Strategy and Engagement Officer

Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh

Job Summary

We are MHCLG

Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives with a focus on Homes, Places and Growth. To delivery on these priorities, we work with partners across the UK on a range of policy interventions, programme delivery and legislation. We also work closely with other parts of government and the Devolved Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on areas of joint interest and to support strong intergovernmental working.

The Nations Strategy and Engagement Team (NSET) provides resource across MHCLG to ensure the department can deliver on its commitments across the UK. With presence across the UK’s four capital cities, we leverage local intelligence, devolution expertise, and strong relationships with stakeholders to support the delivery of MHCLG's vision across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We contribute expertise on policy, delivery and our knowledge of places to tailor interventions to best effect for places across the country. We are a well-regarded team, priding ourselves on our collaborative and inclusive approach, and provide an excellent platform for everyone to further their career.

This is a great opportunity for a proactive individual who is a confident communicator to work in a busy office with colleagues from across the UK. We are seeking a Strategy and Engagement Officer to support our division in achieving our ambitions of supporting devolution and intergovernmental working in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The successful candidate will support the co-ordination and management of activity across the team.

Based within one of our offices in Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast, you will be instrumental in supporting our goals and ambitions by driving the success of key projects and initiatives across our team, as well as coordinating engagement with various stakeholders across the department and externally. You will work closely with team leaders and other stakeholders to ensure that we achieve our goals and that resources are optimally allocated.

Job Description

Duties and Responsibilities

• Supporting the planning, execution, and monitoring of work areas across the team, ensuring alignment with stakeholder requirements and departmental priorities.
• Monitoring and reporting on MHCLG’s activities in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to support the development of UK-wide policies, strategies and legislation.
• Supporting engagement with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including local authorities, devolved governments, and other government departments.
• Identifying and tracking emerging trends, risks, and opportunities through regular horizon scanning and analysis, helping the team stay informed and responsive and escalating to senior colleagues when appropriate.
• Ensuring the smooth functionality of the team, ensuring products and tools are kept up to date and accurate, making use of AI and other tools to maximise the efficient use of information and reporting.
• Contributing to the positive, inclusive and high-performing team environment. You will be comfortable with sharing knowledge, supporting colleagues and helping drive continuous improvement across the team.
  
  

Duties and Responsibilities

• Supporting the planning, execution, and monitoring of work areas across the team, ensuring alignment with stakeholder requirements and departmental priorities.
• Monitoring and reporting on MHCLG’s activities in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to support the development of UK-wide policies, strategies and legislation.
• Supporting engagement with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including local authorities, devolved governments, and other government departments.
• Identifying and tracking emerging trends, risks, and opportunities through regular horizon scanning and analysis, helping the team stay informed and responsive and escalating to senior colleagues when appropriate.
• Ensuring the smooth functionality of the team, ensuring products and tools are kept up to date and accurate, making use of AI and other tools to maximise the efficient use of information and reporting.
• Contributing to the positive, inclusive and high-performing team environment. You will be comfortable with sharing knowledge, supporting colleagues and helping drive continuous improvement across the team.
  
  

Person specification

Essential Criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to tailor your approach to different audiences and sensitivities
• Effective stakeholder management skills and the ability to confidently build and maintain excellent relationships, including with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills, able to work in a flexible and proactive manner to track and manage multiple competing priorities
• Able to work independently, within and across teams in a matrix management system.
• Proficient at using IT systems, with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Windows, Office packages and SharePoint, with an awareness of AI tools like Copilot.
  
  

Alongside your salary of £36,169, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £10,478 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Strengths

Stage 1: Sift

• Behaviour: Working Together (Lead Behaviour)
• Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing
• Behaviour: Delivering at Pace
  
  

There is a 250-word limit per question.

When Writing Your Application, Remember

• the assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially
• do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers
• if talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)
  
  

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progr