Assistant Director - Skills and Employment (Policy)

Communities & Skills

Collaborative, open, inclusive and fair - we work with and through partners to ensure Londoners can shape healthy, empowered and productive lives. Communities and Skills is led by Executive Director, Tunde Olayinka and is comprised of the following units: Civil Society & Sport, Communities & Social Policy, Group Public Health Unit, Skills and Employment and Health, Children and Young Londoners.

About the role

Within the directorate sits the Skills & Employment unit. It plays a key role in support of London's emerging Growth Plan - ensuring that Londoners, of all backgrounds, can access the skills and support to gain good work and benefit from the capital's economy.

Key to this is ensuring London's careers, skills and employment support eco-system works together to serve both employers and London's diverse talent.

Working in close partnership with the Assistant Director for Skills and Employment Delivery, your passion for systems thinking, social justice, people management and organisational design will usher in a new chapter for London's growth.

This will be underpinned by your good knowledge of the principles underpinning excellent:

• analysis and insight;
• policy development;
• stakeholder relationships;
• benefits realisation; and
• governance.

In addition, you will take your place as part of the directorate and wider GLA's senior leadership cadre - responsible for shaping and delivering our ambitious programme for change, including our vision for a truly inclusive GLA.

What your day will look like

• Working with teams across the Skills and Employment Unit, the Community and Skills Directorate, the GLA at large and external stakeholders including delivery providers, National government departments and other Mayoral Combined Authorities
• Jointly leading with the other Assistant Director Skills and Employment over 150 staff members, working with the Senior Leadership team to provide strategic direction for the work of the unit. This includes thinking through design of strategies, polices, projects and programmes.
• Working with Senior Managers to understand performance of programmes, projects and overarching strategies and policies, seeking to understand risks and issues and working through mitigating solutions that help deliver outputs, outcomes, and benefits as required especially in line with funding expectations.
• Managing and leading the direct teams ensuring high performance, removal of barriers and foster collaboration amongst teams.
• Representing the unit and wider GLA at external events, panels and working group to help shape national policy and the skills and employment eco-system in line with London's needs.
• Leading an aspect of the Communities and Skills wider Directorate strategic objectives in line with strategic work streams.

Skills, knowledge and experience

To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Senior management experience leading a multi-disciplinary team providing analysis and advice across a range of policy issues in a complex political environment.
• Track record of delivery in managing complex and politically sensitive multi-agency projects or alternatively, similar breadth of experience in a complex business environment.
• Evidence of operating effectively as part of a wider management structure involving other senior managers to achieve corporate and directorate objectives and targets and to manage conflicting priorities.
• Sound awareness, knowledge and understanding of the current issues within London in the context of careers, skills and employment support.
• Familiarity with financial management principles, including budget formulation and financial monitoring

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the role you'll need to submit:

• a Word statement (1,500 words) outlining how you meet the essential criteria as well as the competencies outlined in the advert.

Assessment process

Once you have submitted an application, your details will be reviewed by a panel.

If shortlisted you'll be invited to an interview/assessment.

The interview/assessment date is: 2 nd , 4 th and 5 th December 2024