Strategy & Engagement Lead

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 small, 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.

As Strategy and Engagement Lead, you will support the Head of Strategy and Engagement on the design and delivery of a long-term, high-impact and adaptive vision for the DDI&AI team, as well as supporting the delivery of a robust strategic planning capability. Through horizon-scanning and engagement across industry, academia, and government, you will identify and manage risks relating to strategic objectives and maintain up-to-date knowledge of sector developments. Precise responsibilities may evolve over time.

Job description

Key responsibilities:

• Co-develop a strategic planning capability to develop and coordinate delivery of DDI&AI’s multi-year strategy and overall vision
• Identify, own and manage risks for development and delivery of DDI&AI strategic objectives
• Manage key relationships with capability leads across the directorate and beyond
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of developments in the DDI&AI sector
• Draft high-quality policy positions and ministerial submissions, brief senior leaders, and oversee final outputs
• Lead the creation of business cases, managing stakeholder inputs and the approvals process
• Collaborate with the evidence and impact team to evaluate both process and impact, and measure progress towards strategic objectives.

Person specification

Essential:

• Experience of developing and delivering strategic objectives and priorities.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across boundaries and with senior civil service leaders.
• Ability to manage complex projects and deliver outcomes effectively on time and budget.
• Understanding of evaluation best practice, and measuring and enabling progress towards strategic objectives
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor communications to a range of stakeholders and audiences.

Desirable:

• 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 £59,207, Cabinet Office contributes £17,152 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 essential criteria in the person specification.
• 250 word statement detailing an example of the lead behaviour, Seeing the big picture.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Seeing the big picture. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.

Selection process

Applicants who pass the sift will be invited to interview. The interview will consist of questions to assess the candidates against the Civil Service Behaviours of:

• Seeing the big picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making effective decisions
• Changing & improving

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – 17 September 2026 onwards

Expected interview date/s – w/c 5 October 202