93 - Operational Engagement Stakeholder Lead in Swansea

About the role

Purpose of the post

The Operational Stakeholder Engagement Lead is a senior delivery role responsible for leading the operational implementation of stakeholder engagement activity in support of the IMA’s monitoring and promoting functions, with an agreed remit set by the Deputy Director of Operational Stakeholder Engagement.

As Operational Stakeholder Engagement Lead, you will:

• Play a pivotal role in the effective delivery and communication of the IMA’s operational activity through developing and sustaining effective stakeholder relationships with statutory and non-statutory partners including Parliamentarians, senior civil servants, commissioners, ombudsman/regulators and sector leads.
• Represent the organisation externally on delegated stakeholder engagement activity and citizen focused events, in line with agreed engagement frameworks.
• Assist the Deputy Director of Operational Stakeholder Engagement in maintaining effective connections among operational stakeholder engagement, the organisation, its executive team, and the Board.
• Demonstrate effective skills in co-ordinating and leading internal teams to ensure operational stakeholder activity, including parliamentary affairs work, is prepared and recorded consistently and effectively in line with governance and information management requirements, including KIM.
• Make sure processes for sharing information with the Data and Insight teams are running smoothly, supporting insight-led operational delivery and continuous improvement.
• Lead the coordination of briefing preparations for senior IMA staff, including Board members, and support parliamentary engagement activity, escalating sensitive or high-risk issues to the Deputy Director as appropriate.
• Work with various teams throughout the IMA, such as legal, communications, and operational delivery, to ensure that stakeholder engagement is organised efficiently. This coordination supports the IMA in achieving its strategic goals.
• You will line manage the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Manager (HEO).

To be successful in this role it is likely that you’ll:

• Be a proactive self-starter with a track record of delivering results under pressure, adept at meeting tight deadlines and making evidence-based decisions.
• Demonstrate the ability to offer insightful and challenging advice and recommendations to colleagues and peers, supporting the organisation’s strategic objectives and operational needs.
• Be an excellent communicator with strong political awareness, skilled at building and managing key stakeholder relationships, including delivery partners, regulators, and representative groups.
• Ensure engagement strategies are inclusive, consistent, and effective for complex policy and legislative matters.
• Be a natural storyteller who can articulate the IMA’s objectives and impact, framing key messages that resonate with stakeholders and service users.
• Demonstrate the ability to produce briefing materials and presentations that are accurate and suitable for engagement on complex issues.
• Be a confident and effective decision maker, able to deliver and defend evidence-based decisions that stand up to scrutiny and challenge.
• Bring analytical skills to interpret complex data and policy issues, enabling the organisation to respond proactively to stakeholder needs and operational priorities.
• Be an inspiring leader and manager, able to attract, lead, motivate and develop colleagues across teams and functions. Foster a culture of collaboration, engagement, and shared ownership, supporting the IMA’s strategic priorities and ensuring high standards of professional service.
• Be a collaborative and effective team player, consistently demonstrating the IMA’s values, with a particular commitment to diversity and inclusion. Support cross-team approaches to engagement and ensure the organisation is represented professionally at external events.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Alignment & Delivery:

• Lead the operational delivery of stakeholder engagement activity within an agreed portfolio, aligning delivery plans with strategies and priorities set by the Deputy Director, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and statutory functions.
• Identify, build and maintain strategic relationships with key stakeholders to support the IMA in delivering its role to promote and monitor citizens’ rights under the Withdrawal Agreements.
• Work with the Deputy Director to maintain oversight of delivery-level stakeholder relationships, identifying risks, gaps and opportunities within remit and escalating strategic issues as required.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence:

• Lead engagement with a range of senior stakeholders and delivery partners, including public authorities, regulators, citizens’ representative groups and partners across government (including devolved administrations), to communicate the IMA’s work and strengthen its reputation and influence.
• Lead cross organisational delivery activity to develop credible, insight‑led products, drawing on operational activity, data and expertise to demonstrate impact and support the IMA’s strategic objective of citizen empowerment.
• Contribute expert operational input to the development of creative and innovative digital and communications material that conveys the IMA’s operational output and provides clear, accessible information on citizens’ rights.

Parliamentary & Governance Support:

• Support parliamentary engagement activity by maintaining awareness of relevant parliamentary business, coordinating contributions to Select Committee inquiries and hearings, and ensuring correspondence and records are accurately maintained in line with governance requirements.
• Provide expert advice, guidance and challenge to operational teams on stakeholder engagement activity, ensuring engagement is effective and proportionate, and escalating issues in line with agreed governance arrangements where appropriate.
• Maintain operational oversight of the use of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), identifying issues and escalating risks or non-compliance to the Deputy Director.
• Identify delivery-level risks associated with stakeholder engagement activity, ensuring mitigation actions are implemented within delegated authority and escalating strategic or reputational risks as required.

Leadership & Capability:

• Represent the IMA at public facing and high‑profile events, representing the organisation on delegated engagement activity and ensuring there is a balanced and inclusive range of opportunities for stakeholder engagement across operational delivery.
• Identify resourcing and capability needs within remit and advise the Deputy Director accordingly, including overseeing preparation, briefing and training to ensure staff are confident, well‑prepared and able to maximise engagement opportunities.
• Oversee the coordination and quality assurance of briefing materials for staff and Board members, including presentations and key messages, ensuring they are accurate, consistent and suitable for engagement on complex policy and legislative issues.
• Provide inclusive, visible and motivating leadership, fostering a strong culture of collaboration, engagement and shared ownership across teams and functions within the IMA.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post and are not intended to be exhaustive.

Essential Skills

• Significant senior management experience or well-developed skills in overseeing stakeholder engagement within demanding and complex operational environments, supporting the organisation’s strategic objectives and operational priorities.
• Excellent communication abilities, including experience representing the organisation externally, and building influential relationships with stakeholders, delivery partners, regulators, and representative groups.
• Strong leadership and management skills, including leading and motivating cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration, and driving strategic engagement initiatives in line with organisational goals.
• Proven track record in delivering high standards of professional service, effectively managing resources, and prioritising competing demands to support the organisation’s operations and service delivery.
• Ability to quickly understand and address complex and technical policy matters, providing practical solutions that advance organisational objectives and respond to stakeholder requirements.
• Experience in analysing and interpreting complex data and information, producing high-quality reports and briefings for engagement on intricate policy and legislative issues.
• Confident and effective decision-maker, able to deliver and defend evidence-based decisions that are robust and withstand scrutiny, contributing to the organisation’s reputation and performance.
• Proven ability to design and deliver innovative, accessible products or approaches that make complex citizens’ rights information easy to understand for diverse audiences, using a range of channels (including digital), and iterating based on evidence of what works.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating & Influencing (Lead behaviour)
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Please refer to our candidate pack for further information about the role and the IMA.