Director of Rewiring the State

Reporting jointly to the Head of Policy Unit and the No10 North Deputy Chief of Staff, the role holder will play a pivotal role in advising the Prime Minister and shaping Government-wide policymaking. This is a high-profile role requiring policy expertise, political judgement, strong relationship skills and the tenacity to drive for outcomes in a high-pressure environment.

The role holder will:

- Be the principal political adviser to the Prime Minister on Rewiring the State across devolution, state, electoral and constitutional policy, working closely with relevant ministers and their political teams. - Be responsible for policy areas including decentralisation, local government, state reform, the Union and devolved governments, and political reform. - Work closely with policy colleagues across No10 North and the First Secretary to steer the work in line with the Prime Minister’s agenda, as well as mayoral offices and local authority leaders. - Be line managed by the No10 North-based Deputy Chief of Staff, consulting them on policy development while taking overall responsibility for the performance and delivery of the pillar. - Lead a cross-functional team of special advisers, officials and data scientists. - Work closely with departments and colleagues across No10 to ensure the execution of policy that meets the Prime Minister’s ambitions, while seeking regular challenge from external policy thinkers. - Lead policy engagement with a wide range of relevant stakeholders externally, ensuring strong relationships are built with local leaders, combined authorities and external partners to support coalition building and delivery of the Government’s priorities working with relevant colleagues in No 10 including the Priority Execution, Engagement, Business and Political teams.

Person criteria

The role holder will have:

- Deep expertise in policy relating to Rewiring the State, with a strong understanding of the opportunities, complexities and political considerations across these portfolios and their role in delivering the Government’s priorities. - Extensive experience of leading policy development and delivery in a high-profile environment or complex organisation, with a strong track record of driving policy impact, securing tangible outcomes, and translating strategic priorities into action. - Excellent political judgement, policy expertise and creativity, with a ‘can-do’ approach to problem-solving and the ability to identify opportunities, navigate risks and unlock barriers to delivery. - The credibility, gravitas and judgement to operate effectively and build influential relationships at the highest levels of government, working confidently across departments and engaging with the Prime Minister, ministers, senior officials and external stakeholders to drive progress on priority issues. - Strong personal drive and resilience, with a track record of leading through ambiguity, pressure and change, while maintaining focus on delivery and results. - Demonstrable relationship skills and inclusive leadership, with a track record of fostering collaboration, building trust and developing high-performing teams to deliver results in complex, ambiguous and pressurised environments with resilience, empathy and integrity.

Additional information

The salary for this role will fall within Pay Band Four.

This role is based in No10 North, with travel as required. This is not a civil service recruitment process and the final appointment decision rests with the appointing Minister.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Data sent to this address will be retained during the recruitment process and then deleted.

How to apply

Email [email removed - click apply for more details] by COP 13 November with your CV and a 1,000-word personal statement explaining why you are the best person for the job. Please use the email subject line ‘[Rewiring the State] Full Name Job application’.