Cabinet Office Jobs – Deputy Director Policy, Programmes and Engagement In Belfast, UK

Overview

Position Title: Deputy Director Policy, Programmes and Engagement

Company: Cabinet Office

Location: Belfast, UK

Job Description:

The Deputy Director Policy, Programmes and Engagement is an established role in the Office for Veterans’ Affairs leading on a wide range of cross-government policies relating to veterans, driving improvement in how the government meets the needs of veterans and developing the OVA’s communication and engagement strategies. The post holder will have a unique opportunity to shape the government’s strategic approach to meeting the needs of the veteran community and influencing the UK’s veteran sector through it’s policy leadership and sector-wide engagement.

A key part of the role will be ensuring that government delivers on commitments made under the Strategy for Our Veterans Action Plans. This will require building strong relationships with a wide range of government and non-government stakeholders, corralling effort from multiple departments and service providers and driving credible policy solutions to complex problems. The role involves policy leadership across issues including health and wellbeing, digital transformation, legacy issues, employment, housing, relationships with Devolved Administrations and ensuring the needs of underrepresented groups are met. By effectively prioritising and co-ordinating the right policy interventions and services to be delivered you will have a direct impact on improving positive life outcomes for those who have served in our Armed Forces and their families.

Responsibilities:

• Play a leading role in resource allocation processes at OVA and maintain robust oversight of costs and spending opportunities across areas in the policy, programmes and engagement role. This includes developing effective relationships with HMT spending teams and working with departments on aligning spending, investment bids and business cases.
• Develop programmes which ensure that every veteran feels valued for their experience, commissioning or sponsoring activities which enable the Government to identify and enact appropriate policy responses.
• Lead, including as Senior Responsible Officer for a range of grants, the OVA’s small grants function including assuring the performance and impact of those grants.
• Provide high quality support to Ministers, enabling them to confidently fulfil their responsibilities to Parliament and providing credible, authoritative advice on veterans issues which commands their confidence.
• Lead engagement with a range of international partners to maximise the impact and opportunities of veterans issues to further the UK’s international objectives.
• Develop outstanding productive relationships with stakeholders in and outside of Government across the veterans sector and other groups and organisations in society who can contribute to making the UK the best place to be a veteran in the world. This may involve public presentations about the Government’s veterans work on veterans to a range of stakeholders as well as representing Ministers at events as required.
• Lead the design and development of innovative and ambitious policy interventions which take into account the unique needs of all veterans and their families to ensure the UK becomes the best place in the world to be a veteran.
• Ensure that the governance system supporting veterans issues within Government is effective and provides the right levels of engagement, decision making and assurance to deliver the Veterans Strategy. As part of this the postholder will be expected to act as Secretary to the Government’s Veterans Advisory Board.
• Lead the development of a strategy which maximises the use of digital technology to enhance the delivery, impact and accessibility of veterans services as well as sponsoring plans to deliver digital commitments in the Government’s Veterans Strategy Action Plan.
• Oversee communication campaigns and external activities which help to promote the value of veterans, access to services and the promotion of the Government’s delivery of the veterans strategy.
• Contribute to the overall leadership of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, building the team’s strategic role and reputation across government and externally and shaping how the Office evolves its capability, role and impact.

Requirements:

• The ability to build highly effective working relationships at senior levels across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including central and local government, academia, the private sector and the charity sector.
• The ability to work flexibly and at pace and to make sound decisions in a complex, fast-moving and multi-stakeholder environment (involving No10, departments, Ministers, senior officials, external stakeholders).
• Graduate status of the Major Project Leadership Academy (MPLA), Project Leadership Programme (PLP), or a similar project delivery qualification such as PRINCE2 or APM Registered Project Professional.
• A successful track record of policy leadership across a complex system that delivers major transformation.
• Strong communication skills including the ability to present policy and communications advice to influence Ministers and other senior decision makers.
• Experience in policy development in Government, and a proven track record in winning and retaining the trust of Senior Ministers and officials.
• Excellent leadership and collaboration skills with a record of developing high-performing teams, including proven experience of leading through and inspiring others.
• Experience in developing and maximising the impact of governance systems to support delivery and accountability by the Government.
• Experience working with the Armed Forces or Veterans’ Charity Sectors is desirable, but not essential.