Deputy Director, Strategy Unit

The Strategy Unit at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport plays a critical role in supporting Ministers, the Permanent Secretary, and senior leaders to make better strategic decisions. The Unit brings together expertise in strategy development, fiscal strategy, foresight, place, cross-cutting policy, and strategic problem-solving.

The Deputy Director will play a central role in defining how strategy is undertaken in the Department for years to come, including helping shape the structure, capability, and culture of the newly configured Strategy Unit and establishing a successful partnership across the new two-Deputy Director leadership model.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development of the Department's overall fiscal strategy
• Preparing for Spending Reviews and fiscal events
• Providing strategic engagement with HM Treasury, No. 10, and others
• Leading the development and implementation of the Department's strategic framework
• Supporting Ministers and senior leaders to translate long-term ambitions into clear priorities and outcomes
• Driving strategic prioritization and cross-cutting policy and strategy
• Building the future Strategy Unit, including designing and embedding the Unit's future operating model and developing capability, culture, and ways of working

The ideal candidate will have experience of leading complex strategic programmes, helping organizations set direction, prioritize resources, and deliver long-term objectives within a challenging and fast-moving environment. They will also have experience of leading significant spending, financial strategy, resource prioritization, or investment decisions, balancing competing demands and influencing outcomes in complex environments.

Alongside a salary of £86,000, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £24,914 towards being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Benefits include flexible working arrangements, 25 days annual leave, access to the Edenred employee benefits system, 3 days of paid volunteering leave, up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay, and staff reward and recognition bonuses.