Mayoral Policy, Briefings and Correspondence Adviser

West Midlands Combined Authority; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS

AVC pension scheme

28 days annual leave

EV car benefit

Healthcare plans

Gym membership discounts

Bike purchase scheme

Volunteer days

Eye care scheme

Job summary

West Midlands Combined Authority is seeking a Mayoral Policy, Briefings and Correspondence Adviser to support the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Mayoral Commissioners and Chief of Staff. The role ensures information is accurate, timely and aligned with WMCA values.

You will coordinate speeches, briefings and correspondence, manage sensitive casework and act as a key interface with policy/delivery teams to produce clear policy materials. Office-based in Birmingham with some hours outside core times.

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating or managing complex correspondence or executive support.
• Experience drafting speeches, briefings, or communications for senior figures.
• Ability to interpret complex policy or strategy and present clearly to diverse audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for audiences ranging from residents to leaders.
• Discretion, confidentiality and handling high-profile information responsibly.
• Understanding between professional officer support and political advice.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and develop high-quality speeches, briefings, notes and communications for the Mayor and senior team.
• Manage Mayoral correspondence and casework with timely, quality responses.
• Interface between Mayoral Team and WMCA policy/strategy/delivery teams for joined-up briefings.
• Support policy development and translate complex information into clear materials.
• Monitor themes and trends, sharing insights with the Chief of Staff and teams.
• Coordinate meetings, papers, actions and follow-up for priority meetings and taskforces.

Skills

Speech drafting

Policy interpretation

Complex correspondence

Executive support

Written communication

Discretion

Education

Degree-level qualification

Job description

The West Midlands Combined Authority is delivering an ambitious agenda for the region, focused on unlocking opportunity, strengthening communities and helping the West Midlands write the next chapter of its story. The Mayor's priorities and the West Midlands Growth Plan are about turning ambition into visible change for the people, places and communities of the region. To do that well, the Mayoral Team needs clear information, strong coordination and high-quality briefings that connect policy, delivery and the issues that matter to residents.

As Mayoral Policy, Briefings and Correspondence Adviser, you will play an important role in helping the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Mayoral Commissioner and Chief of Staff stay informed, prepared and connected to the work happening across WMCA and the wider region. From managing Mayoral correspondence and casework to preparing briefings, speeches, communications and policy materials, your work will help ensure information is accurate, accessible and timely. This is a role with real purpose: helping the Mayoral Team respond well to residents and stakeholders, supporting taskforces and commissioner portfolios, and making sure professional officer support is clear, impartial and aligned to WMCA's values of collaboration, inclusion, innovation and being driven to deliver.

What you'll be doing.

• Coordinate and develop high-quality speeches, briefings, speaking notes, presentations, correspondence and communications for the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Mayoral Commissioners and Chief of Staff.
• Manage Mayoral correspondence and casework, ensuring enquiries are allocated, coordinated, quality assured and responded to in line with agreed procedures and timescales.
• Act as a key interface between the Mayoral Team and WMCA policy, strategy and delivery teams, making sure information, actions and briefings are accurate, joined up and delivered on time.
• Support Mayoral Taskforce Commissioners with policy development, gathering evidence, coordinating contributions and translating complex information into clear policy materials and communications.
• Monitor correspondence themes, policy developments, stakeholder issues and emerging trends, sharing relevant insight with the Chief of Staff and appropriate WMCA teams.
• Coordinate meetings, papers, actions and follow-up activity for Mayoral Priority meetings, taskforces, commissioner portfolios and relevant oversight meetings.

What's essential.

• Experience of coordinating or managing complex correspondence, casework or executive support activity, including sensitive matters.
• Experience of researching, drafting and quality assuring speeches, briefings, correspondence or communications for senior officeholders or leaders.
• Experience of interpreting complex policy, strategy or delivery information and presenting it clearly for different audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to produce accurate, concise and audience-appropriate speeches, briefings, correspondence and communications.
• Ability to exercise discretion, maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive or high-profile information appropriately.
• Understanding of the distinction between professional officer support and political advice.
• Degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant professional knowledge and experience.

For a full list of duties and essential criteria, please refer to the job description attached.

Location.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD with at least 3 days a week spent in the office.

There may be a requirement to work outside normal office hours on occasion, including working within stakeholder and partner offices within the WMCA constituent area on a regular basis.

Salary and benefits.

We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributionscheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing,andmortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e-bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more. You can now also obtain a Costcomembership through the WMCA.
• Boundlessunlocks unlimited entry to top-rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• EyeCare Scheme,offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.

Why join WMCA?

WMCA is laser-focused on improving the West Midlands, bringing economic growth, jobs, homes, and better journeys to the region. We target local needs where it matters most, ensuring everyone has a job that pays well and has access to safe and affordable places they can call home.

We put people and place at the heart of everything we do, working hand in hand with our partners to direct funding where it's needed most. What you do, really matters, your expertise will help make a big difference, improving people's lives, every day.

Our Values and Behaviours.

Fostering an environment where people feel valued, included, supported, and proud to contribute to our region is important to us at the WMCA. Our behaviours are more than statements; they guide how we work, make decisions, and treat one another - they set the standards we hold ourselves to and the experience we want others to have.

• Collaborative -We work as one organisation. Together we build trust, connection and shared purpose across teams, partners and residents to create the biggest impact for our region.
• Driven -We are focused on outcomes. We perform at our best to unlock productivity and delivery, achieving the greatest regional impact.
• Inclusive - We value difference. Creating an environment where people belong, and feel psychologically safe, so we can all thrive and shape a West Midlands built for everyone.
• Innovative - We are courageous. We embrace new ideas and challenge the status quo to continuously improve and shape the future of the West Midlands.

Creating an inclusive workplace.

WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We're a Disability Confident Employer with Leader' status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria.

We are also proud to be a Ban the Box employer, which means we do not ask about criminal convictions at the initial application stage, and will only ask after an offer is made as part of our onboarding checks, which helps us remove barriers for people with past convictions and supporting fair opportunities for all.

We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.

We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying

Right to Work in the UK

Proof of Right to Work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) would be required to hold a relevant Visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).