28017 - Deputy Head, Operational Policy

Overview

The role of Deputy Head of Operational Policy is based at the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). The Public Guardian’s responsibilities include registering lasting powers of attorney, supervising the work of deputies and guardians of missing persons, and protecting people who lack the capacity to make decisions for themselves. The Public Guardian’s responsibilities extend across England and Wales.

This role will be vital in the delivery of policy changes that support the Public Guardian’s statutory duties and in taking forward the OPG's transformational activity, ensuring that policy changes are properly evidenced, have ministerial support and meet strategic goals.

The successful candidate will lead and manage a team of 5 policy staff, and will be responsible for initiating, evidencing and delivering policy changes that enhance or expand the Public Guardian’s role. They will also be responsible for ensuring that OPG takes forward its commitments to delivery of services in the Welsh language and that service delivery changes address the needs of Welsh customers. The role will lead key areas of transformation, working in multi-disciplinary teams on project delivery to ensure business changes are coordinated.

They will work collaboratively with operational staff within OPG and with wider policy colleagues across MoJ and the wider civil service on shared agendas.

Job Description, Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include any of the following:

Design and delivery of policy changes:

• Identifying the root of the issue to be tackled
• Consulting experts (e.g. analysts, economists, social researchers, lawyers), stakeholders and the public
• Developing and testing options for consideration
• Working with operational leads, project managers, communications and digital specialists to plan delivery and manage risks
• Preparing consultation documents, ministerial submissions and briefings, drafting answers to Parliamentary questions and MP and ministerial correspondence
• Representing OPG at a senior level in external meetings and networks
• Where necessary, managing changes to the law through the parliamentary process
• Ensuring engagement with the Welsh language Commissioner and Welsh government officials and that the impact of policy changes on devolved government and Wales is understood and addressed
• Drafting and publishing policies
• Working with operational leads on implementation of changes
• Evaluating the impact of changes once implemented

Leading and managing a policy team:

• Developing and maintaining workforce and learning and development plans, ensuring teams are adequately resourced to deliver priorities and business plan commitments to a high standard
• Develop OPG’s policy workplan in liaison with MOJ policy colleagues, allocating team resources to both OPG and joint projects
• Performance manage the team, set objectives and monitor own and team’s performance against agreed goals
• Act as the central source of expert advice on policy issues in OPG, ensuring the team’s compliance with policy principles
• Forge excellent relationships with other OPG teams including legal, operational, content, research, digital and stakeholder management, in order to work collaboratively to deliver results
• Work closely with other senior managers in the Strategy and Corporate Services Directorate to support the Deputy Director, Strategy and Corporate Services, ensuring adherence to budgets, financial and accounting rules, and co-ordinating delivery of business plan objectives and transformation change

The Deputy Head of Operational Policy is expected to display a commitment to change management and championing best practice. All those appointed to new roles in OPG must be wholeheartedly committed to these principles and evidence this in their application.

Strong leadership is a critical element of this role, as is the ability to prioritise and manage a workload, present recommendations and make effective decisions. As a Senior Leader within OPG the jobholder will be expected to take on delegated duties commensurate with the grade, including approving investigation reports on behalf of the Public Guardian.

As a Senior Policy Manager within OPG the jobholder must provide clear direction and focus, visibly championing the people elements of the policy changes.

The Senior Leadership Team expects all leaders within OPG to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to change through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a policy role
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong drafting skills to develop policy proposals that identify and explore a range of complex issues
• Developed leadership and managerial skills
• Developed awareness of the political and external environment
• Excellent stakeholder relationship skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Results focused and able to work under pressure.

Highly Desirable

• Knowledge of legislation relating to mental capacity and guardianship
• Experience of working in a transformational environment
• Understanding of project management

Application process

Candidates will be expected to provide a CV (2 pages of A4 maximum) plus a supporting statement of no more than 1000 words capturing evidence against the essential criteria as set out above.

At interview, candidates will also be tested against the following Civil Service Behaviours:

Seeing the Big Picture

Making effective decisions

Communicating and influencing

Changing and Improving

Working Together

Leadership

Interview process

Interviews will be undertaken using strength based analysis based on the above Civil Service Behaviours.