Corporate Policy Officers

Corporate Policy Officer (2 positions available)

Salary and grade: £42,575 - £48,530 from April 2024, Grade 6
Duration of role: Permanent
Hours per week: 37 (Full time)
Location: The designated office base is Abbey House, Abingdon. The councils operate in a truly flexible and hybrid way where the focus is on outcomes, not where you work.
Closing date: 22 April 2024
About the role and what we’re looking for:
The Insight and Policy Team is a successful, ambitious, and growing hub of expertise which supports South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse to thrive by:
• articulating our councils’ ambitions
• providing engaging insights which drives evidence-based decision making
• brokering insights, evidence, and ideas into, and out of, the organisation including responding to consultations
Some recent examples of what this work means in practice include securing multi-million pound funding to decarbonise our leisure centres, forecasting potential housing need arising from the Homes for Ukraine programme, using Census data to update understanding of community needs, and writing the Corporate Plan.
Our Corporate Policy Officers are a critical role in the team, reporting directly to the team leader. Together with a data analyst, researcher and a support officer we will deliver our ambitions to the highest quality possible, often on a tight turn-around. This work involves a wide range of skills and backgrounds but above all we are looking for people who are skilled at building relationships, presenting complicated ideas simply, bringing a positive attitude to change and managing competing demands. If you are committed to high quality work, and are ready for an exciting new challenge, this could be the role for you.
Main duties and responsibilities:
• Creating and managing project plans, ensuring actions are completed to deadline, reporting to the team leader on any overdue or delayed outcomes.
• Organise project management, consultant and stakeholder meetings, and attend such meetings update project plans as required.
• Produce progress reports for the team leader as required.
• Prepare presentations and papers for formal meetings.
• Organise and support public and consultation events as required.
• Liaise with officers from partner councils, as relevant.
• General administration, project work and policy that supports the smooth running of the Insight and Policy service.
• Any other duties that are commensurate with the role and functions of the team.
Detailed insight and policy responsibilities:
• The identification, collation, analysis and presentation of data from a range of sources in order to inform, influence and guide our critical programmes towards achieving our corporate objectives
• Using technology to capture data and present this clearly with infographics
• Carry out desk-based research, data analysis and literature reviews to help inform research priorities and policy development
• Contribute to our evidence base, helping to ensure it remains a relevant and credible source of knowledge and a robust platform for the development of Corporate Policy
• Working with teams across the organisation to provide advice, keep abreast of the external landscape
• Working with the external funding officer to identify potential sources of funding that helps deliver corporate plan
• Working with relevant service areas and developing projects that might be eligible for funding
The duties may vary from time to time without changing the nature of the post or the level of responsibility and the post holder may also be required to carry out any other duties appropriate to the grading of the post.
About you
• Fluent in use of IT systems, in particular excel, word, and powerpoint
• Experienced and skilled in project management, policy, and strategy development
• Excellent writing skills, numeracy and project management skills
• Well organised, completer finisher
• Confident and outgoing, able to liaise effectively with people at senior level in organisations
• Flexible approach, able to pick up new tasks quickly using own initiative
Your essential qualifications
• Educated to degree level or an equivalent level of experience
• Capability and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends
If you have the following experience or qualifications – it’s a bonus
• Experience of using technology to analyse data and bring policy insights to an organisation or place
• Skills in presenting data simply using infographics and mapping
The benefits we offer
• A basic 25 days annual leave per annum, rising to 30 days after five years. You also have all the bank holidays to look forward to and time off between Christmas and New Year.
• Flexible working and annualised hours – a flexible approach to work that our employees love!
• Salary pay awards – most jobs give scope for a pay increase after six months or the following April (depending on your start date) and we also review salaries each April.
• A generous career average pension scheme which includes life insurance of three times your salary.
• The opportunity to purchase a bike through Cyclescheme (cheaper than directly through a store).
• Various schemes to keep you healthy (reduced gym membership, free swims, free eye tests for DSE users and more).
• Two days per year to volunteer within the local community.
• A range of resources, support, and activities to help you maintain your wellbeing including a monthly wellbeing hour in addition to annualised hours (the ability to work flexibly as long as, over the course of the year, you complete your contracted hours).
You may have experience in the following: Policy Officer, Policy Analyst, Policy Coordinator, Strategy Officer, Insight Analyst, Public Policy Specialist, Corporate Strategy Analyst, Project Manager, Policy Advisor, Research Analyst, Policy Development Officer, Strategy Coordinator, Public Affairs Officer, etc.
REF-212 621