JOB DESCRIPTION

Strategy Advisor

About the Parole Board

The Parole Board is a court-like body that determines if someone is safe to release from prison. We do that with great care and public safety is our number one priority.  

All Parole Board decisions are solely focused on whether a prisoner would represent a significant risk to the public after release, although not all decisions members take are popular and they try to do this as fairly and objectively as they can.

The Parole Board is made up of approximately 230 members of staff based in our London Head Office and approximately 300 nationally based Parole Board Members, who make decisions on risk by assessing cases at the point of referral from the Secretary of State and attending hearings at prisons across the country.

The Parole Board offers an excellent flexible working policy which allows employees to have an effective work, home life balance. We are committed to the development of employees and how to support their learning. We therefore promote staff participating in apprenticeships and wider learning. The Parole Board currently exceeds the government target of employees on apprenticeships.

About the role

The post holder will support the Strategy Hub by helping to develop evidence-based strategy, coordinate defined strategic workstreams, gather insight from internal and external sources, support stakeholder engagement and produce clear analysis and briefing to inform senior decision-making. The role is aligned to the Civil Service Policy Profession standards and will particularly require the ability to see the bigger picture, work together across boundaries and deliver at pace.

• Supporting the development of the Parole Board’s corporate strategy, business planning cycle and strategic forward look.

• Engaging across the organisation and with external partners to gather evidence, understand impacts, test proposals and support delivery of strategic priorities.

• Supporting and coordinating defined strategic workstreams, including court ambition, digital strategy and transparency, under the direction of the Strategic Change Manager.

• Maintaining the strategic forward look, action logs and supporting products so that priorities, risks, dependencies and decision points are visible.

Person specification

The post holder will be part of the Strategy Hub and report to the Strategic Change Manager. They will bring curiosity, sound judgement and enthusiasm, helping the organisation understand strategic choices, explore new ideas and develop evidence-based solutions to complex organisational challenges. They will be expected to see the bigger picture, work collaboratively, communicate clearly and deliver high-quality work at pace.

Main Duties

Your role will be to support the Strategy Hub to strengthen the Parole Board’s strategic capability. You will help the organisation understand the wider policy and justice context, build evidence, engage stakeholders and develop clear options and advice to support senior decision-making. The role is suitable for an HEO developing as a policy and strategy professional, with support and direction from the Strategic Change Manager.

Strategy Development

Support the development and delivery of the Parole Board’s corporate strategy, business planning cycle and strategic forward look, ensuring work is aligned to the organisation’s purpose, statutory responsibilities and wider justice system priorities.

Support and coordinate defined strategic workstreams, including court ambition, digital strategy and transparency, helping to clarify objectives, develop plans, identify dependencies and track progress.

Help develop clear problem statements, objectives, options and success measures for strategic projects, ensuring proposals are proportionate, evidence-based and focused on the outcomes the organisation is seeking to achieve.

Stakeholder Engagement

Build effective working relationships with colleagues across the Parole Board, including operational, legal, policy, digital, communications, governance, member-facing and corporate services teams.

Support engagement with external stakeholders, including Ministry of Justice policy, sponsorship, digital, commercial and reform colleagues, to ensure strategic work is informed by wider government priorities and justice system developments.

Plan and support workshops, meetings and engagement sessions to gather views, test proposals, understand operational impacts and support collaborative strategy development.

Horizon Scanning and Insight

Monitor relevant political, legislative, policy, operational and digital developments across the justice system and wider public sector, identifying issues that may create risks, opportunities or choices for the Parole Board.

Draw together information from internal data, project updates, stakeholder feedback, external publications and policy developments to build a rounded evidence base for strategic decision-making.

Evidence, Options, Analysis and Advice

Develop and maintain evidence bases for key strategic priorities, ensuring proposals are supported by clear analysis, relevant data and an understanding of benefits, risks, costs and delivery implications.

Support options analysis for strategic decisions by identifying viable choices, assessing trade-offs, clarifying assumptions and presenting balanced recommendations for senior consideration.

Draft clear briefings, submissions, discussion papers and presentations that explain complex issues in a concise and accessible way.

Planning, Governance and Delivery Support

Maintain and update relevant strategy plans, action logs, forward looks, project trackers and other working documents to ensure progress is visible and well managed.

Resources and evaluation

Support the Strategic Change Manager to assess delivery progress, capture learning, evaluate outcomes and provide information for effective decision-making.

• Other ad hoc tasks appropriate to the role and grade as assigned from time to time by the Strategic Change Manager, Director of Strategy and Corporate Services or Chief Executive.

• To undertake these responsibilities in line with current legislation, Parole Board policies, and the key documents listed below.

Learning and development opportunities will be given to the successful candidate.

Skills and experience required for the post

• Ability to see the bigger picture by understanding how the Parole Board’s work fits within wider justice system priorities and the public interest.

• An awareness of the standards of the Civil Service Policy Profession and an interest in developing as a policy and strategy professional.

• Ability to gather, assess and present evidence from a range of sources to support options analysis, recommendations and senior decision-making.

• Ability to work together with operational, policy, legal, digital, finance, governance and corporate services colleagues to understand issues and develop practical solutions.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear briefings, notes and presentations.

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain clear records of actions, risks and decisions.

• Able to deliver at pace in a fast-moving environment, managing competing priorities and producing high-quality work under pressure.

• Able to work independently within clear parameters, escalating risks, issues and decisions appropriately.

• Experience of supporting projects, policy work or strategy development with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver results within fixed timeframes and limited resource.

• Experience of establishing simple processes, maintaining trackers or action logs and working to deadlines.

Desirable skills

• Policy, strategy, project management or continuous improvement training.

• Experience of using collaborative working tools to support planning, workshops or project delivery.

• Experience in facilitating project meetings, workshops or engagement sessions

• Experience of drafting briefings, discussion papers, options analysis or senior-level presentations.

Assessment

Applicants will be assessed against the following behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Bigger Picture

• Working Together

• Delivering at Pace

• Communicating and Influencing

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Check.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Strengths. At the sift stage you will be assessed against Behaviours and Experience.

Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using a lead behaviour. This will be the behaviour which is listed first in the job advert.