Job summary
This role is focussed on the delivery of the department�s levelling up agenda in Norfolk, working with local authorities to delivery a wide range of interventions including the �600m Norfolk County Deal, three Town Deals in King�s Lynn, Norwich and Great Yarmouth, Levelling Up Fund projects, Long Term Plan for Towns and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The role is fundamentally place based and more than simply delivering centralised funding streams � you will work with local authorities, businesses, and community representatives in Norfolk to understand local challenges and help to solve them. Days are varied and involve working with a range of programme teams within the department to understand and help shape their policy and priorities, as well as local authorities on the ground.
The Cities and Local Growth Unit (CLGU) is a joint unit between DLUHC and DBT. We are committed to the welfare of all our people. We take mental health and work-life balance seriously. We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work
Job description
The role As SEO Deputy Area Lead, you will be the expert on economic growth and levelling up in the local area and will build strong local knowledge of the area, including its politics, economy, challenges and opportunities. You will manage relationships with Local Authority Chief executives, economic development officers, HE/FE and other institutions, local government associations, local business organisations and others.
You will use your knowledge to support DBT and DLUHC priorities, holding expertise on sectors, clusters, devolution and local government reform and will develop strong day to day productive relationships with policy officials across a range of areas including housing, sector teams, and transport. You will often lead on advice on a particular challenge or opportunity for the team�s wider area and will be responsible for preparing high quality briefing material tailored for the audience (usually Ministers and Senior Civil Servants).
Our team � Oxford Cambridge and East Anglia (OCAEA) This post is anchored in our Cambridge office but time spent out and about in the region is more important. The work arrangements are expected to involve a blend of home, office and external working (though working from home can be minimised if it is not convenient for you). Whilst roles may on occasion involve out of hours working to accommodate travel and meetings, we work as a team to balance our diaries and our lives appropriately. We support hybrid and flexible working and we would love to see applications from a diverse range of candidates to join our inclusive teams.
Key responsibilities
You will:
1. Manage relationships on funding delivery, working with local partners to deliver new programmes including the � Levelling Up Fund, UK Community Renewal Fund, UK Community Ownership Fund and Freeports.
2. Work with the central funding delivery team, other area team colleagues and delivery partners to spot risks, challenge poor performance and tackle issues as they arise, leading on corrective actions, drawing on support from others.
3. Support partners to understand government priorities across a wide policy span and to inform cross Whitehall discussions with local insight and detail.
4. Work with central policy teams to provide answers to enquiries from local authorities and other organisations on themes such as the bidding process to assessment and delivery.
5. Input into policy, corporate or delivery design, attending policy boards and participating in policy / programme design working groups to ensure local delivery considerations are included in policy making and feeding back to your area team.
6. Provide advice on key local challenges or opportunities for their team�s wider area, providing quality advice on complex issues to SCS and Ministerial advice as appropriate, and working with your team and others, using your relationships to lever solutions where issues arise
Person specification
7. Ability to develop deep/credible knowledge of the economic growth landscape.
8. Confident communication and influencing skills.
9. Highly dynamic and capable of delivering at pace.
10. Stakeholder management skills.
11. Strong analytical skills.
12. Ability to work collaboratively and developing junior colleagues.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of �38,732, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes �10,457 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
13. Learning and development tailored to your role
14. An environment with flexible working options
15. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
16. A with an average employer contribution of 27%