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 2026 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.

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.

Further information

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

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

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

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. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk .

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

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.

Feedback

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 security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window) .

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and