Head of Policy
Hybrid working, two days per week in one of three hubs (London, Birmingham, Leeds), three days remote
£52,000 – £57,000 per annum (pro-rata) + benefits
Immediate or as soon as possible start
Contract to end of year / early January, possibility of permanent. Full time or part time (min 0.8 FTE) considered
Consultancy arrangements also considered at £250 - £350 per day
Closing: 10am, Friday 12th August
Interviews (online): Thursday 18th and Friday 19th August
£52,000 – £57,000 per annum (pro-rata) + benefits
Immediate or as soon as possible start
Contract to end of year / early January, possibility of permanent. Full time or part time (min 0.8 FTE) considered
Consultancy arrangements also considered at £250 - £350 per day
Closing: 10am, Friday 12th August
Interviews (online): Thursday 18th and Friday 19th August
Youth Futures Foundation
Youth Futures Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organisation established in December 2019 to improve employment outcomes for young people from marginalised backgrounds. Youth Futures launched with an initial endowment of £90 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme and, in January 2022, the government announced that they had been allocated a further £20 million.
Youth Futures Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organisation established in December 2019 to improve employment outcomes for young people from marginalised backgrounds. Youth Futures launched with an initial endowment of £90 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme and, in January 2022, the government announced that they had been allocated a further £20 million.
Role:
Our client is looking for a Head of Policy to work closely with the Director of Engagement, the Head of Strategy & Partnerships, and other colleagues to support the development of and contribute to their evidence-based policy work. This is a pivotal role to help deliver the Youth Futures mission in a long term, sustainable way to improve the lives of this and future generations.
This is a role for a creative and visionary executive – with the ability and energy to think differently, to develop and implement cutting edge but practical solutions to a highly complex problem. You may not look or sound like a lot of policy people and they are not interested in who you know; they are looking for someone who understands what it’s like to struggle as a young person - either firsthand or through the experiences of family or community. You will be highly driven and bring a fierce commitment to supporting young people towards and into work, a passion and flair for building relationships with a wide range of people (including across senior leaders in Whitehall and big business), the ability to learn new things quickly to keep up with rapid policy changes, and a talent for building alliances between diverse groups of people.
The ideal candidate will be able to apply their excellent knowledge of policy areas such as children and young people, employment or social justice. They will demonstrate a proven ability to synthesise and communicate complex policy issues. They will possess strong organisational, relationship-building, project management, report writing and influencing skills, as well as a proven background of problem-solving and involvement in large-scale projects.
They are looking for someone who will be adept at identifying, augmenting, and championing effective approaches to getting young people into work, from national policy ideas to city wide partnerships or scalable local projects. Ideas may come through their portfolio of grantees (led by the Director of Grants and Investment), research into what works (led by the Director of Impact & Evidence), or through applying insights and learnings from practical discovery and co-creation with key external stakeholders. Using these insights to develop new concepts and build a groundswell of support for change will be key to transforming the youth employment ecosystem.
Key areas of focus for the interim post-holder:
Our client is looking for a Head of Policy to work closely with the Director of Engagement, the Head of Strategy & Partnerships, and other colleagues to support the development of and contribute to their evidence-based policy work. This is a pivotal role to help deliver the Youth Futures mission in a long term, sustainable way to improve the lives of this and future generations.
This is a role for a creative and visionary executive – with the ability and energy to think differently, to develop and implement cutting edge but practical solutions to a highly complex problem. You may not look or sound like a lot of policy people and they are not interested in who you know; they are looking for someone who understands what it’s like to struggle as a young person - either firsthand or through the experiences of family or community. You will be highly driven and bring a fierce commitment to supporting young people towards and into work, a passion and flair for building relationships with a wide range of people (including across senior leaders in Whitehall and big business), the ability to learn new things quickly to keep up with rapid policy changes, and a talent for building alliances between diverse groups of people.
The ideal candidate will be able to apply their excellent knowledge of policy areas such as children and young people, employment or social justice. They will demonstrate a proven ability to synthesise and communicate complex policy issues. They will possess strong organisational, relationship-building, project management, report writing and influencing skills, as well as a proven background of problem-solving and involvement in large-scale projects.
They are looking for someone who will be adept at identifying, augmenting, and championing effective approaches to getting young people into work, from national policy ideas to city wide partnerships or scalable local projects. Ideas may come through their portfolio of grantees (led by the Director of Grants and Investment), research into what works (led by the Director of Impact & Evidence), or through applying insights and learnings from practical discovery and co-creation with key external stakeholders. Using these insights to develop new concepts and build a groundswell of support for change will be key to transforming the youth employment ecosystem.
Key areas of focus for the interim post-holder:
- Horizon-scanning of the youth employment policy field – what opportunities are there to influence government on the youth employment agenda? Where are the key gaps where evidence is needed?
- Analysing national departmental positions / priorities (particularly Cabinet Office, Treasury, DCMS, DWP, DfE) – on policy, delivery/commissioning priorities.
- Understanding /mapping local LWP/LA landscape .
- Mapping the funding landscape (e.g. Shared Prosperity Fund)
- Devolution (e.g. Adult Education Budget, Levelling up)
- Landscape mapping of cross departmental work (for example, the evaluation task force).
Candidate:
Please see the full Job Description for further details.
- Significant experience in a senior policy role in a relevant organisation, such as youth opportunities, employment support or a relevant government department
- A demonstrable understanding of current key debates and priorities in the youth employment space
- With the ability to remain politically neutral, you will possess a deep understanding of the UK political environment and the operation of government gained in policy or influencing role within a comparable sector
- Demonstrable track record of solutions-oriented convening and partnership working
- Adept at identifying, augmenting, and championing effective approaches to getting young people into work, from national policy ideas to city wide partnerships or scalable local projects
- Significant experience of policy development and national level influencing in a complex multi- stakeholder environment
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills that cut through complexity and provide insight
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral
- Able to establish priorities and manage a complex workload to meet tight deadlines
- Good project management skills; ability to coordinate complex and multiple projects
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evidence-based, and applied environment.
Please see the full Job Description for further details.
As specialist recruiters we are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations, and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
To apply, please send a copy of your CV and a Personal Statement (max two sides of A4) to [email protected]
To apply, please send a copy of your CV and a Personal Statement (max two sides of A4) to [email protected]