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If Edinburgh based, the successful candidate will be based at the UK Government hub at Queen Elizabeth House, Sibbald Walk. The post involves regular travel across Scotland and to London/Edinburgh.
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HEAD OF STRATEGY AND POLICY CO-ORDINATION, SCOTLAND OFFICE (GRADE 6)
SUMMARY
Would you like an opportunity to play a leading role in supporting Ministers and the Scotland Office to transform how it develops policy making and works with partners to develop evidence-led solutions to sustained policy challenges in Scotland?
We are looking for a dynamic, entrepreneurial policy maker to head up, evolve and expand our new strategy and policy function. You will be leading a major transformation in how the Scotland Office analyses and develops policy (big and small stuff) and how it is executed to deliver action and results.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland supports the Secretary of State in promoting the best interests of Scotland within a stronger United Kingdom. It ensures Scottish interests are fully and effectively represented at the heart of the UK Government, and the UK Government’s responsibilities are fully and effectively represented in Scotland.
As Head of Strategy and Policy Co-ordination your role will support the Secretary of State and wider Ministerial team on policy development, responding intelligently and analytically to crises and emerging issues, digging deeper into systemic policy challenges and working collaboratively across the Scotland Office to deliver a policy development framework that is modern, evidence-led and inclusive.
You will also be the face of our emerging Policy Lab and driving force behind our plans to build a collaborative policy making environment that reaches beyond Whitehall and supports world-class policy development across all of Scotland. You will build and pioneer this new approach and develop policy collaborations with academia, industry and local government in all parts of Scotland. Over time you and your team will develop the tools and approaches that embed this thinking into the fabric of policy making in Scotland and secure longer-term investment for this approach.
To achieve this the candidate will need to be strategic, have a deep and rich policy background with expertise in two or more areas, have strong and concise communication skills, and be adept and building and maintaining a broad network at Senior levels across Scotland. Most importantly, you will be entrepreneurial in spirit and share our ambition to transform how policy is made in the Scotland Office.
The Role:
As Head of Strategy and Policy Co-ordination you will be responsible for co-ordinating the Division’s overall policy function and how it supports the Secretary of State, Ministers and Special Advisors, as well as developing and implementing a series of policy reviews and deep dives on key strategic and implementation issues for the Department. This will include:
- Leading the Department’s policy response to fiscal events and flagship Government announcements working with colleagues in the policy division and wider department.
- Preparing the SoS and Ministers for Select Committee appearances, oral questions and major policy speeches or policy announcements as required
- Leading the co-ordination and active management of policy agenda for the Scotland Office including strategic planning of UK Government policy and developing a forward look of key policy opportunities, including conducting horizon scans and risk and opportunity analysis with policy teams
- Implementing Programme Management architecture and programme management discipline into policy development
- Delivering a series of time bound deep dives and policy reviews in line with Ministerial priorities and strategic policy areas of interest for the Department working collaboratively with policy teams, teams in Whitehall.
- Developing a more robust in-house analytical function, including developing a series of products and approaches to better support ministers and policy making
- Developing and evolving the Scotland Office’s ambitions on policy development including a framework for how we deliver policy reforms and a target operating model for a new strategic policy function, including developing a long-term proposal for a Policy Lab.
- Developing a forward looking vision and team business plan, as well as supporting staff to deliver a high level of service to Ministers and the Department while maintaining a positive culture and personal development across the team;
- Exemplify the culture and values of the department, acting as a role model for others and operating as part of a collective, collaborative and divisional leadership team.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and capability in implementing a high profile programme of work alongside deep policy making and analytical expertise with experience of conducting reviews and developing coherent recommendations and policy solutions.
Essential criteria:
- A proven track record of working closely with senior Government Ministers and Special Advisers, and the ability to get under the skin of political/policy priorities and translate into concrete actions;
- Highly developed communication, networking and negotiation skills with the personal presence and credibility to secure confidence at the most senior levels in Whitehall and academia
- Outstanding management and leadership skills with the proven ability to maintain a high-performing motivated team to deliver at pace on a challenging agenda;
- Demonstrable experience of working across more than one policy area and an ability to innovate and create new solutions and sell them in a compelling, inclusive manner
Desirable:
- Experience of programme or project management, including tools and techniques
- Experience of working in a pressurised environment, involving high levels of personal autonomy and evidence-based decision making;
- Experience of working collaboratively with, and delivering through, a large and diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.
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