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Why Southwark?

Do you want to help shape the future of one of London's largest and most ambitious councils?

Can you turn evidence, insight and policy into meaningful change for residents?

Does the opportunity to influence strategic decision-making at the heart of local government excite you?

If yes, we have the perfect role for you!

We're recruiting a Strategy Lead to join Southwark's newly established Transformation & Insight Hub, a pioneering service bringing together Data & Insight, Strategy & Policy, and Change & Transformation into one integrated team.

These are not separate functions. Together, they help us understand what matters, define where we want to go, and deliver meaningful change for our residents:

• Data & Insight helps us understand what matters
• Strategy & Policy define what good looks like
• Transformation & Change deliver how it happens

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of one of London's largest and most ambitious councils.

As the largest local authority social landlord in London, Southwark manages 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of the borough's residents. We are home to more than 18,300 businesses, including iconic London landmarks such as The Shard, Tate Modern and Borough Market, alongside a thriving community of social enterprises. We have a young, diverse and growing population.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset, and our Borough Plan and Southwark Stands Together programme underpin everything we do, helping us tackle racism, injustice and inequality across our borough and workforce.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Strategy Lead, you will work at the heart of some of Southwark's most important priorities, helping to develop the evidence, policy and strategic thinking that drives decision-making and improves outcomes for residents.

You will support the development and delivery of ambitious, evidence-led strategies that shape the future direction of the council and respond to local and national challenges. Working across service areas, you will connect insight, engagement and policy development to create strategies that are practical, ambitious and deliver real impact.

Examples of the work you will undertake include:

• Developing and supporting major cross-cutting council strategies.
• Researching emerging national policy and identifying opportunities and risks for Southwark.
• Supporting strategic programmes that improve outcomes for residents and communities, including innovation and digital improvements.
• Producing high-quality reports, briefings and presentations for senior leaders and elected Members.
• Working with residents, partners and stakeholders to ensure strategies reflect local needs and experiences.
• Undertaking research, analysis and horizon scanning to inform decision-making.
• Helping shape innovative approaches to some of the most complex challenges facing local government.
• Supporting the implementation of strategies and ensuring ambitions are translated into practical delivery plans and measurable outcomes.

If you enjoy tackling complex challenges, turning evidence into action and influencing decision-making at a senior level, we'd love to hear from you.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who combines strong analytical thinking with excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

You will be curious, collaborative and motivated by making a difference through strategy and policy. Importantly, you'll understand that great strategies don't sit on a shelf. You'll have the ability to turn ideas into action, bringing policies and strategies to life by working with colleagues, residents and partners to deliver meaningful change and measurable outcomes.

You'll bring:

• Experience contributing to strategy development, policy work or cross-organisational projects within a complex organisation.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and turn it into practical recommendations.
• Experience producing high-quality reports, briefings, presentations or policy papers for senior audiences.
• An understanding of local government, public policy or the wider public sector environment.
• The ability to translate strategic ambitions into practical delivery plans and support implementation across services.
• Experience of taking policies, strategies or improvement initiatives from development through to implementation and review.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build effective relationships across teams and organisations.
• A commitment to innovation, continuous improvement and delivering better outcomes for residents.

For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification located at the bottom of the advert.

Contact Information

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Eugene Nixon on Eugene.Nixon@southwark.gov.uk

Additional Information

Additional Information

• Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Location: This role offers a flexible hybrid working arrangement, with 50/50 time split between working from home and our Tooley Street offices.
• Occasional attendance at meetings outside normal office hours may be required.

Benefits and more information:

https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/

Recruitment Timeline

Advert close date: 23:59 on 16th August

Shortlisting date: 19th August

Interview date: Week Commencing 24th August

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We are an organisation that is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

Attachments

• Strategy Lead G10.docx