Vacancy: Head of Policy and Public Affairs
Job title: | Head of Policy and Public Affairs |
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Salary: | £50,000 - £55,000 p.a. |
Location: | Field based |
Contract Type: | Permanent |
We are now recruiting for a Head of Policy and Public Affairs, on a permanent contract, working full-time, in a field based role.
About the role
The Head of Policy and Public Affairs ensures that BCS' policy and stakeholder engagement is joined up and effective across our strategic aims; these include influence, public benefit, convening expertise and supporting the development of the profession.
This is a leadership role which works with the executive team, senior leaders and senior volunteers to build support for our policy aims and for BCS’ mission to make information technology good for society.
The Head of Policy supports and advises the Director of Communications to ensure BCS’ research, policy positions, key messages and expertise are understood and supported across a range of external stakeholders and forums. Stakeholders include government departments, MPs, civil servants, special advisers and public and private sector organisations. Key channels the role will work through include cross-sector policy groups, APPGs; parliamentary launches, receptions and roundtables; written policy papers and consultation responses, speeches and briefings.
The role will also take a lead in ensuring that the organisation is informed about current and approaching policy changes to inform strategic decision making to safeguard our relevance, impact and market offer.
The role holder will be skilled at managing complex stakeholder environments, work with exemplary tact and diplomacy and be comfortable and credible at senior leadership level. They should also be able to balance and activate the expertise of our members across a variety of channels.
Key responsibilities:
- Integrate and align policy influence and stakeholder engagement across the three BCS Management Directorates (MDs) of Institute; Education and Public Benefit; and Learning and Development.
- Support the executive team and other relevant directors to manage and activate key policy themes within their spheres, for example, support for Chartered status, the value of membership, growing and broadening computing education, diversity and inclusion, digital skills, ethical practice.
- Support BCS Boards (including Influence Board, Fellows Technical Advisory Group (F-TAG), Community Board, Council, Trustee Board) and Specialist Groups to contribute effectively to BCS’ policy and stakeholder engagement, with the aims of promoting the value and social impact of membership.
- Cultivate external relationships – and support executive team to cultivate external relationships – that allow us to anticipate, influence and react to policy changes for the strategic benefit of the Institute.
- Map, grow and health-check influential relationships with external policy-related stakeholders; in particular, relationships with policymakers, tech sector representative organisations, civil servants and parliamentarians, to ensure BCS becomes the ‘go to’ professional body for thought leadership on societal information technology issues.
- Ensure BCS’ policy priorities and positions on current topics are aligned with our PR, media relations and social media activity, through regular meetings with key internal teams and regular observations of published outputs.
- Represent BCS as a spokesperson in external forums at senior level (e.g. APPG Roundtables, government department workshops) to communicate the organisation’s priorities, increasing their profile, comprehension and support amongst key stakeholders and enhance our reputation.
- Lead the production of high quality, impactful policy content to inform and steer purposeful debate and raise BCS’ reputation. Specifically, lead the production of relevant pro-active position papers and responses to government consultations, in partnership with key senior BCS leaders, relevant members and external stakeholders.
- Advise CEO and deputise for Directors at senior leadership team meetings as required.
- Continually monitor and assess impact of policy activity against agreed team KPIs, as well as regularly reviewing processes, practices and outcomes to ensure quality of service and make recommendations for ongoing improvements.
Who are we looking for?
- Degree or higher (or equivalent); academic experience of working with original research, interpreting data, politics and public affairs is advantageous.
- Significant experience of operating in sensitive/complex environments, with demonstrable multiple stakeholder management
- Significant experience of working with government departments, members of parliament and their advisers
- Proven experience of report writing, dealing with technical/policy and societal issues
- Significant administrative experience
- Proven experience of management of staff and programmes in a complex and fluid environment
- Proven experience of working closely with marketing, PR and Communications teams to align and amplify their activity
- Proven ability to identify and develop business opportunities
- Proven experience at developing external stakeholder relations, including with senior business leaders, academics and policy makers
- Able to manage own workload, take initiative, prioritise under pressure, research and follow through to task completion
- Project management
- Ability to think strategically and deliver project goals, producing results to deadlines within short timeframes
- Ability to establish and maintain working relationships particularly with volunteers, maintaining a presence and the ability to build close-knit stakeholder relationships within and outside the organisation
- Very high level of excellence in written communication in the form of reports, position statements etc. presenting evidence and rational argument in a compelling/creative way
- Budgetary and process management capability
- Leadership and influencing skills
- Enquiring and questioning with a sensitivity and awareness of political issues
- Facility with office applications, social media and web applications
- Familiarity with public policy issues affecting the technology sector
- Familiarity with the challenges and opportunities for technology and technology professionals in sectors such as health and care, education
- Familiarity with the workings of parliamentary systems across the UK and of how to work through a range of channels to influence on BCS’ behalf.
- Frequent work outside normal office hours; weekly travel within UK (largely around London, especially to Westminster and BCS’ London office in Moorgate, as well as to our Swindon office). Some overnight stays, which can be expensed. Possible international travel on a very infrequent basis.
BCS is dedicated to providing training and development to help all staff realise their potential, and also offer a generous benefit package.
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT are committed to promoting equality at every opportunity as an employer. This statement and our policies are designed to ensure our recruitment and employment practices and procedures actively promote equality of opportunity and value diversity.
All applicants must be eligible to work in the UK upon application.
PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy may be removed before any listed closing date once a sufficient amount of applications have been received.
In the event that we receive a high number of applications for this vacancy, we may be unable to provide an individual response to every candidate, therefore if you haven’t heard back from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion.
What BCS offers in return
Remuneration
£50,000 - £55,000 per annum
Benefits and perks
From Day One (pre-probation)
- 23 days holiday per year increasing to a maximum of 27 days with length of service.
- A day off on or during the month of your birthday.
- Up to 3 extra paid days off during shutdown between Christmas and New Year.
- Free BCS membership giving you invaluable membership resources.
- The Social Club – events and subsidised trips open to all employees.
- Refer a Friend – If you ‘refer a friend’ for a role at BCS and they are successful, you would receive £750 after 6 months and further £750 after 12 months (conditions apply)
- Life Insurance paid at four times base salary from day one.
- Group Income Protection Insurance – an insurance which will pay a percentage of your salary for up to 3 years in the event of a long-term illness preventing you from working. This benefit is subject to a claim assessment and only payable if certain conditions are met.
- BCS Stars – the internal recognition scheme based on the company values. Employees can be nominated across the business to earn points to spend on an online shopping platform.
- EAP – Employee Assistance Programme (Counselling, financial and legal advice).
Post probation
- Holiday buying scheme
- Private medical insurance
- Health cash plan