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 big picture.

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 – w/c 7 September
• Expected interview date/s – Between w/c 21 September onwards

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website .

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years’ UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website .

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs @cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of