Health Spending & Policy Adviser

HM Treasury; Darlington; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department is seeking a Policy Advisor to join their Health Resilience and Growth Branch. This role involves advising on public spending for health initiatives and requires strong analytical and communication skills. The candidate must be able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment and develop relationships with various government partners. Benefits include generous leave and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 after 5 years)

Flexitime system for additional days off

Flexible working patterns

Generous parental leave packages

Defined Benefit pension scheme

Cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme

Qualifications

• Ability to analyze evidence and provide high-quality advice.
• Develop clear and compelling messages for senior officials.
• Manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Advise Ministers and senior officials on health spending.
• Scrutinize policy proposals for evidence-based conclusions.
• Develop relationships with government partners.
• Build policy expertise in relevant budget areas.
• Contribute to the team's success and positive working environment.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Policy expertise

Job description

Overview

Are you looking for an exciting policy adviser role working on public spending on a variety of policy areas such as vaccines, medicines, preparedness for future health emergencies, and much more? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

About the Team

We are the Health and Social care Team and are responsible for the Treasury’s oversight of over £200 billion of annual government spending in health and adult social care – accounting for over a quarter of all public spending! We work collaboratively with the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) and its Arm’s Length Bodies, including the Office for Life Sciences and the UK Health Security Agency, as well as No10 and the Cabinet Office, and external partners including NHS leaders and Local Authorities. Not only do we set budgets and monitor performance, but we also look to deliver real value to the public and drive forward a long-term vision to make health and care services productive and sustainable into the future.

Given the importance of health and social care to the Government, MPs and the public, this is a high-profile team that offers demanding work. We are constantly in the thick of it and at the core of key Treasury spending decisions and issues. The team comprises people from a diverse range of backgrounds, including from both within and outside government. We are friendly, buzzy and completely committed to diversity, inclusion and personal development.

About the Job

We are recruiting a Policy Advisor to join the Health Resilience and Growth Branch in the Health and Social Care Team to work on public spending that supports the governments missions on prevention and growth.

Role responsibilities will include:

• Advising Ministers and senior officials – providing high-quality advice and briefing to Treasury Ministers on key issues relating to government spending on health, including vaccine procurement & deployment, programmes delivered by the Office for Life Sciences and UK Health Security Agency, and DHSC’s activity to prepare for future health emergencies (including vaccines, medicines, PPE, diagnostics and outbreak management).
• Analysing evidence – scrutinising policy proposals and business cases to reach evidence-based conclusions and ensure value for money in government spending to inform advice to senior policymakers.
• Building and maintaining relationships – developing positive relationships with a range of government partners, including UK Health Security Agency, Office for Life Sciences, and the Cabinet Office, and a range of teams across HM Treasury.
• Developing policy expertise and core spending control skills – understanding the political and policy environment, deepening expertise in your specific policy areas, and applying that to everyday work. This will also include building a knowledge base of the relevant budgets, and public spending framework to be applied as part of in-year spending control, and working on fiscal events such as budgets, statements and spending reviews.
• Contributing to the successful running of the branch, team and group – including by responding to Parliamentary Questions and correspondence, supporting the team and wider Treasury’s ambitious corporate agenda, and helping to build a positive, collaborative and inclusive working environment. There may also be instances, where working flexibility across the branch and/or team will be required based on business need.

About You

You will be able to evaluate different and sometimes competing evidence sources to come to a conclusion and advise senior officials and/or ministers. You will be able to develop clear and compelling messages, deliver them effectively to get agreement to change from a wide range of partners, using evidence to challenge, negotiate and resolve differences. You will also be able to juggle multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment while delivering longer term objectives

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant).
• Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees to take up to an additional 2 days off each month
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)
• Generous parental and adoption leave packages
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity

For more information about the role and how to apply, please follow the apply link.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form