Local Government Accountability and Improvement Policy Advisors

Job summary

We are MHCLG

This is an exciting time to join the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as we support a strong, accountable and effective local government sector that can deliver for communities and underpin the Government's ambitious devolution agenda.

The Local Government Accountability and Improvement division plays a key role in supporting further devolution by strengthening local authorities' ability to deliver for communities, ensuring they have the capacity, capability and accountability needed to deliver local priorities effectively. Working across accountability and the Local Outcomes Framework, improvement, workforce and pay policy, the team helps shape the strategic direction of local government and leads work to address some of the most significant challenges facing councils and making sure local authorities are able to and held to account for delivering local priorities.

As a Senior Policy Adviser, you will work at the heart of this agenda, leading and contributing to policy development across a diverse portfolio. This will include supporting the development and continuous improvement of the local government accountability system; continuing to iterate the Local Outcomes Framework and how its use can be maximised across government; strengthening the Department's understanding of workforce, capacity and capability challenges; leading work on key workforce and pay issues such as equal pay and employment reforms; and supporting our wider improvement agenda.

You will work closely with colleagues across MHCLG, Whitehall, local government and representative organisations, delivering high-quality advice to senior leaders and Ministers and helping shape policies that support a sustainable, high-performing and accountable local government sector.

Job description

We are recruiting to fill five Senior Executive Officer (SEO) vacancies to support the Local Government Accountability and Improvement Division.

These are:

2x SEO Senior Policy Advisor – Local Government Accountability and Outcomes Framework

Two roles leading on aspects of the overarching Local Government Accountability System and the Local Outcomes Framework. On accountability, work will explore system strategy, evaluating effectiveness and designing and delivering changes to the system to make sure it supports Government’s ambitious devolution agenda. On the outcomes framework, work will continue iterating the design and uses of the framework across government and externally including continued development of a digital tool.

Key responsibilities for the post-holder will include:

• Leading on policy development at pace to make sure the accountability system and outcomes framework are in shape to support the broader devolution agenda

• Maintaining key relationships with teams across government who own different parts of the accountability system and policy areas captured in the outcomes framework

• Engaging external stakeholders, including local government, sector organisations and others

• Drafting concise and clear advice, briefing materials and policy documents for ministers, senior officials and eternal stakeholders

• Supporting the team in providing expertise on the accountability system and outcomes framework within the department, across government and externally

• Supporting the team in handling complex and technical correspondence, parliamentary questions and external queries

3x SEO Senior Policy Advisor – Local Government Workforce and Capability

Three roles leading on Local Government Workforce and Pay, Local Government Improvement Strategy and Universal Support, and Local Government Leadership policies. These roles lead work to understand and address workforce, capacity and capability challenges and leadership issues across local government, as well as supporting our broader improvement agenda. Postholders will work across government and with councils, the Local Government Association and wider partners to develop evidence-based policy, shape a stronger approach to sector improvement and build the workforce and leadership capability needed for the future.

Roles:

• Local Government Workforce and Pay Policies: Strengthening our understanding of capacity and capability in local government and developing our response to issues, leading on pieces of work in areas such as cross cutting workforce issues, pay and implementation of employment reforms.

• Local Government Strategy and Universal Support: Informing our overall strategy – tying various offers together to form a vision for the Government’s approach to local government improvement, coordinating work and overseeing delivery. Including shaping future approaches to our universal sector support offer (currently delivered via grant to the Local Government Association).

• Local Government Leadership: Helping to develop and deliver a major new programme to strengthen leadership across local government and the wider system of place-based leadership. The role will bring together policy development, programme design and high-profile stakeholder engagement, working across government and with the sector to create a more coherent national offer for identifying, developing and supporting current and future leaders.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and delivering policies and programmes to address capacity and capability challenges across local government, including workforce and pay reform, recruitment and retention, leadership development, and universal and targeted improvement support, to build a resilient, high-performing sector that is fit for the future.

• Lead and contribute to high-quality advice for senior leaders, the Permanent Secretary and Ministers, drawing from a wide range of sources, and carrying out analysis on the evidence to demonstrate excellent policy appraisal and development of options.

• Lead and contribute to high quality advice for senior leaders, the Permanent Secretary and Ministers, drawing from a wide range of sources, and carrying out analysis on the evidence to demonstrate excellent policy appraisal and development of options.

• Work with teams across MHCLG, government and external stakeholders to develop a clear set of priorities for local government and support the development of policy that reflects and supports the cross-cutting capacity and capability pressures facing the sector.

• Ensure positive engagement while building and maintaining trusting relationships across the directorate, the department and Private Offices.

• Support wider priorities within the Local Government Workforce and Capacity team as required – including working with legal colleagues to progress byelaws applications from local councils and provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of State.

Person specification

For all five roles we are looking for the following essential criteria:

• Be able to use a variety of evidence, expert knowledge and stakeholder input to formulate balanced policy options

• Politically aware strategic thinker with high levels of attention to detail, sound judgment and the ability to solve problems independently

• Be able to form credible and effective working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders

• Have excellent organisational skills and strong written and verbal communication skills

• Fast learner with the ability to build subject matter expertise and ability to work flexibly, at pace, on a range of projects

• A strong interest in helping to create a supportive and inclusive team culture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,773, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £13,260 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application and Selection
The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours, Strengths

Stage 1: Sift

• Lead Behaviour: Making effective decisions

• Behaviour: Seeing the big picture

• Behaviour: Communicating and influencing

• Behaviour: Delivering at pace

There is a 250-word limit per question.

When writing your application, remember:

• the assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially

• do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers
• if talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Seeing the big picture, Communicating and influencing, Delivering at pace, Making effective decisions
• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

Candidates will be asked to complete a policy problem, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 28/09/26

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 12/10/26 and are currently being held remotely via videocall.

This could be subject to change.

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a Disability Confident Scheme, Redeployment Interview scheme & Great Place to Work for Veterans employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

London Office: + CTC

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Ethan Richards
• Email : Ethan.Richards@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:

a procedural irregularity

an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy

exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.

It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at recruitment@communities.gov.uk.

If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: info@csc.gov.uk