Priority Projects Unit - Policy Advisor

The Priority Projects Unit (PPU) provides support for high-priority, complex projects across Cabinet Office and, occasionally, other departments. As ministers priorities change, so do we, meaning that were always at the leading edge of what the Cabinet Office and Government is delivering. PPU members are typically placed on three-month projects. These placements can be either individual or alongside other PPU members at different grades. Recently this has meant team members supporting the creation of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority; leading work on critical national infrastructure within the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat; delivering bespoke projects as part of the Governments Cyber Skills Strategy; supporting ministerial private offices; and working with FCDO to deliver the European Political Community Summit.Like the Cabinet Office, the PPU runs a multi-location model. We have a strong presence in London and a growing team in Glasgow.What are my responsibilities?Each project and its demands are unique but PPU team members are often requested to provide support for complex, cross-cutting policy or strategy development; significant policy, delivery and analysis reviews; short term problem solving with policy teams on urgent issues; standing up new teams at pace; project or programme management; and ministerial or wider stakeholder engagement. This may be within the Cabinet Office or across departments. Although the work you will be involved in at PPU will vary, to be successful in this role, you will:Have the drive and organisational skills to deliver projects over a short time-frame, with recent experience doing so;Be confident meeting tight deadlines and managing competing priorities;Be comfortable with frequent change - both moving between projects and as priorities change during projects;Have the ability to embed yourself in a range of established teams quickly, including by building effective relationships;Be able to analyse evidence and make informed decisions;Have strong report writing skills and the ability to communicate key messages clearly and succinctly to senior leaders and ministers;Be able to lead by example, often under demanding circumstances;Handle ambiguity with confidence; andHave a good set of essential skills to operate across a range of projects and teams - including: effective planning; the ability to build consensus with stakeholders to achieve objectives; and the ability to think through difficult policy problems.If you can do these things outside Government, we can support you in learning how to do that in a central Government context.