes, interventions and investment decisions. You will play a key role in supporting the delivery of SYMCA's ambitions, ensuring investment delivers long‑term value for communities, businesses and the regional economy.

Working closely with the Executive Director and other senior leaders, you will operate at the heart of organisational decision‑making, influencing strategic priorities, building partnerships and shaping the future direction of investment across South Yorkshire.

Please note:

This role is politically restricted under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Postholders are prohibited from standing for elected office (except Town or Parish Councils) and from engaging in certain political activities, including canvassing or acting as an officer of a political party.

This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for mobilising the investment that will deliver South Yorkshire’s ambition for a bigger and better economy – delivering business growth and greater opportunity. As Director of Investment, you will lead the directorate’s funding and investment function: developing and co‑ordinating the region’s Investment Pipeline, leading investor engagement, leading the region’s Trade and Investment function, and building the business support and early‑stage funding offer that helps South Yorkshire firms start, scale and grow.

The role will also help develop the capital investment stacks that are required to deliver our key regeneration projects, as well as considering the development and use of recyclable investment funds within SYMCA to support private sector growth.

You will join the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) at a pivotal moment, as the organisation moves from strategy into delivery with growing powers, investment capacity and influence. This role develops and co‑ordinates the region‑wide Investment Pipeline – with the development of individual schemes led by directors across the directorate – and carries lead responsibility for the broader investment governance, such as the Investment Zone, bringing discipline, pace and commercial edge to how the region attracts and deploys capital.

Working directly with the Mayor, senior regional leaders and national partners, you will be South Yorkshire’s lead voice with investors, government and the markets, and will lead the region’s trade and investment activity including international missions. The role works in the closest possible partnership with the Director of Growth and Sector Development: where that role proactively develops the opportunity, this role secures the funding to deliver it.

You are an experienced senior leader with a strong background in investment, finance, economic development, business case development or a related field. You have a proven track record of leading complex services and programmes, translating strategic ambitions into successful delivery.

• Significant experience of finance, investment, funding or business case development.
• Strong strategic leadership skills gained within a complex and politically accountable environment.
• Experience of shaping strategy, influencing decision‑making and driving organisational performance.
• Strong commercial, financial and resource management expertise.
• Experience of leading large‑scale transformation, change and service improvement programmes.
• Excellent stakeholder management and partnership‑building skills, including engagement with government, businesses and regional partners.
• The ability to provide expert advice and influence senior leaders, boards and elected members on…