Mayoral Strategic Advisor

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA); Birmingham; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

EV car benefit scheme

Healthcare plans

28 days paid annual leave

Discounted gym membership

Eye Care Scheme

Job summary

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is seeking a Mayoral Strategic Advisor to work at the heart of the mayoral agenda. You will provide strategic advice, coordination and stakeholder support to help translate priorities into regional action, supporting the Mayor, Chief of Staff and Mayoral Office.

You will build strong relationships across WMCA and with senior external partners, ensuring timely, high-quality briefings and delivery of outcomes in a fast-paced, politically sensitive

Qualifications

• Proven track record delivering complex initiatives.
• Strong project management and delivery experience in political/public sector environments.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with ministers, MPs, councillors and civic leaders.
• Excellent written and verbal briefing skills with clear, impactful messaging.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advice, analysis, briefings and coordination to the Mayor, Chief of Staff and Mayoral Office.
• Coordinate activity linked to the transition of fire and policing responsibilities to the Mayor.
• Develop and deliver the Mayor’s stakeholder engagement strategy across Ministers, MPs, local authorities and partners.
• Oversee strategic projects, forward plan and high-profile engagements including ministerial visits and events.
• Ensure briefings, speeches, reports and agendas are accurate, timely and aligned with priorities.
• Provide leadership and oversight of advisory work, monitoring progress, risks and resources.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Event planning

Policy awareness

Communication skills

People management

Political acumen

Prioritisation

Briefings

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

This is an opportunity to work at the heart of the West Midlands' mayoral agenda, providing strategic advice, coordination and stakeholder support to help turn Mayoral priorities into effective regional action.

You will support the Mayor, Chief of Staff and Mayoral Office with timely advice, high-quality briefings and strategic planning. A key part of your role will be helping to coordinate the transition of new fire and policing responsibilities to the Mayor, including supporting the Mayoral Commissioner for Communities and Public Services.

Working across the organisation and with senior external partners, you will build strong relationships, bring clarity to complex issues and make sure the Mayor’s engagements and priorities are well coordinated. You will operate in a fast-paced and politically sensitive environment where sound judgement, collaboration and a clear focus on outcomes are essential.

Please note, this is a fixed-term contract until 02/05/2028.

What you will be doing

• Provide strategic advice, analysis, briefings and coordination to the Mayor, Chief of Staff and Mayoral Office, supporting effective decision-making and delivery of Mayoral priorities.
• Coordinate activity connected with the transition of fire and policing responsibilities to the Mayor and support the work of the Mayoral Commissioner for Communities and Public Services.
• Develop and deliver the Mayor’s stakeholder engagement strategy, building productive relationships with Ministers, MPs, councillors, local authorities, public-sector partners, businesses and community leaders.
• Oversee strategic projects, the Mayoral forward plan and high-profile engagements, including ministerial visits, public events and meetings.
• Coordinate contributions from teams across WMCA, ensuring briefings, speeches, reports and agendas are accurate, timely and aligned with regional and political priorities.
• Provide leadership and oversight across the Mayoral Office’s advisory work, monitoring progress, managing risks and resources, and helping colleagues and partners deliver high-quality outcomes.

What’s essential

• A proven track record of delivering complex initiatives, managing teams and providing high-quality briefings.
• Strong project management skills gained within a political environment, consultancy, public service or the Civil Service.
• Demonstrable knowledge of stakeholder engagement and event planning.
• A strong network within UK political and civic circles.
• Significant experience of managing senior stakeholders, including government officials, MPs and civic leaders.
• Experience of working in a fast-paced and politically sensitive environment.
• Experience of overseeing high-profile events, briefings and ministerial visits.
• Strong political acumen and an understanding of local, regional and national governance structures.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and relationship-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality briefings.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining efficiency and impact.
• The postholder must possess a degree qualification.

Politically Restricted Post

This is a politically restricted post in accordance with Section 2(1) (b) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Employees in politically restricted posts are prevented in having any active political role either in or outside of work.

Location.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane with at least 3 days a week spent in the office, subject to business requirements.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We cannot stop anyone from using AI to help write application content. Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit FAQs section of our careers site.

Reasonable adjustments.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team [e-mail].

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 Contribution scheme 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,and mortgage 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.
• Eye Care Scheme,offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit 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.

Sponsorship / Right to work requirements

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. As part of our commitment to supporting inclusive growth across the West Midlands, we are keen to attract talented individuals who can contribute to the region's future success.

For roles that meet the relevant skill and sponsorship requirements, we are also pleased to consider applications from overseas candidates who may require sponsorship to work in the UK. However, this post is not suitable for sponsorship and as such, applications that require sponsorship will not be considered due to not meeting the requirement threshold.

Attached documents

JD - Mayoral Strategic Advisor.pdf