Senior Policy Advisor

Government Recruitment Service; Brighton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in Brighton is looking for a policy leader to manage and review key Civil Service policies. This role requires strong stakeholder communication, adaptability to changing priorities, and the ability to influence decisions at the senior levels. The ideal candidate should have experience in policy design and implementation, with responsibilities including leading reviews, advising departments, and presenting to Civil Service boards.

Qualifications

• Experience in policy design and implementation.
• Strong communication skills for stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead reviews of Civil Service Management Code and Nationality Rules.
• Support departments on complex policy matters.
• Write submissions for ministers and senior leaders.
• Respond to correspondence regarding policy areas.
• Present updates to Civil Service boards and stakeholders.

Job description

The Government People Group exists to work with departments, professions, and functions to build a modern, effective Civil Service.

We support the government workforce with the right skills and capability. We are working with leaders to get the right people in the right jobs, with the right skills and continuous learning to excel in their roles.

We provide leadership, and in turn, create leaders with exceptional line management capability across departments, influencing partners in the wider public sector and beyond. This involves getting our retention and reward strategy right, to nurture specific skills, and create pride and resilience in our workforce.

Our role is also to provide system leadership across central government in pulling together back-office services. Collectively, we help support the Cabinet Office’s priority to drive efficiencies, and reforms that will make government work better, to ultimately provide a better service to the public.

Within the Pay Policy and Pensions Directorate, the Employment Framework team has responsibility for all reserved Civil Service terms and conditions. This includes policy responsibility for the Civil Service Management Code, Civil Service Nationality Rules, Civil Service Compensation Scheme (including the managing the approval of bulk and high value exits, as well as the new Mutually Agreed Exits policy) and Senior Civil Service (SCS) contracts and performance management. Our responsibility is to set the wider framework of terms and conditions of employment which Departments must operate within, and to set policy centrally where Departments do not have delegated authority.

The post holder will be responsible for leading on a number policy areas within the team's portfolio, such as the Civil Service Nationality Rules, Civil Service Management Code, or the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. Current priority work within these areas consists of:

• Leading a review of the Civil Service Management Code, which will require lots of working with policy colleagues in other areas of Government People Group, Trade Unions, and Government Departments;
• Reviewing and updating the Civil Service Nationality Rules to reflect legislative changes, and support departments to operationalise these changes;
• Managing the Redundancy and Compensation control, which requires granting approval (including from senior leaders and Ministers where necessary), and expanding this to accommodate for the new Mutually Agreed Exits process;
• Reviewing the Civil Service Nationality Rules in order to ensure that these are fit for purpose;
• Alongside the Cabinet Office Propriety & Ethics, reviewing the Declaration and Management of Outside Interests Policy, and how departments implement this policy in practice;
• Being the main point of contact and leading a review of the Civil Service Appeals Board, and working closely with DWP and members on the day to day running of the board.

Role responsibilities

This is a fast paced, exciting role, working at the centre of Government ‘people’ activities, with a real ability to work across government and influence the experience of all civil servants. The role requires the post holder to be adaptable as our services are in high demand and often evolve in response to key Ministerial priorities, the industrial relations climate, and Department’s needs. Core requirements and accountabilities of the role however include:

• Designing, implementing and reviewing policy, and guidance documents, which includes gathering and reviewing evidence, seeking and responding to feedback, and working closely with a number of stakeholders;
• Supporting and advising departments on policy matters, which are often complex and ambiguous in nature;
• Writing submissions for ministers, Civil Service boards and senior leaders to update on progress, make recommendations on next steps and influence decisions;
• Responding to correspondence and casework, including Parliamentary Questions and Freedom of Information Act requests, on policy areas and on behalf of the department and ministers; and
• Presenting at Civil Service boards, to senior stakeholders, and meeting ministers and private offices when required.