Director, Border and Legal Migration Policy - SCS PB2

Government Recruitment Service; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A key government agency in the UK seeks a strong leader to oversee immigration policy and border system management. This pivotal role involves strategic oversight of a large team dedicated to ambitious policy reforms aimed at improving economic growth and migration efficiency. Candidates should possess proven leadership skills, an innovative mindset, and a commitment to data-driven policy decisions. The position offers an opportunity to directly influence how the UK manages legal migration and border policies across various frameworks.

Qualifications

• Proven leader who inspires delivery and high performance.
• Experience leading large teams in fast-paced environments.
• Commitment to evidence-based policy and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for policy design and implementation.
• Lead the Future Border and Immigration System programme.
• Motivate a diverse team to deliver results.
• Drive delivery of complex policy and programme outcomes.
• Champion data-driven decision-making.

Skills

Leadership

Innovative thinking

Collaboration

Evidence-based policy

Strategic foresight

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.