Director of Policy and Government Partnerships

£86,400 – £106,600, plus excellent benefits

Blackfriars, London – Hybrid Working

We are recruiting for a Director of Policy and Government Partnerships

Are you a passionate advocate for social change with a deep understanding of policy development and implementation?

We’re looking for a visionary leader to join our dynamic team as the Director of Policy and Partnerships. In this pivotal role, you will play a crucial part in shaping our organisation’s policy agenda and driving positive social impact.

About Nesta and the Behavioural Insights Team

For over a decade, Nesta and the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) have worked at the frontier of social change. Nesta is the UK’s innovation agency for social good, working to design, test and scale solutions to the challenges of climate change , obesity , and school readiness . BIT is a global social impact consultancy that has spearheaded the application of behavioural insights to social challenges.

In December 2021, BIT was acquired by Nesta, creating a group with two powerful routes to social change. We do long-term, risk-taking work backed by Nesta’s endowment and deep partnership work with clients via BIT’s consultancy model.

The Director of Policy and Partnerships has four main responsibilities:

• Lead Nesta and BIT’s efforts to influence policy. Support a pipeline of high impact policy work to support Nesta’s missions. Make sure policy work is done at pace in an impactful, focused way. Work with colleagues at BIT to amplify the impact of BIT’s work and make the most of the insights from work across BIT and Nesta.
• Lead a community of policy professionals. Lead a diverse and talented community of policy professionals, providing high challenge and support so that people can do their best work and learn in their roles.
• Drive and coordinate partnerships with the UK government to achieve social impact at scale. Support leaders across Nesta and BIT to proactively develop and convert opportunities for major partnerships with the UK government. Help to make sure our efforts are coordinated and coherent and boost impact for Nesta’s missions and socially impactful work at BIT.
• Act as a key member of Nesta’s wider leadership team , helping the organisation to deliver on its strategy and to maintain an impactful, inquisitive, incisive, and inclusive culture.

The role sits in a leadership team alongside other leaders of methods – Data Science, Research, Design & Technology – and reports to the group Chief Practices Officer. The formal employment relationship is with Nesta and the role is subject to Nesta terms and conditions.

What we’re looking for

• A strong track record in policy development, analysis, or advocacy, with a deep understanding of the policy landscape.
• The ability to develop and execute a long-term policy strategy that aligns with our mission.
• Proven experience leading and inspiring teams to achieve exceptional results.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• A passion for using policy to drive positive social change.

If you are a results-oriented leader with a deep commitment to social justice, we encourage you to apply.

What we offer

Salary: £86,400 – £106,600 (subject to seniority and experience, plus array of benefits, including private medical insurance, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more)

Location : This role is based in Blackfriars, London, hybrid working arrangement with a minimum of two days in the office

Term : Permanent. Also available on a secondment basis.

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.

Reports to: Chief Practices Officer

Making an application

To apply for this role , please submit your application before 08:00am on the 21st of October.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

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