Strategy Manager

Details
Reference number

437185

Salary

£59,234 - £67,940

GBP

Job grade

Other

Manager

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Policy

Strategy

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Manchester, North West England, M2 3AW

About the job
Job summary

The Independent Football Regulator

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has been established to protect and promote the sustainability of English football, for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve.

The IFR will help improve financial sustainability of clubs, ensure resilience across the leagues, and safeguard the heritage of English football. It will operate a licensing regime; set corporate governance standards and monitor, protect, and promote financial resilience. It will also enforce compliance with requirements on financial regulation, club ownership and directors, fan engagement, and heritage protection.

The IFR will also have powers to prohibit clubs from joining competitions that are not fair or meritocratic, or that threaten the heritage or sustainability of English football.

Job description

Responsibilities include:

• Lead the ongoing development and implementation of the Regulator's strategy.
• Lead the organisation's annual business planning cycle including reporting to CEO, Board, stakeholders and the public, contributing to the IFR's Annual Report.
• Provide high-quality analysis and advice to the CEO, Board and others on strategic issues – and lead or contribute to cross-cutting projects.
• Monitor external developments across football, sport, and the wider regulatory landscape to identify emerging risks, opportunities, and policy implications.
• Work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to further develop the Regulator's relationship with Government as a Non-Departmental Public Body.
• Line manage and develop team members, promoting a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture.

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Martyn Henderson, and will take place on:

• Monday 17th November at 1.30pm

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this form and you will be sent an invitation. The invites will be sent the night before the session. The sessions are not recorded.

Please note that the session will not focus on the IFR recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to

Person specification

Essential Requirements

• Proven experience in developing and delivering organisational or policy strategy in a complex or regulated environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex evidence and provide clear, strategic recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing high-quality papers and briefings for senior decision-makers.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build relationships across diverse groups.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams and lead projects that deliver measurable strategic outcomes.

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge of the football sector, its governance structures, and the challenges facing the game.
• Experience working within government, a regulator, or a public body on strategic or policy development.

Benefits

If successful you will join a Non Departmental Public Body and will be employed as a Public Servant.

If you are an existing Civil Servant or a DCMS employee you will no longer have access to Civil Service benefits including the Civil Service pension.

The terms and conditions of employment include:

• Pension 12% An employee contribution of 5%, with an employer contribution of 7%.
• Flexible Benefit 8% Employees can choose to invest 8% of their base salary into their pension, or take as cash (post tax)
• Reward we will have a performance based reward programme.
• 31.5 days annual leave
• Flexible and hybrid working, 40% in office attendance
• Occupational sick pay
• 9 months paid Maternity Leave + generous paternity and adoption leave.
• A bespoke L&D programme to help you achieve your personal CPD, including paid membership fees
• Cycle-to-work scheme and much more

Things you need to know
Selection process details

The Interview

The interview process will assess experience through competency questions and a presentation. Full details of this, including the topic, length of time, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview.

Prior to the interview you will be sent the competency questions in advance. The questions will be based on the essential criteria listed above

Your interview will take place remotely via Teams.

Further Information

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

The IFR has a location neutral pay scale. For more information on this, please see the 'Candidate Information Pack' attached.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. To request an adjustment, please email

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the 'contact point for applicants' section of the job advert.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check .

See our vetting charter .

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)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants
Job contact :

• Name : Joe Alford
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

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