Senior Strategy Advisor

The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes:

• Developing and drafting legislation
• Providing legal advice on policies
• Securing our economic and trade relationships
• Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
• Providing the Civil Service’s employment law advice

 We are at the heart of delivering the Government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver.

GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery. 

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.  

To find out more about what we do visit the Government Legal Department’s webpage or have a look at this short film which showcases the breadth of work government lawyers and legal trainees are involved in.

About the Strategy Team (Corporate Resources Group)

The Strategy Team sits within the Strategy, People & Culture Directorate of the Corporate Resources Group. It exists to guide and evaluate the strategic direction of the department; to test policy initiatives and projects against strategic objectives; and to provide strategic oversight of issues impacting the strategic agenda and delivery.

This is a hardworking, enthusiastic and friendly team made up of colleagues with a range of experiences and backgrounds. The team support one another through periods of busy work, which the post holder should expect. Your main focus will be on supporting the Business Planning cycle within GLD which will involve contributing to its development, monitoring of its delivery and of its impact.

You will be joining the team at an exciting time: the organisation is developing a new Strategic Plan and the 2024-2025 Business Plan will identify the delivery required within the first year of that Strategy. The role is a great opportunity to be closely connected to strategic decision-making, engaging with senior stakeholders across GLD. This role will develop your strategic thinking and influencing skills, understanding of evaluation and governance, and enhance your planning and facilitative skills. It will also give you exposure to the exciting work that GLD lawyers do to deliver for Government.

The Role

Key responsibilities:

• Acting as lead coordinator for the business planning cycle, a key part of which involves supporting the development of GLD’s annual Business Plan, which sets out the priorities for the financial year ahead, and monitoring implementation throughout the year. This includes engaging with stakeholders and facilitating the identification of the required activities in support of key priorities, associated key performance indicators, measures and targets and resources required for delivery.
• Supporting the development and delivery of GLD’s strategic report – particularly through timely and accurate performance reporting with associated analysis and insight.
• Supporting the production of strategic delivery narrative for the annual report and supporting the monitoring and management of key risks owned within Strategy Team or owned by SPC Director, escalating appropriately where necessary.
• Advising and collaborating with colleagues across GLD on strategy development and implementation as required, helping to build organisational capability in this area.
• Supporting production of briefings and reports as required from the team.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across the department to identify and respond to changing priorities, in an efficient and timely manner.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues, and using own initiative, to drive continuous improvement – of products and processes – owned by the team.
• Actively promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and role modelling GLD’s Values and Behaviours.

This is an outline job description of the key responsibilities and accountabilities involved in the job. This is not an exhaustive list and the post holder may be expected to undertake any other duties across SPC, commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the necessary experience and/or training.

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profile that make up this role.

You will be expected to provide evidence to show how you meet the criteria at interview stage.

Delivering At Pace

• Show a positive approach to keeping the whole team’s efforts focused on the top priories.
• Promote a culture of following the appropriate procedures to ensure results are achieved on time whilst still enabling innovation.
• Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance.

Changing and Improving

• Work with others to identify areas for improvement and simplify processes to user fewer resources.
• Encourage ideas for change from a wide range of sources.
• Clearly explain the reasons for change to colleagues and how to implement them, supporting individuals with different needs to adapt to change.

 Making Effective Decisions

• Analyse and use a range of relevant, credible information from internal and external sources to support decisions.
• Invite challenge and where appropriate involve others in decision making.
• Consult with others to ensure the potential impacts on end users have been considered.
• Present strong recommendations in a timely manner outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks

Managing a Quality Service

• Develop, implement, maintain and review systems and services to ensure delivery of professional excellence.,
• Work with stakeholders to set priorities, objectives and timescales.
• Successfully deliver high quality outcomes that meet the customers’ needs and gives value for money.
• Identify risks and resolve issues efficiently.

 Experience

• Experience of business planning or of developing corporate performance reports to include advising on selection of key performance indicators.
• Experience of working effectively across team boundaries of developing effective relationships with stakeholders.
• Good team player, with willingness to flex and support priority work as required.
• Highly effective organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse range of people (e.g., differing disciplines, levels of knowledge, seniority) both verbally and in writing.
• Competent user of Microsoft applications, including O365, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Job contact :

• Name : Karin.Takel@governmentlegal.gov.uk
• Email : Karin.Takel@governmentlegal.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk