Senior Adviser, Secretary of State's Policy and Strategy Unit

We are recruiting a Grade 7 Senior Adviser to join the department’s Policy Unit. The Policy Unit works with ministers, special advisers and senior officials across the department on ministerial priorities.

The successful candidate will join a friendly and high-performing team, that works closely with ministers, special advisers and the Executive Team, as well as officials across the department and outside. The role will suit a self-starting individual who can operate confidently with experts and senior decision-makers, spot and solve complex problems, collaborate across a wide range of stakeholders and think creatively across their work.

Job description

• Leading bespoke priority projects on behalf of the Ministerial and Executive Teams, bringing structure and momentum to emerging or urgent policy priorities and taking personal responsibility for high-quality outcomes.
• Providing trusted advice to ministers, special advisers and senior officials on challenging, fast-moving issues, often where there are difficult trade-offs.
• Representing the department on cross-government policy issues with an MHCLG interest.
• Using evidence, judgement and an understanding of the wider political and delivery context to identify what matters, explain choices clearly and recommend a practical way forward.
• Maintaining excellent relationships with experts inside and outside government.
• Providing insight across the whole department’s work to ministers, special advisers and the Executive Team, joining up issues so that problems are addressed holistically.
• Producing clear, concise and persuasive written and spoken advice, distilling complex material and being prepared to confront difficult choices where needed.
• Working on departmental strategy, finances, and legislation where necessary.

Person specification

• Policy judgement and strategic thinking: the ability to get quickly to the heart of complex policy questions, navigate ambiguity and difficult trade-offs, and provide practical advice.
• Personal leadership and initiative: a strong record of taking ownership, spotting problems that need solving and working beyond your own team or responsibilities.
• Influence and collaboration: the ability to build trusted relationships, challenge constructively and influence senior leaders and colleagues across organisational boundaries.
• Communication: excellent written and oral communication skills, with experience of turning complex material into clear, concise and persuasive advice for senior decision-makers.
• Delivery and prioritisation: the ability to work at pace across shifting and competing priorities, and contribute to delivery of high-quality, tangible outcomes rather than simply managing process.
• Political awareness: good judgement about what will matter to MHCLG’s Secretary of State and ministerial team and the Government’s objectives, and the confidence to apply that judgement to unfamiliar or fast-moving issues.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,230, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £17,448 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. We offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes.