Policy Advisor

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 336096**Salary**:

- £35,711 - £41,567- Leeds & Sheffield: Min £35,711, Max £36.545. London: Min £40,912, Max £41,567.**Job grade**:

- Higher Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- DWP - Policy Group**Type of role**:

- Policy**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 4Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Quarry House, Leeds LS2 7UA, Caxton House, 6-12 Tothill St, London, SW1H 9NA, King’s Court, Hanover Way, Sheffield, S3 7UFAbout the job

**Job summary**:
There are four HEO posts available in the Life Events and Disadvantage Division, within the Department for Work and Pensions’ Policy Group.

We are responsible for steering how Government supports some of the most vulnerable citizens in society, by making sure they get the financial and employment support they need to succeed. This is a fantastic opportunity for four motivated individuals to come and join us and help us make a difference to groups including prison leavers, those at risk of or experiencing homelessness and victims of modern slavery by improving access to benefits and ensuring there is a coherent end-to-end government offer.

We are responsible for work including DWP’s contribution to the cross-government drugs strategy, which stretches from advising Ministers and senior officials to managing contracts for peer mentors to help those dependent on drugs or alcohol overcome barriers to employment.

We are also responsible for the policy covering a series of benefits focused on supporting citizens through specific life events. These include Funeral Expenses Payment, the Sure Start Maternity Grant, Budgeting Loans and Cold Weather Payments - alongside Bereavement Benefits and Maternity Pay. This work is varied and can involve working to improve public-facing guidance and the claim process to changing policy through introducing new legislation.

All four of the roles on offer provide opportunities to develop strong stakeholder management skills. You will be expected to engage with a wide range of cross-departmental, cross-government and external stakeholders to develop and deliver key policy priorities. This will include regular engagement with Ministers and Senior Civil Servants.

You will be responsible for ensuring that policy intent is effectively delivered by internal partners (for example, Service Delivery), and for providing high-quality advice, information and draft responses to support a high-volume of Ministerial and cross-government business.

**Job description**:
Responsibilities may include:

- Line Management.
- Developing an understanding of the different disadvantaged groups and playing a role in driving strategic thinking on DWP’s future approach.
- Driving the development of new evidence-based policy options, whilst ensuring operational, financial, legal and communications issues and advice are fully considered.
- Working collaboratively to manage the delivery of a £4m project, building trusting relationships with external providers, assessing and influencing projects performance and overseeing the provider payment process.
- Working with internal and cross-government stakeholders to deliver policy changes when needed through changes to regulations or guidance.
- Providing high-quality briefings (including oral briefings) and submissions to Ministers and senior officials, and handling responses to PQs, correspondence and FOI requests.
- Drafting clear, concise and timely responses to Ministerial correspondence.
- Working collaboratively with others across DWP and Whitehall to understand, assess and gain consensus when developing and responding to calls for policy reform.
- Contributing to Government publications, responses and policy papers.
- Working with legal colleagues on Court Cases, preparing relevant Court documents and attending court hearings.
- Working collaboratively with Service Planning and Delivery and Operational colleagues to ensure policy intent is understood and delivered.
- Building effective relationships with analysts, operations, press office, lawyers, private office, Service Planning and Delivery, communications teams, other policy teams, OGDs and external stakeholders and providing expert advice on your policy areas.
- Working flexibly to provide support to team members across the Division.

**Please note** that one of the four roles is a programme management role and will involve analysing information provided by external providers and managing their performance. Project Management Office (PMO) experience would be desirable for this role.

**Person specification**:

- We would love to hear from people who are passionate about supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society and those going through specific life events.**Behaviours**:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: