Director, Border and Legal Migration Policy - SCS PB2

Government Recruitment Service; Croydon; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A government body is seeking a pivotal leader to shape and deliver policy outcomes supporting the UK's border and immigration goals. This role involves leading a directorate of 150 people, ensuring policies are effective and evidence-based, and driving innovation across the system. Ideal candidates will have proven leadership skills, a strategic mindset, and experience in a high-profile environment. Responsibilities include overseeing complex policy, fostering team development, and ensuring operational deliverability.

Qualifications

• Proven leader with experience in leading large teams in a high-profile environment.
• Ability to balance immediate priorities with long-term strategy.
• Commitment to evidence-based policy and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Accountability for policy and legislation design within the borders and immigration system.
• Lead the Future Border and Immigration System programme to deliver reforms.
• Inspire and develop a diverse team while driving delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Evidence-based policy

Innovation

Operational excellence

Job description

This is a pivotal leadership role, responsible for shaping and delivering policy and programme outcomes that support the Government’s goals on reducing net migration, driving economic growth, securing people flows across the UK border, and delivering a strong customer experience. You will lead a directorate of around 150 people, setting the vision, strategy, and priorities for one of the most high-profile areas of government. Building on the vision set out in Restoring Control over the Immigration System: White Paper (May 2025), you will drive forward ambitious reforms, including measures to reduce net migration, attract global talent, and implement earned settlement policies.

Your work will directly impact hundreds of thousands of people coming to the UK to live, work, study, join family, and resettle, alongside millions applying for passports and crossing the border.

As policy owner for the legal migration and border system, you will ensure coherence across the end-to-end system, working collaboratively with Border Force and Visas, Passports and Citizenship to provide effective policy support and challenge.

You will balance reactive decision-making with strategic foresight, ensuring that policy is evidence-based, operationally deliverable, and aligned with the Home Secretary’s priorities.

What we are looking for a proven leader who:

• takes pride in delivery and inspires others to do the same.
• leads through complexity, balancing immediate priorities with long-term strategy
• collaborates and has a track record of driving innovation.
• commits to evidence-based policy and operational excellence.
• experienced in leading large teams and delivering results in a high-profile, fast-paced environment.

The role reports to the Director General for Migration, Borders and International Policy and Programmes. The group leads on border and legal migration policy, illegal migration policy and international policy, as well as System Leadership across the wider Migration and Borders System

Key responsibilities include:

• Accountability for design and implementation of policy and legislation that underpins the end to end borders and immigration system. This includes goods policy and health and biosecurity, passport policy for British Citizens, identity and eVisa policy, economic migration policy (work and study), EEA citizens’ rights, safe and legal routes policy including BN(O) and Ukraine schemes, settlement and nationality policy, including delivery of the major reforms on earned settlement.
• Key leadership role for the Future Border and Immigration System (FBIS) major programme working collaboratively to deliver policy and innovation reforms that meet Ministerial priorities.
• Serve as system integrator across Border Force and VPCR operations, ensuring policy is operationally deliverable and tested
• Inspire and Develop: Lead and motivate a diverse team, fostering pride in delivery, collaboration, and innovation. Invest in talent development and create an inclusive, high-performing culture.
• Deliver at Pace: Drive delivery of complex policy and programme outcomes with urgency and precision, ensuring quality and impact.
• Harness Opportunities: Identify and leverage opportunities for policy-enabled efficiencies and innovation, working closely with operational colleagues.
• Evidence-Based Policy: Champion rigorous analysis and data-driven decision-making to inform policy design and implementation.
• Collaborate Across Government: Build strong partnerships with DGs for Border Force, Visa, Passport, Citizenship and Resettlement, and colleagues across government delivering at the border and in growth and skills missions.
• Strategic and Pragmatic: Combine long-term strategic thinking with sound, pragmatic decisions that consider operational realities.