Policy Adviser

Background

Our 2030 vision is to make the UK the most competitive, dynamic and future-focused economy in the world. Where business is at the heart of social progress, working in service of the nation.

Our ‘Seize the Moment’ campaign is bold, ambitious and focused on opportunities – prizes that the UK could capture by 2030. It is driven by a belief that we can generate better growth in the decade to come than the decade just gone. The prizes are:

1. A decarbonised economy – leading the global race to net zero
2. An innovative economy - driving an innovation revolution across business, of every sector and size
3. A globalised economy - reaping the rewards of UK trade and inward investment.
4. A regionalised economy – equipping every UK region and nation to play to its strengths.
5. An inclusive economy - harnessing the diversity, skills and potential of the UK’s people to thrive.
6. A healthier economy – supporting the health of the nation and improved business performance.

For each of these themes, the CBI will run a programme of work: engaging and inspiring members, identifying enabling actions required by the government and building the policy position to support those, working to engage wider stakeholders through a ‘crowding in’ mindset to maximise the likelihood that the UK will succeed in the pursuit of these prizes.

We are currently recruiting to fill a number of Policy Adviser and Senior Policy Adviser roles across the themes of our 2030 vision and are inviting internal and external applications.

Key Responsibilities

Working with businesses to develop the CBI’s policy positions:

• Demonstrating a strong grasp of the key policy challenges facing UK businesses and the political environment in which they are seeking to influence
• Working with CBI members to continually develop policy positions, including managing competing business and commercial interests to produce messages with broad support
• Working on discrete projects (e.g. policy briefs, reports, and consultation responses), using project management skills to track progress, manage risk and measure success
• Drafting and presenting papers for senior-level boards and committees
• Drafting internal briefings for meetings, demonstrating awareness of political context

Helping to develop a range of products and services to support business decision making and action:

• Gaining a deep knowledge of business initiatives to take advantage of the opportunities associated with the CBI’s economic vision
• Working with the CBI Proposition Managers and the wider team to design and deliver products that support practical action by businesses. These could include ‘how-to’ guides, policy explainers or workshops.

Building strong internal and external relationships, including:

• Acting as a first point of contact within the CBI for members, staff, and other stakeholders on relevant policy, including advising your line manager and director
• Meeting regularly with officials in key government departments
• Proactively working with colleagues across teams to fully exploit synergies with other policy areas, as well as commercial, membership and media opportunities

Knowledge & Experience

What an individual must know or understand to be able to fulfil the role’s requirements:

• Knowledge of the policymaking process in UK government
• Demonstrable interest in politics and public policy
• Good understanding of and enthusiasm for policy, advocacy and business application.
• For Senior Policy Adviser roles, at least some experience of working in a policy-related role is required, and for Policy Adviser roles it is desirable but not essential. The seniority of appointment will be dependent on experience.
• Familiarity with the workings of business and commercial pressures

Role specific skills

The practical actions required to be able to fulfil the role’s requirements

• Strong research and analytical skills – including quickly picking up new issues and concepts, crafting solutions and advising senior colleagues.
• Excellent oral and written communication – including the ability to communicate to a wide range of stakeholders and audiences.
• Influencing skills – including the ability to persuade policy makers of the benefits of working together with business to achieve joint aims.
• Good stakeholder management and interpersonal skills – including the ability to manage relationships with external stakeholders to maintain member satisfaction, and internal stakeholders to effectively co-ordinate the CBI’s work.
• Organisational skills - including overseeing complicated projects with multiple moving parts in a shifting external environment.
• High personal efficiency/productivity and flexibility, with the ability to work well in a team – including the ability to work in a fast-paced, pressured environment.

Behaviours

The behaviours and characteristics required to be able to fulfil the role’s requirements

• Collaborative – Listening, seeking views and sharing information; constructively challenging when appropriate
• Taking ownership – Ensuring delivery and holding others to account; can influence, irrespective of hierarchy
• Agile – Proactive and responsive to provide a strong member service; responding positively to shifting priorities
• Commercial – Awareness of the wider business environment
• Innovative – Exploring, sharing and integrating best practice; generating new ideas and challenging a mind-set of “what we’ve always done”
• Analytical – gathering information and using logic to analyse, problem solve, evaluate risk and make decisions

Diversity and Inclusion

At the CBI, we are committed to attracting diverse talent that represents the society we live in. 

We encourage applications from all regardless of age, sexuality, socio-economic background, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion, or beliefs. We are committed to building a culture of belonging and inclusion and this is reflected in our policies, practices, and internal employee-led networks and supported by our executive leadership team.

Our employee-led networks are: Race and Ethnicity Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Working Families and we have qualified Mental Health First Aiders who support our employees in having good mental health.

Flexible working

We encourage flexible working as we want our employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Currently our employees are working flexibly (formally and informally) and remotely due to COVID-19, but we offer the opportunity to work in our offices in line with government guidance if somebody should need to. In the future we expect to work more flexible than before with a hybrid of time at home and in our offices. Our approach focuses on where work can be done effectively and will evolve over time as we learn from trialling new ways of working.

Salary – PA Stage 1: £27,500 (Fixed Pay point)

               PA Stage 3: £31,500 (Fixed Pay point)

               SPA: £36,995 (Fixed Pay point)

Location – London

Process – Cover letter and C.V. required.

Deadline – Friday 6th August 2021