Corporate Strategy & Policy Manager

• Based at County Hall, Taunton. Flexible / Hybrid working by agreement.
• 33 days’ annual leave.
• Working within our Assurance, Performance and Risk team, this is a new and pivotal role, where the postholder will work closely with senior leaders, and across a range of services, to ensure the effective development and integration of strategies and policies into the Council’s operations.

Somerset Council is on a mission to redefine how local government works – driven by data, powered by digital, and designed around people.

We are seeking a confident and experienced Corporate Policy & Strategy Manager to lead the development , implementation and evaluation of corporate strategies and policies that are fundamental to the achieving the Council’s strategic goals and ambitions.

Your day-today work will involve:

• Developing and managing the Council’s Strategy and Policy Library.
• Ensuring the alignment of strategies and policies with the Council Plan, working closely with senior leaders to ensure strategies and policies are collectively coherent and aligned.
• Providing advice, guidance and support on the development of strategies and policies.
• Monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of policies, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and identifying and sharing learning
• Working closely with services to ensure the effective integration of policies across the Council.
• Drafting policy briefings for senior colleagues and elected members.
• Undertaking horizon scanning and conducting research into strategy and policy development, presenting reports to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Contributing to the development and delivery of the Council’s Transformation agenda – Inspiring Innovation.

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be.  But it will really help if you have:

• Experience in a strategic planning or policy development role.
• Experience in conducting research and analysis, and using networking to inform strategy and policy development.
• Experience in undertaking critical evaluation of the effectiveness of policies and their integration into business operations.
• Knowledge of strategic planning and policy development.
• Experience in preparing reports and presentations for a range of stakeholders
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively.
• A passion for learning and continuous improvement to help the organisation challenge itself to rethink the way we’ve always done things.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave.
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more.

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Sarah Hawkins, Head of Assurance, Performance & Risk, sarah.hawkins@somerset.gov.uk, 07828258506.

Interviews will take place week commencing 11^th August.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.