Head of Strategic Engagement and Place PolicyMinistry of Justice

21146

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

The Role:

We are seeking an experienced, strategic and inclusive leader to join the Scotland Office’s Local Growth and Place Division as the Head of Strategic Engagement and Place Policy.

The Local Growth and Place Division is acting as the Scotland Office’s place-based delivery and local insights hub. To achieve this, it is composed of four teams overseen by the Deputy Director for Local Growth and Place:

The Local Growth Team: leading the delivery of Scottish City and Regional Growth Deals and the Scottish Local Growth Fund; and supporting the delivery of wider UK Government place-based local growth funds in Scotland.

The Strategic Engagement Team: implementing the cross-Scotland office engagement and events strategy alongside stakeholder insights tracking.

The Social, Rural and Fiscal Policy Team: Account Management of MHCLG, DfE, DCMS, Defra, DHSC, MoJ and HMT to amplify Scottish delivery opportunities.

Project Management Lead: ensuring SO project and delivery management reflect Government best practice.

The Head of Strategic Engagement and Place Policy would oversee and drive the work of the Strategic Engagement Team, the Social, Rural and Fiscal Policy Team, as well as the Project Management Lead.

We are looking for someone with impeccable organisational and prioritisation skills, confidence in their own judgement and a track record of translating ministerial priorities into tangible, implementable action.

They will possess the proven ability to deliver through others with kindness and compassion and demonstrate an ability to manage a demanding workload whilst horizon scanning and responding swiftly to emerging priorities.

They will also have experience in establishing and maintaining effective relationships with external stakeholders - including by establishing and maintaining an insights tracking system that supports the department’s policy influencing agenda. Further, they will have a strong understanding and experience of Government spending, project management and delivery best practices. Experience with / understanding of  MHCLG, DfE, DCMS, Defra, DHSC, MoJ and HMT policy priorities and ways of working is desirable.

In return, they will be welcomed into a social, experienced and fast-paced team that places collaboration, challenge, innovation and high-quality outputs at the centre of what we do.

The role holder will lead the teams at a crucial moment in time. The Local Growth and Place Division has been restructured and stood up in its current form following a wider departmental reorganisation in June. The post holder will therefore have to balance effective BAU delivery across teams activities, while also supporting the Deputy-Director Local Growth and Place in designing and kickstarting the set-up, ways of working arrangements and longer term work planning for the teams in line with organisational transformation outcomes - embedding engagement throughout our work and pioneering the approach to matrix working in SO. Working creatively to drive continuous improvements and to lead processes and ways of working changes in-flight will be a key feature of this role.

Key responsibilities

Key responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

Work closely with the DD Local Growth and Place to embed organisational transformation outcomes - including through long-term work planning, embedding engagement throughout our work; and pioneering the approach to matrix working in SO.

Work creatively to drive continuous improvements in how the team operates and is structured - including by supporting cross-departmental capability building as relevant.

Overseeing the work of the Strategic Engagement team, the Social Rural and Fiscal Policy team, and the Project Management Lead to ensure effective BAU delivery of (a) cross-Scotland Office engagement, visits and events activity; (b) ensuring MHCLG, DfE, DCMS, Defra, DHSC, MoJ and HMT opportunities for Scotland are considered; and (c) delivery of project management best practice workshops and supporting documentation.

Work closely with the Policy DDs, policy leads, and the engagement team to implement an updated Scotland Office engagement strategy - aligned with organisational transformation outcomes.

Work closely with the DD Local Growth and Place to stand up a new engagement insight sharing process and CRM recording system that drive the department’s policy influencing agenda.

Person Specification

Essential:

Proven strategic thinking and practical delivery skills, with the intellectual curiosity to understand the wider context within which you work.

Excellent written and verbal communication, and confident working closely with senior leaders/ministers.

Experience of providing policy and/or engagement advice to government ministers or senior leaders and demonstrated ability to pick up new topics quickly.

Ability to work confidently and credibly with a range of colleagues, external partners and ministers, and to influence and prioritise direction of work.

Ability to be creative and innovative, coming up with new ideas to tackle problems.

Thorough experience in stakeholder engagement and Government visits and events.

Experience of successfully leading teams through times of change and transition, including by building capability.

Desirable:

Experience in working with MHCLG, DfE, DCMS, Defra, DHSC, MoJ and HMT.

Understanding of the policy, delivery and stakeholder landscape in Scotland.