Director, Departmental Strategy – Expression of Interest (EOI)

Job title:

Director, Departmental Strategy – Expression of Interest (EOI)

Company

Job description

Please read before applying:To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and statement of suitability. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and statement of suitability. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.If you experience technical issues during the application process we have found using a different browser or device in the first instance can be a quick fix.If those don’t work please email [email protected] with your application and/or CV before the submission deadline. Any applications received after the deadline may not be considered.Director, Departmental Strategy – Expression of Interest (EOI)We are seeking Expressions of Interest for the role of Director, Departmental Strategy at the centre of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This post is available for 12 months, with possibility of extension, on a level transfer or temporary promotion basis.MHCLG is at the heart of the government’s agenda for change, aimed at growing the economy and improving people’s lives right across the United Kingdom. We do this by empowering local communities, rebuilding local government, delivering the homes people need, ensuring building safety, enabling social cohesion and supporting local growth.Supporting good jobs and productivity, breaking down barriers for everyone and encouraging a sense of pride in local areas runs through all MHCLG teams, whether they are tackling homelessness, unsafe tall buildings or leasehold and planning reform; supporting the spread of devolution or finding local sponsors for refugees from war.Meeting this scale of ambition requires a step change in the way our Department operates. We have therefore recently set up a brand-new Strategy and Communications Group in the Department which is at the forefront of shaping and leading the Department’s approach to delivering our complex and varied agenda and ensuring that the Deputy Prime Minister’s biggest priorities have the right level of capacity, energy and pace to get things done across Government.We are now recruiting for someone to take on the role of Director, Departmental Strategy who will be central to this group. The successful candidate will help the Department to mobilise itself to achieve its objectives in a coordinated way, translate Ministerial priorities into clear delivery plans, and act as a trusted adviser and critical friend to the Executive Team and Ministers.Key Responsibilities:The role of Director, Departmental Strategy is focused on ensuring that the Department runs effectively, and that both our efforts and our resources are directed onto Ministerial and Executive Team priorities.Whilst we anticipate that key responsibilities will evolve over time and the successful candidates will play a pivotal role in shaping how the teams will operate in practice, the key responsibilities of this role are as follows:Leading a strong strategy function which supports Ministers in articulating their priorities, translating these into a clear Departmental policy agenda and legislative strategy, and ensuring that resource is aligned to those priorities.Establishing the right delivery architecture within the Department to ensure that we have sufficient grip of Government missions, working closely with the centre of Government, and building stronger ways of working across the Department with a view to creating a laser focus on driving our top priorities.Leading on set piece activities across the Department, including our Legislative Programme and the Spending Review (jointly with the Finance Director)Acting as a trusted adviser and critical friend for the Executive Team and Ministers, ensuring that they are well-supported in focusing on key strategic priorities.Leading teams who support the Department’s most Senior Civil Servants to deliver the Department’s wide-ranging and exciting agenda as well as ensuring that the Department is a well-run and effective organisation.Leading teams responsible for central operations and governance in the Department, including key boards and committees, public appointments, knowledge and information access, honours, and propriety and ethics.Leading Ministerial Private Office teams, including correspondence and Parliamentary teams. Ensuring that Ministerial views are well-represented, that they are provided with high-quality advice, and that their priorities are effectively implemented by the Department.Person SpecificationThis is a high profile and demanding Director role at the heart of the Department’s priorities.It is important that Ministers and the Executive Team have full confidence that the Department has the right level of ambition around key policy issues, provides a high-quality, high-impact service which anticipates and sets the agenda, and can make things happen across the wider system in which we operate. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in enabling this.To be successful in this role, you will have a passion for getting things done and be highly motivated, with a proven track record of breaking through barriers, solving problems and thinking innovatively.You will also need to be comfortable with, and thrive in, ambiguity, ideally with experience of leading teams through change, thinking innovatively and strategically about complex and novel policy issues, and building strong relationships to be able to deliver through others.You will be an experienced and inspirational leader, with the ability to create a strong team culture and a highly motivated team. You will be able to lead them in a complex, fast paced environment, empowering them to develop trusting, collaborative relationships. You will be committed to MHCLG’s values, as well as being committed to the Civil Service code and its principles of objectivity, integrity, impartiality and honesty.Essential CriteriaLeadership: An inspiring, confident, and empowering leader, with experience of delivering complex change, who can set strategic direction, lead effectively through ambiguity, enable innovation, and promote an inclusive, high-performance culture.Communicating and influencing: Able to establish credibility quickly with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders at senior levels, gaining the trust and confidence of Ministers and influencing others on their behalf. Skilled in building strong and trusted relationships across the Department to ensure the smooth running of the Department and effective implementation of ministerial priorities.Strategic thinking and delivery: Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the proven ability to identify and translate strategic priorities into tangible delivery, spot linkages, opportunities and risks beyond Departmental boundaries, and deliver at pace against a backdrop of uncertainty.Change and innovation: Able to embrace change, not be constrained by traditional ways of working, and adapt to changing circumstances while remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance.Judgement: A track record of being able to provide robust and sound advice to Ministers and senior officials, based on critical analysis of available evidence and being sensitive to the wider political context.Please note: Ideally the successful applicant will be able to start in the role by the end of September 2024Selection Process Details – How to apply:Please provide the required information and complete your application through the BeApplied website by 23:55 on 21 August 2024.You will be asked to enter some personal details, upload your CV and to provide your responses to the role’s advertised essential criteria.​When prompted to upload your CV, please upload a single document consisting of: ​

• a CV (including the names of 2 referees and your current remuneration) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, achievements and any relevant qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. ​

• a statement of suitability explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria provided in the person specification (max. 2 pages)​.

Please remember to save these two items in one document. Please note that only completed applications through the Be Applied route will be considered and that any further progress updates will be sent through Be Applied.The selection panel will be made up of:Brendan Threlfall, DG Strategy & Communications and hiring managerAnother panel member, TBCBrendan Threlfall would be happy to hold informal discussions with candidates who wish to learn more about the role. To arrange this, please contactSelection process and assessmentsCandidates that demonstrate they meet the essential criteria through their application will be invited to meet with the panel to discuss their suitability for the role. This is not a formal interview, but to ensure fairness we will be asking all candidates the same questions and candidates should be prepared to support their answers with examples. We expect discussions to take place during w/c 26 August.Shortlisted candidates may be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at the beginning of their final interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates when invited to interview.Shortlisted candidates may also be invited to a meeting with a Minister or the Secretary of State, and/or other senior stakeholders. This is not a formal part of the selection process but an informal chance for candidates to find out more about the role and the organisation.Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Expected salary

Location

London

Job date

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 02:54:15 GMT

To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate in your email/cover letter where (hiring-jobs.com) you saw this job posting.