Principal Strategy and Performance Manager

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Worcester

About the job

Job summary

The Principal Strategy and Performance Manager is core to how we deliver our mission to protect and improve the environment, holding government and other public authorities to account.

This is a fantastic opportunity to lead key programmes of work which get to the heart of how the OEP is delivering, and how we can achieve more. You’ll work closely with our Board and Executive Committee on a range the most important matters for the OEP.

We’re looking for someone who can understand context and analyse information to bring real insight on issues of strategy and performance. You’ll need to be able to build trusted relationships at all levels, to convey information clearly and confidently to senior decision makers, and be able to challenge leaders constructively based on insight and evidence.

The role is a senior one within our Business Strategy and Planning team, which is central to all that the OEP does. We are a small team whose role is to ensure that the OEP works purposefully and well, that our work is well defined, understood and strategically aligned. In doing this, the team supports planning, strategy, governance, project, programme and risk management as well as providing the private office of the organisation. 

The Office for Environmental Protection’s mission was created by the Environment Act 2021. Our role is to hold Government and public bodies to account. We do this in several ways including reporting on progress against environmental targets, advising on changes to environmental laws and receiving complaints from the public which can lead to us taking enforcement action.

With a total staff of just over 70, we are a dynamic, friendly and flexible organisation covering both England, Northern Ireland, and environmental matters reserved to the UK government. We offer flexible working arrangements, including part time and job share arrangements, high profile, dynamic work and the chance to have an impact on improving the state of the environment.

To find out more about the OEP, what we do, who we are and our current work, visit the OEP website . 

The OEP is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra in England and DAERA in Northern Ireland which means it operates independently from Defra. Our employees are public servants and as part of the benefits package, employees have the opportunity to enrol in the Civil Service Pension Scheme. 

Job description

The Principal Strategy and Performance Manager is a prominent role with opportunity to have a big impact on our organisation’s success.

You will lead our work to understand how we implement our strategy and plans and what we’re achieving, and help us to take actions in response. You’ll be an internal critical friend to our Executive Committee and Board, keeping us true to our mission, strategy and objectives.

You’ll continuously improve our strategic management information, and interpret it, ensuring that the Executive Committee and Board have up-to-date, accurate and purposeful information. You’ll provide clear insight as to what it means, and options and recommendations on the actions that can be taken in response.

This includes developing and delivering:

• Our programme management approach, change controls, delivery monitoring and reporting
• Our active prioritisation of our work programme to ensure maximum value for money from the resources available to us
• Our risk framework, supporting the Executive Committee, Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and Board in the management of strategic risks and assuring good management of risk throughout the organisation
• How we measure our impact, designing and delivering specific evaluation projects and supporting the Executive Committee and Board interpret the findings
• Our performance framework and indicators
• Reporting our performance to stakeholders including Government, and the public through our annual report and other publications

You’ll take a lead role in our organisational business and resource planning, ensuring our work delivers our strategy, is coherent, well planned and deliverable including:

• Working with the Executive Committee, Board and others to develop our organisational business plan
• Working with others to support our allocation of resources within Government planning processes, including spending reviews and annual business planning cycles
• Developing the OEP’s corporate plan for publication

You’ll lead our small project management team, ensuring that good project management is embedded across all of the OEP’s work so that we deliver our planned activities, to time, budget and scope and with the outcomes we intend.

You’ll also support the Head of Business Strategy and Planning in developing and implementing the OEP’s corporate strategy, including:

• Supporting the Head of Business Strategy and Planning, Executive Committee and Board to develop, implement and review the OEP’s strategy.
• Leading specific projects to assess and recommend solutions to key issues relating to our strategy and plans.
• Being a role model and advocate for the OEP strategy, and helping ensure it is understood and clear to colleagues internally and key stakeholders externally.

The Business Strategy and Planning team’s work is challenging, stimulating and central to ensuring the OEP succeeds in protecting and improving the environment. The role holder will work in an agile and flexible way across the team and wider OEP to meet organisational priorities as these change, and deputise for the Head of Business Strategy and Planning across all their responsibilities.

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Information Webinars: 

We are hosting a webinar during the application period to provide potential candidates with the opportunity to meet the team, to find out more about the role and to ask questions. The webinar will be held on Tuesday 3 September 13:30 – 14:15. Please click on link to join Principal Strategy and Performance Manager Webinar

Person specification

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to write compelling narrative for senior audiences and present authoritatively to senior leaders
• Ability to think critically and strategically: to analyse and interpret information, provide succinct insight and recommendations, and find the ‘so what’ for the organisation
• Ability to develop trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including at senior levels
• Excellent organisational and political awareness, and ability to connect that to the day-to-day work of the organisation and team
• Confident in project and programme management disciplines
• Experience in leading and managing a small team
• Proven ability to successfully lead cross-cutting or multi-disciplinary activity across an organisation, or organisations in one or more of the following areas:
• Organisational strategy
• Business and corporate planning
• Organisational performance management
• Programme and project management
• Working within or alongside a senior leadership team, organisational Board, Minister or equivalent role in these respects

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,626, Office for Environmental Protection contributes £13,939 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Leave and Flexible Working 

The OEP offers 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days over 5 years for all new entrants. 

Additional paid leave is available where necessary to cater for a variety of situations including, but not limited to, family-related leave, volunteering days, exam and study leave, public duties and trade union activities. In addition, we offer a generous enhanced maternity leave, parental leave and shared parental leave policy. 

The OEP is supportive of flexible working and has a flexible working policy to allow for variations in individuals working hours where this is compatible with business need. 

Performance Management and In Year Bonus Scheme 

The OEP is committed to promoting a high-performing culture for all employees. Performance and development management is key to developing trusting relationships between managers and employees so that they can be their best and thrive at work. Every individual will have a performance management plan which will be reviewed on a regular basis. 

The OEP has a quarterly ‘In-year Bonus Scheme’ where individuals and/ or teams can be recognised for outstanding one-off contributions and achievements. 

Learning and Development 

The OEP is a learning organisation and strongly supports the continuous professional development of all employees through both personal and work related study. The OEP will pay for one relevant profession membership per employee to support continuous professional development. 

Every employee has access to five days learning and development each year to support professional development. This could be through Civil Service Learning mandatory and voluntary learning, corporate inductions, staff events and welcome days as well as relevant professional qualifications and specific courses. 

Staff Wellbeing 

Staff wellbeing is extremely important and the OEP strives to provide access to numerous resources to aid the wellbeing of its employees. Current initiatives include: 

• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing free and confidential 24/7 telephone advice and guidance to support employees with both personal and employment issues. This may include personal wellbeing, career development or legal matters such as landlord / tenant disputes.
• Access to an Occupational Health Service to provide a range of support service to help with the way you feel at work.
• Access to trained Mental Health First Aiders and wider Defra Group mental health first aid network and resources.
• Free access to Headspace, a mindfulness, meditation and sleep app.
• Access to a Financial Wellbeing Portal.
• Free eye tests and a contribution to glasses/ lenses if required for VDU use.

Salary Sacrifice, Discounts and SmartTech Benefits 

All employees have access to the STaR, Reward Gateway an online platform providing access to hundreds of discounts, offers and cashback options with well-known retailers. They offer a SmartTech scheme, a Cash Healthcare plan and numerous other benefits and services. 

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 : OEP Recruitment
• Email : recruitment@theoep.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@theoep.org.uk

Further information

Complaints If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the OEP via email: recruitment@theoep.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the OEP, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.

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