Strategy & Policy Lead

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Role Purpose

To deliver expert advice to DLTs, CLT and Cabinet on the development of priority outcomes and the identification of strategic risks and opportunities. This will include regular attendance at departmental and corporate management team meetings as well as meetings of elected members, in order to present reports and briefings.

Role Requirements

• The post holder will be responsible for offering a senior leadership and liaison role in the council’s work with and for external partnerships and regulators, ensuring a shared focus on priority outcomes for residents and communities.
• The post-holder will be expected to build and maintain extensive networks across local, regional and national organisations ensuring that innovation and learning is shared internally and externally.
• The post-holder will be required to take the lead on multiple high-profile and high-impact projects as directed by their Divisional Director and / or senior officers within CLT.
• The post-holder will be required to manage and resolve conflicting agendas between stakeholders and develop creative and innovative solutions to complex problems, drawing on tools and resources from across the organisation and beyond.
• The post holder will be responsible for leading a policy horizon-scanning function that predicts and analyses changes in the council’s external policy and regulatory environment and provides briefings to senior stakeholders.
• The post-holder will be responsible for leading responses to external changes and consultations working with senior stakeholders and partners as appropriate.
• The post-holder will be expected to maintain an expert understanding of the policy, subject matter and regulatory contexts.
• To integrate the outputs of multiple SIT teams to develop high-quality and timely briefings and reports for senior officers and elected members.
• To lead the strategy and policy support on a range of subject matters involving public and social policy (INSERT specialism).
• To lead the strategy and policy support on a range of functional activities including scrutiny, equality, partnership, engagement and consultation, strategic corporate research.

Responsibilities

• Actively contribute to the leadership of the council in a way that promotes a ‘one organisation’ approach.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and communities to ensure the council and the directorate strategic priorities are effectively implemented.
• Promote equality among all staff and ensure that services are delivered in a non-discriminatory way, that is inclusive of all disadvantaged groups.
• Support organisational change and learning, ensuring appropriate systems of performance and development, communication and engagement, quality measures, monitoring and review are in place for all services and the workforce that delivers them.
• Promote sustainability, including encouraging a culture of innovation and accountability amongst all council staff.

Knowledge

• A demonstrable expert understanding of the national and local social and economic context for, and operations of social and public policy related to VCS/Cohesion/Engagement/Consultation.
• A demonstrable expert understanding of statutory, policy and regulatory frameworks regarding VCS/Cohesion/Engagement/Consultation.
• Expert knowledge in more than one key social and public policy areas including cohesion and integration, equality and inclusion, engagement and consultation, community and voluntary sector.

Experience

• Relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience in particular leading the coordination of functions in the corporate centre or directorates.
• Substantial experience of coordinating and managing social and public policy functions, strategic and business planning, equality, scrutiny, partnership, commissioning, research, assessment, performance, public consultation and engagement, inspection, improvement and safeguarding.