Director of Strategy and System Change

The Prime Minister called for reform of the British state, seeking to go further and faster on renewal, and to ensure a more active government. To support these aims, the government established the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as its centre of infrastructure expertise, harnessing the policy and strategy insight of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and the delivery specialism of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) and bringing them together to create a new, stronger and more powerful organisation within HM Treasury capable of delivering these goals.

NISTA has six objectives:

• Overseeing the government's 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy
• Identifying and coordinating infrastructure needs
• Unblocking barriers and streamlining delivery of the government's major projects
• Setting standards and improving the government's project delivery capabilities
• Providing effective assurance for the government's priority projects
• Leading expertise on private finance

The new Strategy and System Change function is the voice of authority on long-term infrastructure needs and strategy across government. The function is currently being shaped through a consultative design process to determine NISTAs final operating model which is on track to complete by the summer with implementation thereafter.

The teams are a broad mix of professions and grades, including strategy and policy specialists, economists and analysts, data and digital professionals (including data science and insight), etc. The post also directs secondees from other Government departments and manages capacity to meet peaks in demand.

About the Role

The Strategy and System Change Director will support NISTA's CEO and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to deliver the Government's agenda and play a critical role as NISTA goes through a period of transformation. They will have the opportunity to develop the new Strategy and System Change directorate so that it is the voice of authority on long-term infrastructure needs and strategy across government.

They will build trust and credibility with Ministers, as well as senior leaders across government and industry, and lead expert teams in line with NISTA's ways of working-coherent, confident, committed and collaborative-creating an inclusive culture where people are supported to thrive and deliver at pace.

The postholder will be a member of NISTA's Senior Leadership Team and HMT's senior leaders' group, contributing to corporate leadership and organisational transformation and will need to operate flexibly in a dynamic environment. The role will evolve over time in response to ministerial and organisational priorities and the postholder will be expected to adapt their focus and ways of working accordingly, taking on additional responsibilities across NISTA/HM Treasury as required.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing visible, strategic leadership that champions NISTA, setting a clear direction for transformation and embedding a culture of openness, innovation, and accountability within their teams and throughout the organisation, working closely with fellow Directors and corporate teams across NISTA and HM Treasury to ensure a coherent, joined-up approach.
• Providing long-term vision and direction for UK Infrastructure by working with Ministers, departments and key stakeholders to implement and update the government's 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and deliver cross-cutting long term strategic projects, working closely with NISTA's Delivery and Portfolio and Market and Sector Engagement teams to do so.
• Providing authoritative advice to Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and senior stakeholders including the PAC to influence departmental and government wide decisions on infrastructure and investment working across NISTA and wider Treasury to develop coherent views.
• Developing organisational data capability, including a hub for data scientists, to support pipeline quality, market intelligence and benchmarking, in collaboration with Delivery and Portfolio teams and the Market and Sector Engagement directorate.
• Developing NISTA's spatial planning function to coordinate infrastructure needs, contribute to the development of sectoral/ local plans and inform spending decisions.
• Delivering the Social Infrastructure Roadmap and undertake social infrastructure needs assessment by partnering with departments and the Office of Government Property.

The Director will also be a key member of NISTA's senior leadership team and HMT's senior leaders' group and will be expected to make a corporate leadership contribution.

Person Specification:

While in post, the successful candidate will be expected to perform well across the full range of Senior Civil Service behaviours set out in the Success Profile framework and demonstrate commitment to Civil Service values.

The essential criteria for the purpose of selection are:

• Extensive experience of operating and influencing at C-Suite/ Ministerial/ Cabinet level in both the private and public sectors with track record of securing confidence of senior colleagues and stakeholders across a wide network.
• Experience of policy development, delivery and operational experience alongside strategic leadership in multiple government departments and/or local authorities at a senior level, with a proven ability to work with academia and use large and complex sets of data and evidence to draw broad and innovative strategic and policy insights and adapt strategy to changing contexts.
• Experience of building trusted, effective working relationships with Ministers, providing clear, impartial advice and supporting informed decision-making.
• Experience of leading and developing high performing, multi-disciplinary teams and providing direction and structure in an uncertain, fast paced and complex environment.
• Experience of building effective internal and external partnerships across organisational boundaries including with the private sector in a complex and large organisation to deliver through and with others to achieve the right outcomes.

The following experience is desirable:

• Experience and knowledge of social infrastructure strategy and/ or policy.

For more information on the role and how to apply, please review the full job description on Civil Service Jobs by following the "apply" link.

Benefits of working with us include:

• 25 days' annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King's birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant)
• Flexible working patterns (job-share, condensed hours)
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 28%
• Generous parental leave packages
• Onsite restaurant and coffee bar. The London office also offers a gym, showers and prayer room
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving
• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity

At HM Treasury we have an exceptionally broad remit; our work touches every citizen of the country. So, it's important our employees come from the widest possible range of backgrounds, bringing us the widest possible range of perspectives and ways of thinking. We are committed to ensuring that all staff are able to realise their potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form or speak to the recruitment team.