Senior Companies Policy Sponsor

The Companies Sponsorship Team operates across DHSC's London and Leeds offices and is responsible for overseeing the department's portfolio of government-owned companies. The team provides strategic, financial and governance oversight, ensuring these organisations are well governed, financially sustainable, deliver value for money, and align with departmental priorities.

This role works autonomously within a supportive and collaborative team environment, providing commercial and financial leadership across a varied portfolio of sponsorship, governance and corporate projects. There is scope to tailor aspects of the role to reflect the skills, interests and experience of the successful candidate.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Companies Sponsorship Team, contributing to the department's oversight of government-owned companies and supporting the delivery of complex transformation programmes. The role offers exposure to senior stakeholders across government and the opportunity to influence key decisions that support the effective management and performance of organisations delivering key public objectives.

In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.

You will lead the development and implementation of sponsorship and governance policy across the department's portfolio of government-owned companies and retained estate interests. Acting as a senior policy adviser, you will provide expert interpretation of complex cross-government requirements, including Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office controls, HM Treasury guidance and the DHSC Companies Governance Framework, translating policy into practical governance and oversight arrangements.

Working closely with ministers, senior officials, company Chairs, Boards and cross-government partners, you will provide authoritative advice on company sponsorship, governance, accountability, corporate transactions and organisational change. You will lead on the design and application of governance frameworks, ensuring that government-owned companies operate effectively, deliver value for money, and remain aligned with departmental and wider government objectives.

This is a high-profile role requiring strong policy leadership, sound judgement and the ability to influence at senior levels. The successful candidate will combine a deep understanding of government governance frameworks with the practical experience to apply them to complex and often novel circumstances, providing clear, trusted advice on issues with significant ministerial, financial and reputational implications.

Companies Policy and Sponsorship

• Lead and advise on companies sponsorship policy, including interpretation and application of the DHSC Companies Governance Framework, Cabinet Office controls, and cross‑government requirements
• Act as a senior policy sponsor for designated companies and corporate interests, ensuring appropriate governance, accountability, and performance oversight
• Provide authoritative advice on creation, change of form, strategic ventures and dissolutions, including business cases and ministerial submissions

Retained Estate Policy and Oversight

• Provide senior ownership and policy advice on the Secretary of State retained estate, including leasehold and freehold interests, overage and clawback provisions, ransom strips, and legal charges
• Oversee and assure the retained estate disposal programme, ensuring compliance with statutory duties, value for money, and appropriate governance.
• Commission and manage specialist professional advice (legal, property, commercial) where required, and assure delivery against agreed objectives.

Risk, Governance and Assurance

• Lead on identification and management of strategic, financial and reputational risks across the companies and retained estate portfolio
• Provide senior input to audit, assurance, Freedom of Information requests, Parliamentary business, National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee engagement and responses linked to companies policy and legacy programmes
• Ensure robust record‑keeping information assurance and compliance with departmental and cross‑government standards

Stakeholder and Cross‑Government Leadership

• Build and maintain effective senior relationships with HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, UK Government Investments, legal advisers, arms length bodies and wider health family partners
• Represent the department in senior forums, boards, and cross‑government groups where companies policy or retained estate interests are considered
• Provide clear, trusted advice to ministers, senior officials and private offices on complex and sensitive issues

Leadership and Capability

• Provide strong leadership within the Companies Sponsorship function, modelling inclusive leadership and professional excellence
• Develop capability across policy, sponsorship and commercial disciplines within the team
• Line‑manage senior staff and contribute to wider directorate leadership and workforce planning

Key skills and experience required for the role

Essential:

• Significant experience operating at a senior level in a policy, sponsorship governance or related strategic role
• Demonstrable experience applying corporate governance, public‑sector company sponsorship and statutory accountability frameworks to support oversight and decision‑making
• Proven ability to provide strategic advice on complex organisational, governance or sponsorship issues, translating high-level policy into practical solutions and influencing senior decision-making
• Experience supporting Boards, senior committees or organisational change programmes, with a strong understanding of sponsorship, governance and shareholder oversight arrangements
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with a track record of building trusted relationships and working effectively with senior leaders

Desirable:

• A relevant professional qualification in governance, company secretariat, public policy, law, risk management, finance or a related discipline (for example CGIUKI, CIPFA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA, PRINCE2, MSP or equivalent)
• Experience advising on the creation, restructuring, governance reform or closure of public bodies, government-owned companies or corporate entities
• Understanding of the health, care, life sciences or wider public services landscape and the governance challenges associated with government-owned companies