Senior Manager, Licensing

Job summary

The role:

You will act as a key ambassador for Licensing, leading a team of managers and overseeing the end to end licensing lifecycle, along with other priority workstreams aligned to our strategy and business plan. You will drive performance and continuous improvement, ensuring insight informs decisions and service delivery. As a visible role model for our values, you will help shape our culture and ways of working, fostering collaboration, accountability, and high quality outcomes.

Job description

Your responsibilities:

As a Senior Manager, you will:

• Contribute to strategic planning and senior leadership, ensuring Licensing priorities align with wider organisational goals.
• Drive high‑quality delivery and performance, achieving outcomes within agreed budgets, resources and timelines.
• Lead the design and implementation of digital, data and business process improvements that enhance efficiency and customer experience.
• Manage change effectively, embedding policies and new ways of working across teams.
• Ensure teams have the capability, training and support needed to deliver change and maintain high standards.
• Build strong cross‑workstream relationships to support a coordinated regulatory approach and early awareness of emerging policy developments.
• Provide expert advice on complex and high‑profile licensing cases, leading decision‑making within delegated authority and presenting cases at Regulatory Panels when required.
• Lead effective stakeholder engagement, including industry, legal representatives and operators.
• Oversee timely, high‑quality responses to enquiries and complaints, promoting a “right first time” culture.
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion in leadership, decision‑making and service delivery.
• Lead, coach and develop managers and teams, fostering a high‑performance, collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Act as a visible role model for the Commission’s values, supporting our culture and ways of working.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role.

The above does not constitute an exhaustive list of duties. The post holder may be required to perform any reasonable tasks commensurate with the level of responsibility at the request of their Manager. Duties may vary as and when localised procedures are updated or renewed with varying authorities that the Commission.

Person specification

What we’re looking for:

Essential criteria:

• Strong track record of leading and delivering complex workstreams to agreed outcomes, timelines and budgets.
• Proven ability to lead, develop and motivate teams to improve performance.
• Experience leading and embedding change in a fast paced environment.
• Background in a regulatory or similarly complex setting, with confidence making risk based decisions.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience working in a regulatory, public sector or government environment.
• Experience contributing to organisational strategy or leading cross functional teams.
• Relevant professional qualifications (e.g project management, leadership, regulatory compliance).

This role requires a willingness to travel. The postholder will also be excluded from playing the National Lottery.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,000, Gambling Commission contributes £15,354 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Our offer to you:

• Civil Service Pension, with 28.97% employer contribution. Click for more information
• 26 days’ holiday, rising to 29 days after two years’ service (pro rata)
• Holiday purchase scheme (option to buy up to five extra days annual leave)
• Flexible working & family friendly policies
• Ergonomic, fully accessible office, very close to Birmingham New Street Station
• Open, collaborative and people focused culture

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

Your application:

We value diversity in our workplace and are committed to a culture where each individual is engaged and feels that their contribution is valued and respected. We welcome all applications from candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role.

To apply for this position, please see the Gambling Commission careers website.

The Gambling Commission have an anonymised recruitment process, so you should not attach a CV to your application. Instead, application questions will ask you to evidence how your personal skills, qualities and experience match the essential criteria for the role.

The selection process for this vacancy will comprise of a remote (Teams) interview consisting of competency and technical questions and a presentation. To prepare for your interview please familiarise yourself with the STAR techniquefor answering interview questions.

The closing date for this role is midnight on Tuesday 3rd March 2026.

Interviews are expected to be held on 12th and 13th March 2026.

Please ensure you have the right to work in the UK before applying as we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Incomplete applications will be discounted from shortlisting. Please ensure your application is fully completed and submitted before logging out of your account.

About us:

The Gambling Commission is the regulatory authority responsible for overseeing and regulating gambling activities in the United Kingdom. Our primary role is to ensure that gambling is conducted fairly, openly, and free from crime, while also protecting vulnerable individuals from harm.

We regulate various forms of gambling, including casinos, bingo, sports betting, and lotteries, and issues licenses to operators. We are committed to ensuring a safe and responsible gambling environment, promoting transparency, and enforcing compliance with legal standards to maintain public trust in the industry.

We’re proud to have notable industry recognition, including the Regulatory Excellence Award from the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). This prestigious award recognized the Commission's international leadership in enhancing consumer protection through industry collaboration.

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Please apply if you want to be part of an organisation that is force for good!

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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

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 : recruitment@gamblingcommission.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment@gamblingcommission.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@gamblingcommission.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact Governance, Gambling Commission, Victoria Square House, Victoria Square, Birmingham B2 4BP in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from us, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

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