Senior Manager, Licensing in Birmingham

You will act as a key ambassador for Licensing, leading a team of managers and overseeing the end-to-end licensing lifecycle, along with other priority workstreams aligned to our strategy and business plan. You will drive performance and continuous improvement, ensuring insight informs decisions and service delivery. As a visible role model for our values, you will help shape our culture and ways of working, fostering collaboration, accountability, and high-quality outcomes.

Your responsibilities:

• Contribute to strategic planning and senior leadership, ensuring Licensing priorities align with wider organisational goals.
• Drive high-quality delivery and performance, achieving outcomes within agreed budgets, resources and timelines.
• Lead the design and implementation of digital, data and business process improvements that enhance efficiency and customer experience.
• Manage change effectively, embedding policies and new ways of working across teams.
• Ensure teams have the capability, training and support needed to deliver change and maintain high standards.
• Build strong cross-workstream relationships to support a coordinated regulatory approach and early awareness of emerging policy developments.
• Provide expert advice on complex and high-profile licensing cases, leading decision making within delegated authority and presenting cases at Regulatory Panels when required.
• Lead effective stakeholder engagement, including industry, legal representatives and operators.
• Oversee timely, high-quality responses to enquiries and complaints, promoting a "right first time" culture.
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion in leadership, decision making and service delivery.
• Lead, coach and develop managers and teams, fostering a high-performance, collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Act as a visible role model for the Commission's values, supporting our culture and ways of working.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role.

The above does not constitute an exhaustive list of duties. The post holder may be required to perform any reasonable tasks commensurate with the level of responsibility at the request of their Manager. Duties may vary as and when localised procedures are updated or renewed with varying authorities.

What we’re looking for:

• Strong track record of leading and delivering complex workstreams to agreed outcomes, timelines and budgets.
• Proven ability to lead, develop and motivate teams to improve performance.
• Experience leading and embedding change in a fast-paced environment.
• Background in a regulatory or similarly complex setting, with confidence making risk-based decisions.
• Experience working in a regulatory, public sector or government environment.
• Experience contributing to organisational strategy or leading cross-functional teams.

This role requires a willingness to travel. The postholder will also be excluded from playing the National Lottery.

We value diversity in our workplace and are committed to a culture where each individual is engaged and feels that their contribution is valued and respected. We welcome all applications from candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role.

To apply for this position, please see the Gambling Commission careers website. The Gambling Commission have an anonymised recruitment process, so you should not attach a CV to your application. Instead, application questions will ask you to evidence how your personal skills, qualities and experience match the essential criteria for the role.

The selection process for this vacancy will comprise a remote (Teams) interview consisting of competency and technical questions and a presentation. To prepare for your interview, please familiarise yourself with the STAR technique for answering interview questions.

The closing date for this role is midnight on Tuesday 3rd March 2026. Interviews are expected to be held on 12th and 13th March 2026. Please ensure you have the right to work in the UK before applying as we are unable to provide visa sponsorship. Incomplete applications will be discounted from shortlisting. Please ensure your application is fully completed and submitted before logging out of your account.

The Gambling Commission is the regulatory authority responsible for overseeing and regulating gambling activities in the United Kingdom. Our primary role is to ensure that gambling is conducted fairly, openly, and free from crime, while also protecting vulnerable individuals from harm. We regulate various forms of gambling, including casinos, bingo, sports betting, and lotteries, and issues licenses to operators. We are committed to ensuring a safe and responsible gambling environment, promoting transparency, and enforcing compliance with legal standards to maintain public trust in the industry.

We’re proud to have notable industry recognition, including the Regulatory Excellence Award from the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). This prestigious award recognised the Commission's international leadership in enhancing consumer protection through industry collaboration. Please apply if you want to be part of an organisation that is a force for good!