Principal, Policy (Culture and Creative)
Application Deadline: 12 May 2026
Department: External Affairs
Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time
Location: Sheffield Head Office
Compensation: £59,449 - £64,451 / year
Description
* Hours: 37 hours per week (full time)
* Contract: Fixed Term - 12 months
* Salary: Grade 13 £61,352 - £66,514
* Location: Sheffield (This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office)
This is a key post in the Strategy, Collaboration and Culture team. The postholder will help bring to life the newly signed‑off South Yorkshire Culture and Creative Investment Framework; by building strong partnerships, developing new programmes of work and embedding culture and creativity in the wider work of the organisation.
This critically important role is supported in part through funding from Arts Council England, reflecting the strategic importance of culture to South Yorkshire’s future and the strength of our shared partnership ambitions.
This role sits at the intersection of strategy, policy and delivery. You will translate national and local evidence into compelling options for the Mayor and senior leaders, convene colleagues across SYMCA, and work alongside partners to turn the Investment Framework into practical programmes, projects and funding propositions. A key part of the role is nurturing strong, productive relationships with Arts Council England and other influential partners so South Yorkshire is connected, credible and heard in the right places.
Working to the Director of Strategy, Collaboration and Culture, you will play a key role in the organisation — helping to shape priorities, influence decision‑making and ensure culture and creativity are embedded across SYMCA’s work.
We welcome applications from individuals interested in applying on a secondment basis.
About the role
Working across SYMCA and with partners, you will keep our approach coordinated and delivery‑focused — translating the South Yorkshire Culture and Creative Investment Framework into a clear, investable pipeline.
You will steward relationships with local authorities, Arts Council England, Government, arm’s‑length bodies, funders and sector partners — building confidence, alignment and shared purpose. You will help bring the right people together, spot opportunities early, and shape propositions that attract investment and deliver meaningful cultural impact for communities across South Yorkshire.
Key responsibilities include:
* Shaping SYMCA’s culture policy, turning national and local intelligence into clear, timely and credible advice.
* Leading cross‑functional policy projects with internal teams to develop robust propositions and funding cases.
* Brokering alignment with local authorities, universities, sector bodies, arm’s‑length bodies and external funders, securing shared positions and approvals to strengthen regional propositions.
* Leading ongoing engagement with Arts Council England and other strategic partners, using those relationships to help bring the South Yorkshire Culture and Creative Investment Framework to life through joint priorities, investable propositions and coordinated delivery.
* Quality‑assuring high‑profile briefings, submissions and external communications for the Mayor, MCA Board and Government.
About you
We are looking for an experienced policy leader with a strong track record in complex, partnership‑driven environments. You will bring strategic insight, political awareness and the ability to cut through complexity to provide clear, confident advice. You will be comfortable working with senior leaders, elected members and external partners, and skill at turning policy ambition into practical, deliverable action.
* Substantial knowledge of public, private and voluntary sector partners and how they operate within complex policy environments.
* Strong understanding of the policy, legislative and statutory context affecting Mayoral Combined Authorities and local government.
* Proven experience working in highly complex and political environments.
* A strong track record of developing, implementing and evaluating policies, strategies and action plans.
* Experience managing projects or programmes, delivering objectives to time, budget and quality.
* Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to distil complexity into clear, concise recommendations and advice.
* Strong organisational skills, resilience and the ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, fast‑changing environment while leading others through change.
Benefits
All colleagues have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme and the chance to be part of an organisation where you can really make a difference. Located in Sheffield City Centre, we are well‑placed for transport links and encourage employees to take advantage of the active travel facilities. Work/life balance is extremely important to us here at SYMCA with our recognised family/friendly policies, genuine work flexibility, recognition, and shared success.
Holiday Entitlement: From 28 to 36 days annual leave entitlement (depending on length of service) plus bank holidays. Pro‑rata for part time colleagues.
Annual Leave Purchase Scheme: The ability to purchase up to a further 15 days per year in addition to your normal annual leave.
Hybrid working: Our offices are a space where we come together and collaborate. Most of our roles are offered on a hybrid basis with the exception of some support roles being onsite full time. Please note, unless specified within the job advert, we cannot accommodate remote working contracts.
Flexible Hours Scheme: Most roles within SYMCA work under the Flexi‑Scheme which allows office‑based employees’ flexibility and discretion over their working hours. Under the scheme employees can accrue a defined amount of credit or debit of working hours, and take time‑off in the form of Flexi‑Leave or banked Annual Leave.
Rewarding You: Reducing everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more with Reward Gateway and Cycle‑to‑Work schemes.
Training on the job: Support with upskilling skills through on‑the‑job training and qualifications.
Professional Membership Fees: Where membership to Professional bodies is applicable to your role, SYMCA will reimburse your membership fees where applicable and following approval by Line Management.
Diversity at South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority
Our workforce is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.
All employees are eligible to request Flexible Working arrangements from day one of employment as such all requests will be considered subject to operation requirements.
Where candidates share disabilities within the application process, if they demonstrate that they meet all essential criteria from the Role Profile within their application, they will automatically be invited to interview.
If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the process, please contact recruitment@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk or include within your application form detailing the adjustment and how it will assist in managing any barriers.
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