Policy Analyst

Title: Policy Analyst
Contract Type: Permanent

Location: West Ham Lane, London, E15 or Sale, Manchester, M33

Persona: Agile                                                                           

Salary: London starting from £37,715 / Manchester starting from £33,272 depending on experience and location

Closing date for completed applications:  10 March 2024
Interviews will be held on: 22/24 March 2024

Early applications are encouraged as we reserve the right to close the advertisement and interview earlier than stated.

Policy Analyst - Role Profile.docx

We are looking for a senior level, experienced, and capable Policy Analyst to work within L&Q’s Strategy, Planning and Change team, part of L&Q’s Governance and Transformation Executive Directorate.

They will join an agile, high-performing and values driven team at the heart of L&Q, looking to further mature our approach to policy development and the delivery of cross organisational policy review projects. They will lead the drafting of operational policies in a clear, concise and accessible manner and work with colleagues to ensure they are implemented effectively to ensure compliance across the organisation.  

Our Corporate Strategy highlighted our priorities as well as how these will be underpinned through ‘operational excellence’. For L&Q, this means delivering the best total cost solution for our customers through reliable, consistent and repeatable products and services.  We want our customers to know what to expect of us, and know that we will deliver on this, time and time again.

Looking at this role, they play a critical part in helping us achieve the following strategic objectives:

• To embed our group-wide policy development framework
• To establish and fully implement a new controls and assurance framework providing stronger assurance and better visibility of overall compliance.

The successful candidate will be someone who is naturally analytical, who is highly capable, and experienced in influencing at a senior level, extremely competent at communication and engagement.

They will be responsible for:

•  Applying their technical expertise to support our response to external policy influences on customer and operational matters, and will also contribute to provide timely insight on wider policy matters affecting L&Q; ensuring we are anticipating and interpreting likely implications, and are at the heart of influencing external policy decision making.
• Working with the Interim Head of Risk and Assurance in the delivery of the Policy Development and Policy Assurance frameworks and approach, contributing to its implementation in other policy and operational teams across L&Q, looking continually improve their effectiveness and use.
• Acting as a central point of technical knowledge and expertise on policy matters particularly relating to our customers and our business operations.
• Establishing mechanisms to provide data and insight on our compliance, and opportunities for continuous improvement, improving the management and reporting on policy assurance activities.

We seek an established and experienced senior individual able to use their skills to bring stakeholders and teams together to define and then deliver brilliant outcomes for colleagues and residents alike.

As such, the key skills required include, but are not limited to;

Policy development and review

Able to draws on research and analysis of the external influences and trends over L&Q’s operations, and other internal factors and influences, and translates these into policies that support L&Q’s focus on delivering operationally excellent products and services for customers. Ensuring policies provide an effective guiderail to enable the delivery of legally compliant ways of working and approaches, that are both commercially and operationally practicable.

Analytical and problem solving skills

Highly analytical, with proven ability to use data and insight to diagnose cause, impact, effect, and identify potential actions.  Able to root cause analyse a problem, spot patterns, identify potential solutions.

Communications and influencing

Strong communication and influencing skills at all levels, internally and externally – able to convey complex issues simply, influence effectively, and get others on board, including at senior management levels.

Excellent written communication - reports, presentations and other written material - Essential

The ability to present sometimes complex messaging, concepts, data, policy matters in compelling, easy to consume formats.

Stakeholder management  

Experience in working with a cross section of internal and external stakeholders, forming excellent working relationships, with a focus on providing the best services for our customers.

If you are interested in this role and have the experience required, then apply without delay!

At the foundation of everything that we do are our corporate values and associated behaviours. Our organisational behavioural framework outlines the core expectations of all employees, which should be demonstrated at all times when representing L&Q.   More information about L&Q’s values can be found on our website and a copy of our behavioural framework can be provided on request.

Our commitments

At L&Q, people are at the heart of our business and our success depends on employing the best people and getting the best from them.  This is why we are committed to developing our people. It's only by investing in a well-trained and motivated workforce that we can continue to prosper and sustain business success.

In addition to our support and training, the successful candidate will have access to our full suite of benefits including 26 days holiday rising to 31 days with length of service, annual bonus subject to group performance, excellent Pension scheme, Benenden Healthcare, an employee assistance programme and non-contributory life assurance.

We are committed to supporting your work-life balance and recognise the changing demands and circumstances in life.  Please let us know during the recruitment process if you’re interested in part time working or job sharing.  In addition, should your circumstances change once you have joined L&Q, you can also request flexible working arrangements, e.g. a change to working hours - if it’s feasible then we’ll make it happen.

We are recognised externally for our commitment to inclusion.  We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident (Committed) employer and have signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge to demonstrate our commitment to end mental health discrimination in the workplace.

We expect all of our employees to support our environmental policy and social responsibility work. We are an employer committed to environmental and social responsibility.

L&Q is a regulated charitable housing association and one of the UK’s most successful independent social businesses. The L&Q Group houses around 250,000 people in more than 97,000 homes, primarily across London and the South East.

As a charitable organisation, our role goes beyond providing homes and housing services. We are a long-term partner in the neighbourhoods where we work. We hope to build aspiration, opportunity and confidence in our communities through our £250 million L&Q Foundation and our skills academy.

In response to the housing and affordability crisis, we will build 100,000 new homes over ten years. Of these, 60,000 homes will be built or funded by L&Q, whilst a further 40,000 will come through partnerships. Crucially, at least 50% of these new homes will be genuinely affordable, with a target of 60% in London.

Our vision is that everyone has a quality home they can afford, and we combine our social purpose with commercial drive to create homes and neighbourhoods everyone can be proud of.