Head of Policy

British Society for Rheumatology is a membership organisation that brings together expertise from across the rheumatology profession. We harness a wide variety of experience and skills to ensure we are supporting our members to the very best of our combined ability. Involving patients and carers at every step, we aim to ensure that physicians and clinicians are equipped to provide high-quality care.

About the role

As BSR’s Head of Policy, you will lead a portfolio of work that truly supports our members’ priorities and works towards creating the conditions that will enable rheumatology care across the UK to thrive and flourish. To excel in this role, you will need to be comfortable working both at a strategic level and with detail and data. You will ensure BSR understands and responds to current and emerging needs in rheumatology practice, identifying gaps in quality, policy, and research.

You will develop BSR’s evidence and intelligence base about our members’ priorities, the state of rheumatology care across the UK, and the challenges and opportunities in rheumatology. Through collaborating with colleagues, you’ll help us ensure this insight informs our policy agenda, our strategic planning and operational decision making, ultimately achieving maximum possible impact in our work to drive up standards in the delivery of rheumatology services and to inspire and activate changes that improve lives.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Management:

• Work closely with BSR’s Senior Management Team to devise and deliver priorities for the portfolio, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and identifying opportunities to maximise impact
• Ensure that BSR’s decision-making is informed by the best available and appropriate level of evidence by communicating strategic insights across the organisation
• Lead, coach, and support team members, and manage overall team capacity and resource planning
• Oversee contract and budget management for the team and across individual projects, ensuring cost-effective allocation of resources
• Collaborate with the SMT and other teams to ensure integrated approaches to policy, communications, and member engagement
• Provide support and strategic insight to BSR working groups, including the Clinical Affairs Committee and MDT Advisory Council
• Develop strong relationships with members and stakeholders and represent BSR to external audiences.

Policy, Research & Strategy:

• Lead BSR’s policy agenda, supporting the Policy Manager to deliver policy analysis and development, produce high-quality outputs, and influence changes in policy and practice
• Oversee a programme of proactive research, including data analysis and member engagement, to build a robust body of evidence and intelligence about the key issues impacting BSR members and rheumatology care across the UK
• Ensure that evidence, insight, and analysis effectively inform BSR’s policy work, strategic planning, and operational decision-making
• Continuously monitor UK-wide policy and practice changes and assess their impact on the rheumatology community and patient care
• Ensure BSR’s members and senior leaders receive timely analysis of key policy and practice developments impacting rheumatology
• Develop, lead, and support cross-team workstreams and projects that deliver on organisation-wide priorities.

Best Practice and Quality Improvement:

• Provide leadership to the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA) team, supporting the team to deliver work to a high standard
• Engage members to develop BSR’s evidence base on good practice and quality improvement, and keep abreast of relevant external developments
• Provide expertise to colleagues on best practice and quality improvement, ensuring that insight and ambitions are effectively communicated and inform BSR’s policy work, strategic planning, and operational decision making
• Identify and develop opportunities to share and promote best practice and quality improvement to members and external audiences, achieving maximum possible reach and impact
• Identify and develop opportunities to work with partners across health and social care to promote and support best practice and quality improvement.
• Significant experience in a senior policy, practice and programme management role in healthcare
• Extensive knowledge of health policy and/or healthcare systems and how policy is developed and implemented
• Understanding of research methods, with the ability to analyse and translate quantitative and qualitative research findings
• Understanding of audit and/or QI methodology and experience of delivering or supporting quality improvement initiatives
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on evidence-based decision making
• Leadership and team management experience, and the ability to coach staff to reach their potential
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and influence relationships, including at the partnership level, with colleagues and senior leaders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex issues to a wide range of stakeholders and prepare high quality, accessible outputs
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to work under pressure to conflicting deadlines
• Flexible in response to changes in the external environment and the need to balance proactive and reactive work
• 30 days Annual Leave & Bank Holiday
• Incentive Scheme, Income Protection Scheme
• Pensions Scheme employer Pension Contribution 9%
• Life Assurance interest-free Season Ticket Loans
• Ride-to-work Scheme interest-free loan scheme
• Parental and family leave
• Paternity Leave: 6 weeks at full pay.
• Free Period Products
• Free flu Vaccinations
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Enhanced sick pay offer is:
  • Up to two years’ service: 4 weeks full pay and 4 weeks half pay
  • After two years’ service: 12 weeks full pay and 12 weeks half pay

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely

BSR is committed to encouraging inclusion, equality, and diversity in our workforce. We are actively trying to increase the diversity of our staff team. We try to reduce as many barriers as we can for those with a disability. We know that everyone is an individual, so please always tell us what we can do to support you.

We welcome approaches from individuals from underrepresented groups, including those from minoritised communities, and those with a disability, to better reflect the community we serve and help broaden our perspectives.

The job vacancy information provided here is from third-parties and the AAE can not guarantee the accuracy of the information.

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