Senior Business Strategy & Governance Officer

Buckinghamshire Council; South Heath; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a Senior Business Strategy and Governance Officer to join the Communities Strategy and Governance team. You will turn policy intent into clear objectives while leading governance, planning and reporting across services.

You will act as the council's school transport policy lead, collaborating with senior leaders to shape priorities and ensure robust decision-making and evidence-based guidance.

Qualifications

• Strong governance knowledge and practical policy experience.
• Ability to interpret legislation and translate into clear guidance.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and decision-making processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support policy work from review through implementation.
• Coordinate governance, planning, reporting and improvement activity.
• Provide practical, deliverable objectives and staff engagement support.

Skills

Governance knowledge

Policy development

Stakeholder engagement

Policy guidance

Job description

Are you confident turning complex information into clear, practical advice that helps services make good decisions?

We are looking for an experienced, collaborative, proactive and highly organised Senior Business Strategy and Governance Officer to join the Communities Strategy and Governance team. This varied role sits at the centre of policy, governance, planning, reporting and organisational improvement.

Policy development makes up a significant part of the role as you will be the council's Home to School Transport policy lead. You will help your business partnered service area to review their policies, interpret legislation and guidance, coordinate public consultations and turn policy intent into clear, deliverable objectives.

You will work closely with senior leaders, elected Members and corporate colleagues to shape directorate priorities, support key decision-making processes, and drive excellent governance across a diverse and high-profile service area. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact on services that matter to our residents and communities.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

The Communities Directorate delivers a broad range of services that make a real difference to residents, communities and places across Buckinghamshire. It is a directorate with a wide reach, varied responsibilities and a strong focus on supporting thriving, resilient and well-connected communities.

Our Strategy and Governance team helps services plan ahead, navigate governance and decision-making, develop strong policies and produce clear, evidence-based reports. As a team, we provide strategic leadership, policy and governance advice, business planning support, policy development, staff engagement coordination, and decision-making guidance.

We work across all Communities service areas, partnering closely with senior managers, directors, Members, and corporate business partner teams to ensure informed decision-making and strong organisational governance.

We are a supportive and collaborative team, with a strong focus on practical advice and high-quality delivery. Innovation is encouraged, expertise is valued, and team members are empowered to contribute ideas that help shape the future of our services.

Joining our team means becoming part of a network of professionals who are passionate about improving outcomes for residents, supporting our leaders, and helping Buckinghamshire Council deliver its strategic ambitions.

About the role

As Senior Business Strategy and Governance Officer, you will act as a trusted business partner for one or more Communities service areas. You will build strong relationships, understand service priorities and provide practical support across staff engagement, governance, reporting, planning, performance, improvement, risk and policy development.

You will be the council's school transport policy lead. You will lead and support policy work from review through to implementation, working with government departments, services and corporate colleagues to produce clear, proportionate and robust policies, procedures and guidance.

You will also contribute to service and directorate planning, corporate plan monitoring, forward plans, leadership team agendas, key decision reports, risk information, horizon-scanning and improvement activity.

The role offers variety, senior exposure and the chance to make a visible contribution to how public services are shaped and delivered. You will work with service directors, senior managers, Members, corporate colleagues, external partners and other Strategy and Governance teams.

No two days are the same. One day you may be supporting a major strategic decision, the next you could be leading policy development, facilitating governance training, coordinating directorate-wide engagement activity, or identifying emerging legislative changes that could impact service delivery.

Any-Desk:

As an 'any-desk' worker, you'll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

We are looking for someone who combines strategic insight with excellent governance knowledge and the confidence to work with senior stakeholders across the organisation.

You are someone who enjoys policy, governance and business partnering work and understands the importance of clear, well-governed decision-making. You will have experience of developing policies, procedures, strategies, plans or guidance in a complex organisation.

You will be able to write clearly, analyse information carefully and translate complex requirements into practical products. You will bring strong organisational skills, sound judgement, attention to detail and the confidence to work with colleagues at different levels.

If you want a role where your policy, governance and relationship-building skills can have a practical impact across a wide range of public services, we will welcome your application.