Strategy and Policy Officer

Location - Tower Hamlets, London and Remote Working

Hourly Rate - £24.49

Full Time - Interim Position

Reference - 7861019

Background

To place a key role in ensuring that the Council is driven by a clear purpose and shared set of priority outcomes.  To help ensure that the council has robust, responsive and effective strategies and policies in the areas of its client Directorates.

Key Responsibilities

• To support the development of high-quality strategies, policies and plans drawing on robust evidence and research, working with colleagues across Strategy, Policy and Improvement (SPI) and Strategy, Improvement and Transformation (SIT) and the broader Health Determinants Research Collaborative (HDRC) partnership. This will involve:
• Direct drafting of strategy and policy documents.
• Liaison with specialists from across the council and partner organisations in order to obtain their buy-in and input to the development process.
• Direct research as well as liaison with colleagues in Data and Performance to obtain and use relevant evidence.
• Drawing on all available sources of evidence to support the identification of priority outcomes for services in a specialist area and for the council as a whole.
• The post holder will provide expert advice to DLTs, CLT and Cabinet as appropriate 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 appropriate in order to present reports and briefings.
• Focusing on Directorates to support the Council’s work with and for external partnerships and regulators, ensuring a shared focus on priority outcomes for residents and communities. This will require the post-holder to undertake a wide range of activities including drafting reports and briefings for partnership meetings, direct liaison with partners, coordination of and specialist support to meetings themselves.
• To support the delivery of a pioneering capacity-building programme and shaping its foundation year.
• To ensure/assure delivery of the HDRC development programme plan, rapidly establishing effective programme management systems for the development year, ensuring clear lines of accountability, monitoring deliverables and budgets and identifying and managing risks.
• To work with the finance lead to manage expenditure against the cost centre budget in accordance with financial and procurement systems and regulations and operate within spending controls. To ensure budgets and financial risks are monitored and that all spending is appropriately forecast, monitored, authorised and reported.
• To support on a range of functional activity including scrutiny, equality, partnership, engagement and consultation.
• To support the prediction of and proactive response to changes in the council’s external policy and regulatory environment. This will require the post-holder to maintain a good understanding of the wider context in which the council operates including relevant statutory and regulatory frameworks. The post-holder will be responsible for identifying risks and opportunities in order to ensure that the council engages positively and is compliant in all regards.
• To develop briefings and reports for senior officers and elected members with a focus on client Directorates. This will include using qualitative and quantitative data to produce authoritative, clear and concise briefings and reports with a clear focus on key decisions and actions.
• To maintain external networks and promote a good understanding of sector developments, innovative practice and new opportunities in the area of client Directorates. The post-holder will be expected to attend external events and meetings to represent the council and ensure that it benefits from learning and best practice shared by others.
• To support the council’s work on external accreditation, recognition and awards. This will include tasks such as preparing submissions for national awards or working on pilot projects for central government.
• To provide policy advice and support to Scrutiny Committees Panels, Elected Members and Cabinet as required. The post-holder will be expected to maintain a good understanding of the workings of democracy and scrutiny to engage positively and effectively with them where called upon to do so. Duties will include research, drafting of briefings, reports, and direct liaison with elected members where necessary.
• To support the Council’s work on equalities, community cohesion, and engagement. This will entail working to ensure compliance with established frameworks, ensuring that the Council is compliant with statutory regulations and undertaking project work as required.
• Support the Council’s work with the voluntary and community sector through grants development, monitoring and evaluation.

Qualifications and Experience

• Relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience in particular experience of managing programmes or grant administration in the higher education sector or other organisation.
• Ability to gain experience in more than one of the following: strategic and business planning, programme management, equality, partnership, commissioning, research, performance, insight, public consultation, resident and community engagement, contractual reporting and improvement.
• Ability to develop negotiation skills within a context of complexity and ambiguity to influence priority outcomes.
• Ability to develop technical skills and abilities in relation to the policy analysis and interpretation that leads to development of organisation or borough wide strategic direction setting. Culture change and embedding research.
• Excellent oral, written and visual communication skills involving a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to develop analytical skills and lateral thinking to develop creative and innovative solutions.

If you are interested in this role, please call 020 3641 9193 for further details or email your CV to apply@instajobsuk.com