Head of Policy and Strategy

Head of Policy and Strategy

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 17th March 2025

Location - Manchester / London

Salary - £59,003 - £79,556 + benefits (including a Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%)

Contract type - 2-year fixed term contract

Our client leads the Government's work on the future governance of football. At present, the dedicated team comprises over thirty members of staff, led by an interim Chief Operating Officer, undertaking a range of activities in preparation for passage of the Football Governance Bill, which is currently in Parliament.

The dedicated team within our client is responsible for setting up the Independent Football Regulator. It is ensuring the regulator has the right skills, governance and corporate functions so it can start work as soon as possible after the Bill receives Royal Assent.

This post, and its recruitment, is dependent on progress of the Bill, and the intention is for this role to transfer to the Regulator once it's legally established. Please note that the Independent Football Regulator will be based in Greater Manchester, but an exact location has yet to be determined.

Job description

Our client is looking for an exceptional candidate to lead the Policy and Strategy function in the IFR, delivering smooth implementation of the regulatory framework as the organisation takes shape and develops its core regulatory functions.

The Policy and Strategy team s role is to develop the regulatory tools, policies and frameworks needed to make the new regulatory regime a success, including policy consultations, licence conditions, rules and guidance.

Operating across a wide range of policy topics including financial regulation, licensing, fan engagement and corporate governance you will be expected to set direction and lead your team towards strong policy outcomes, working collaboratively with football stakeholders to deliver the intent of the Football Governance Bill.

The successful candidate will play a crucial role in setting the regulatory strategy for the IFR, helping the board and other decision makers set clear goals and deliver robust and evidence-based decisions.

Person specification

Essential Requirements:

• Expertise in regulatory design with significant experience of implementing new regulatory regimes and / or setting regulatory strategies.
• Visible and effective leadership of a policy and strategy function, with the ability to build and develop capability.
• Demonstrating sound judgement and ability to reach evidence-based decisions, balancing a range of considerations and complex sources of information to ensure legally defensible outcomes.
• Strong delivery capability, successfully delivering at pace in a complex, uncertain and high-risk project / programme environment.
• Ability to lead your team s engagement with a wide range of stakeholders to influence good policy outcomes on multiple issues.

Desirable Skills:

• Expertise in financial regulation in other regulated sectors.
• Knowledge of the football pyramid.

Alongside your salary of £59,003, our client contributes £17,093 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Our client values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works there. They re committed to developing talent and supporting colleagues to have great careers in their department. To support with that, some of the benefits they offer include:

• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working - Their staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home
• 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years service
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice
• 3 days of paid volunteering leave
• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year
• Occupational sick pay
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice
• Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks
• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day-to-day work
• Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!