Senior Strategy Adviser

The Strategy and Policy Unit (SPU) sits in the centre of DCMS as part of the Corporate Strategy Directorate.

We are a friendly, supportive and high performing team of around 30 people supporting the strategic management of the department through:

• Ensuring DCMS effectively understands and delivers Secretary of States (SoSs) strategy and priorities;
• Ensuring SoSs ambition and priorities for funding are effectively articulated to No.10, HMT and Mission Boards;
• Leading the department through fiscal events and General Election preparation;
• Ensuring DCMS delivers cross-cutting government and statutory initiatives and obligations, e.g. climate and legislation;
• Providing senior officials and ministers with high quality advice on complex strategic / policy issues;
• Delivering high profile cross cutting policy, such as economic growth and tech.

Our broad team remit means there is plenty of opportunity to get involved in many different aspects of the departments work.

Role 1 - Place and Communities

The Place and Communities Lead will focus on how DCMS can drive economic growth across different regions and places in the UK. This role will ensure that DCMS contributes effectively to devolution and wider place agendas by leveraging creative industries, innovation, skills, and investment to support regional economic development.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead DCMS's contribution to driving local economic growth, ensuring alignment with the government's Place and devolution agenda and supporting regional priorities.
• Work with local authorities, regional bodies, and stakeholders to understand opportunities and challenges, tailoring DCMS's approach to meet diverse regional needs.
• Lead the coordination of DCMS's internal work across different teams, ensuring seamless contribution to wider government priorities and a strong relationship with MHCLG.
• Manage timelines, deliverables, and cross-departmental engagement to ensure strategic alignment with the government's priorities.
• Brief senior leaders and ministers on policy developments, providing analysis and recommendations on how DCMS can further contribute to the government's overarching goals on place and local growth.

Role 2 - Growth

The National Growth Lead will focus on how DCMS can support the government's national growth objectives. This role will ensure DCMS's contributions to creative industries, innovation, and skills development are aligned with broader national economic goals, including industrial strategy, R&D, and skills in key sectors.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead DCMS policy development and contributions to national economic growth priorities, ensuring alignment with broader government growth strategies.
• Develop policies that support national economic objectives, focusing on the role of creative industries, innovation, skills and investment in driving national growth.
• Work with central government, industry bodies, and stakeholders to shape DCMS's approach to national growth, ensuring a strong voice for the department in cross-government initiatives.
• Brief senior leaders and ministers on policy developments, providing analysis and recommendations on how DCMS can further contribute to the government's overarching economic strategy.
• Monitor national economic trends and opportunities, ensuring that DCMS policy remains forward-looking and proactive in addressing future growth needs.
• Lead the coordination of DCMS's internal work across different teams, ensuring seamless contribution to the broader economic growth mission.
• Manage timelines, deliverables, and cross-departmental engagement to ensure strategic alignment with the government's priorities.

Essential requirements:

• In-depth understanding of the governments economic priorities, including the growth mission, industrial strategy, devolution agenda and plans to address regional economic disparities.
• Strong experience in strategy and policy development.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work across local and national bodies to deliver effective outcomes.
• Proven experience working cross-government and with senior government officials to drive policy that supports long-term outcomes.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills, with experience briefing ministers and senior leaders.

Desirable skills:

• Experience of working in strategy and/or spending teams.
• Experience working across Departmental boundaries, such as (but not limited to) cross-whitehall funds, white paper development or No. 10, HMT or Cabinet Office secretariat roles.
• Economic policy making experience either within a national context, focused on large-scale growth initiatives or in local or regional policy development, including work with local authorities or regional stakeholders.
• Comfortable with numbers.

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Nathaniel Bellio and will take place on:

• 20th December 2024 at 12:00

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this form (link to form) and you will be sent an invitation.

Please note that the session will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to [email protected]

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace