Summary (overview of role):

We are looking for a Strategy Advisor to join us - the role can be based in either Manchester, Leeds, Bristol or Birmingham.

The post holder will help to ensure that the regulatory framework delivers the regulator’s statutory objectives and remains fit for purpose, across both our economic and consumer roles.  They will be responsible for providing support to the regulator’s Board and Executive, to help to deliver our strategic objectives. The role also works closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to provide advice on the existing regulatory framework as well as evidence to inform the implications of future government policy on the regulatory framework and the social housing sector. The post holder will support the regulator to promote a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector.

Job Description (the successful person will be responsible for):

The successful person will provide expert advice on the regulatory framework to the business and other stakeholders. They will understand, analyse and evaluate the short and long term impacts of a wide range of policy issues affecting the social housing sector and social housing regulation.

Working as part of a team, the person will be responsible for delivering a programme of policy/strategy development work to ensure that the regulatory framework and our approach to regulation is up-to-date, delivers the regulator’s objectives and is compliant with statute and other duties. They will also develop and maintain strong links across functional teams within the regulator and other key stakeholders to enable the regulator’s objectives to be delivered in a cohesive, collaborative, and joined up way. They will ensure an effective link between the regulatory framework and design of the regulator’s operational processes. In addition, they will represent the RSH in a professional manner with stakeholders, including MHCLG, in order to support understanding of the regulatory framework and identify opportunities to improve its effectiveness.

Responsibilities (In order to complete the responsibilities of this role, the successful candidate will have):

The successful candidate will have experience of working in a policy formulation or strategy role in either a housing or regulatory environment and will have a good awareness of the current policy issues affecting social housing and its regulation in England. They will have experience of evaluating the impact of the current political context on organisational policies and direction with an appreciation of the challenges of working in a dynamic and uncertain political environment. They will also have strong strategic thinking skills and will be able to articulate the different factors which might impact the organisation’s strategy to others in a clear and appropriate way. They will have experience of producing work which considers all relevant factors to ensure the outputs align with the organisation’s strategy and will have good research and analytical skills. They will have experience of conducting desk-based research, analysing and combining complex information, including numerical data, from a wide range of sources to reach evidence-based conclusions and be able to make reasoned recommendations which reflect organisational objectives and manage risks. They will also have experience of working on complex projects which require creative thinking and managing several interdependencies to inform changes to regulatory policy and strategy. The successful person will have excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly and logically to a wide range of internal and external audiences, both verbally and in writing. They will be self-starting with an ability to plan and manage their own workload, as well as managing the input of others to meet deadlines. They will have good interpersonal skills enabling them to work flexibly to deliver across a range of teams in different locations as well as working with people at all levels of seniority.

General Information:

Location

Our staff are currently working from home due to COVID restrictions.

RSH’s core offices are in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol and London.  Our posts can be successfully carried out from any RSH office unless otherwise specified in the job information.  We offer flexible working arrangements and staff can work from home for part of their hours.

Most roles involve some travel within England between our offices, and some roles also involve onsite visits to social housing providers.

In line with Government requirements to reduce the number of Civil Service and NDPB roles based in London, we only advertise roles in London which need to be there for business-critical reasons.

Interviews

Interview date is 16 August and will be held via Microsoft Teams due to the current closure of RSH offices and staff working from home.

Benefits and Salary

We offer a range of excellent benefits; information is available on our website.

The salary for this role is a spot salary within the given range, which will normally be the minimum of the range.  Annual salary reviews are determined by the government pay award. In addition, when the probation period is successfully completed, a performance related bonus may be awarded, based on appraisal ratings at the end of the qualifying appraisal year.

Nationality requirements

• This job is broadly open to the following groups:
• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UKs
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Things you need to know

Application process

For more information on the role, please see the attached Role Profile.

To apply, please complete the online application form on the RSH careers site with an anonymised CV which details your employment, education and training history and provide a supporting statement, which will be used in assessing your application. Guidance on the application process is available on the RSH careers site

Blind shortlisting – We carry out blind short listing for all of our vacancies as part of our commitment to Equality and Diversity and ensuring a fair and consistent approach to recruitment.

We guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, as part of disability confident commitment. 

As an equal opportunities employer we will ensure that ethnic minority candidates who reach the bench mark will be selected for interview.

You should indicate on your application if you want to be considered under these options.  

Successful applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application and interviews held as soon as practical after the closing date.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.