Head of Strategy and Policy

Location: Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, RH2 8EF

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. The starting salary for this role is £79,260 - £87,153 per annum, working 36 hours per week.

Surrey County Council (SCC) is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking leader to join our team as the Head of Strategy and Policy. This role will support the Council to respond to the opportunities presented through devolution and local government reorganisation, whilst helping the organisation maintain a focus on core strategy and policy activities for the remainder of SCC's operational life.

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

The Corporate Strategy and Policy Team is situated at the heart of the council and our mission is to lead thinking and stimulate collective action to enable delivery of the council's and residents' ambitions for Surrey. We add value and expertise around corporate strategy and strategic planning, policy analysis, design and development, strategic risk management and we champion equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in all that we do. We work on a breadth of topics, projects and issues which are centred around delivering and advancing the Community Vision for Surrey in 2030. Most recently our focus has included developing the Council's proposals around devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and we expect this topic to frame lots of our work going forwards. If you want a role with a varied workload, you'll be at home in CSP. We work in collaboration with colleagues across every service area of the Council and our work programme reflects the Council's priorities and focus areas, whilst also responding to our changing operating context.

In this role, you will inspire a small team of strategy and policy professionals. You will lead the development, promotion, and implementation of visioning and strategic planning for the Council, while also developing strategic priorities and plans that deliver value for money and improve outcomes for residents. Working in partnership with senior stakeholders within the Council and across the system, you will support the integration of business planning with future thinking and create connections between different areas of policy to ensure cohesive and comprehensive strategies for the remainder of the organisation's operational life. Your ability to develop evidence-led policies, drawing on innovative thinking and approaches will be crucial. Ensuring the citizen's voice is at the centre of policies and strategies, you will contribute to the council's ongoing improvement journey. Additionally, you will build and strengthen influential relationships with key strategic partners and stakeholders at local, regional, and national levels. Devolution and LGR presents a huge opportunity for the council to play a leading role in reforming local government services, but it also brings uncertainty, so you will need to be adept at managing and supporting others through this, and able to respond agilely to what else might be on the horizon. You will also be an active part of the wider service's management team, working alongside managers in risk management, performance, insights, EDI and leadership office functions to collaborate on projects and strengthen cross-team working.

To be shortlisted for this position your application will clearly evidence:

• Experience at a senior level developing and delivering high impact strategies and policies.
• Experience building and strengthening influential relationships with strategic partners and stakeholders at a local, regional and/or national level.
• Experience of developing and delivering policy advocacy and public affairs activity at regional or national level.
• Understanding of the key strategic issues facing local government, the wider public sector and partners.

To apply for this role we invite you to upload your CV and respond to the following application questions (with a maximum of 250 words per answer):

• What are your motivations for applying? Please tell us, and provide examples of, your experience developing and delivering high impact strategies and policies, and how you have inspired a team to work with you on these.
• Describe a time when you built or strengthened relationships with partners/stakeholders and what your personal impact in the situation was.
• What experience do you have of developing policy advocacy campaigns and/or public affairs activity?

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Nicola Kilvington by e-mail or on MS Teams. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 13/04/2025 with interviews to take place in the week commencing 28th April 2025.

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Surrey County Council Is Proud To Be a Disability Confident Employer. A Guaranteed Interview Will Be Offered To All Disabled Applicants Where: The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application. The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form. Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.