Head of Strategy & Engagement

Job summary

Government Skills was created to accelerate the quality of learning and development in government through better training, knowledge and networks for around 550,000 Civil Servants across Government, delivering government priorities now and for the future.

As part of its development, it has been announced that Government Skills will become the National School of Government and Public Services. This change enhances its profile and visibility across government, offering better public services for citizens and confirming the government’s commitment to our vision of delivering world-class training in areas such as AI, digital, and leadership. This is an exciting time of growth, with new positions being created to support the future operating model.

Government Skills, Design and Delivery Team

The Design and Delivery Team, within Government Skills, exists to curate, design and deliver high quality learning opportunities that equip civil servants with the skills and knowledge they need to deliver excellent public services. The Design and Delivery Team operates flexibly, and learning designers are expected to lead and contribute to multiple projects, offering excellent developmental opportunities.

Digital, Data, Innovation and AI (DDI & AI) Team

Digital transformation, including AI, is both a defining challenge for our generation and a vital opportunity for the state. DDI & AI capabilities underpin much of the government’s wider transformation, and the DDI & AI team drives the strategic vision to embed these critical skills across government. We are a dynamic and fast-growing team with a remit to improve DDI&AI capability in non-digital specialists across all government departments. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of the team that is delivering at pace on top government priorities.

Job description

As the Head of Strategy and Engagement, you will lead on the design and delivery of a long-term, high-impact and adaptive vision for the DDI&AI team that responds effectively to the ever-changing digital and political landscape. You will align team strategies with the priorities of stakeholders across government while building a robust strategic planning capability. By driving horizon-scanning and engagement across industry, academia, and government, you will identify and address emerging skills gaps, ensuring civil servants possess the essential skills to modernise public service delivery. Precise responsibilities may evolve over time.

Key responsibilities:

• Define and deliver a high-impact vision and strategy for the DDI&AI team, to ensure civil servants have the skills they need to modernise service delivery and improve outcomes for the public
• Creating a supportive, high performance environment as a key member of the DDI&AI Senior Leadership Team.
• Ensure alignment with government priorities and wider objectives of the Cabinet office, DSIT / GDS and across the Civil Service
• Lead the development of a strategic planning capability to develop and coordinate delivery of DDI&AI’s strategy
• Embed a longer term strategic view, with the ability to influence and respond to external change
• Lead DDI&AI’s strategic engagement activity (in partnership with Gov Skills Comms & Engagement), building strong, trusting relationships across government, industry, academia and international stakeholders.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of developments in the DDI&AI sector including horizon-scanning and managing priorities to address emerging skills gaps
• Drive the DDI&AI contribution to strategic business planning processes
• Lead on drafting and sign-off of high quality policy positions and ministerial submissions
• Lead on business case creation including stakeholder engagement and approvals.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Proven leadership capability, including building and developing high-performing teams and setting clear direction in ambiguity.
• Strong strategic thinking, with experience of defining and delivering multi-year strategies that incorporate delivery reality, user needs and organisational priorities.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into meaningful, easily understood narratives to persuade and influence a broad range of senior stakeholders including ministers
• Ability to nurture productive collaborative and trusting relationships across a broad and complex landscape, commanding the confidence of internal and external stakeholders and partners at all levels, working towards strategic objectives.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience in capability or learning design & delivery
• Experience in digital, data, innovation or AI

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £71,734, Cabinet Office contributes £20,781 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application form you will be asked to submit:

• A CV
• 750 word Personal Statement/Statement of suitability setting out how you meet the criteria in the person specification.
• 250 word statement detailing an example of the lead behaviour, Seeing the bi