Smarter Regulation Senior Policy Lead

This is an exciting time to join the newly-created Smarter Regulation Directorate in the Department for Business and Trade. It was formed following the recent merger of the Better Regulation Executive and Brexit Opportunities Unit within the Competition, Markets, and Regulatory Reform Group. Its mission is to work to ensure that the UK’s regulatory approach is proportionate, targeted, transparent and optimised to support innovation and maximise growth, delivering better outcomes for the economy and society.

We are a friendly and inclusive directorate with a range of exciting policies. Our work underpins the government’s ambitions to reform the regulatory agenda. It’s ambitious, high-profile and of significant interest to the Secretary of State, Ministers and senior officials across government.

This advert is for three G7 roles across the Smarter Regulation Directorate.

We are recruiting for a role in the Regulatory Engagement and Operations team, leading on reviews of regulators duties, developing an understanding of current duties and identifying potential areas where these could be strengthened​. The role will also lead on landscape mapping of the largest regulators and duties​.

Another role in the Better Regulation Framework (BRF) team. The BRF helps ensure that new regulations are proportionate and that there is robust evidence to justify any necessary costs to business, consumers, and wider impacts. The role is to lead on sponsorship of the Regulatory Policy Committee, external engagement on the BRF, and policy work for how key elements of the BRF could be applied to regulators.

We are also recruiting for a role in the Policy Reform team. The team works with all departments across Whitehall to drive the ambition and delivery of regulatory reform opportunities to facilitate business growth. This post-holder will be responsible for a specific portfolio and will support departments in policy development and delivery.

The Smarter Regulation Directorate is seeking dynamic and enthusiastic individuals to lead on policy development. The roles offer significant policy and strategy leadership, with excellent exposure to Ministers and opportunities to work with a wide range of stakeholders, including at very senior levels, across government, regulators and externally.

All roles will involve line management of one SEO, but this may be subject to change and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For the Regulatory Engagement and Operations team role, you will:

• Lead reviews of regulator duties, developing an understanding of current duties and identifying potential areas where these could be strengthened​.
• Conduct landscape mapping of the largest regulators and duties​.
• Work to support development of impactful policy options to bring consistency and performance management, entrenching Smarter Regulation principles into regulators, including innovation, alternatives and risk​.
• Work across Whitehall with other government departments to understand shared regulatory challenges and how they interact with the regulators that they sponsor.

For the Better Regulation Framework (BRF) team role, you will:

• Lead on Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) Sponsorship – including governance, appointments, management of government’s relationship with the RPC Chair and members, including response to public policy positions expressed by the RPC, regular briefings for Ministers and senior officials for meetings with the RPC and Chair.
• Lead on external engagement for the newly reformed BRF – including proactive and reactive communications with stakeholders on the reforms, including policy advice.
• Lead on complex policy work for how key elements of the BRF could be applied to regulators. This includes development and implementation of policy options and reactive and pro-active engagement with key senior stakeholders around these.

For the Policy Reform team role, you will:

• Be responsible for key policy themes of the Smarter Regulation Programme, working across Whitehall to drive delivery and progress and supporting departments in delivering ambitious plans for both Retained EU Law and wider domestic regulatory reform. This may involve independently challenging departmental policy and analysis and providing advice on feasibility and announcement of key reforms.
• Build collaborative relationships with policy colleagues across the Department for Business and Trade, Cabinet Office, and Number 10, government departments and regulators.
• Work across government and closely with Ministers to deliver regular announcements on regulatory reform opportunities. This will include supporting Ministers with external business engagement and internal ministerial meetings and work closely across the team and with Private Office to update Ministers on progress of the programme.