Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Assistant Director of Strategy, Policy and Stakeholder Engagement
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The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is a modern, vibrant organisation full of passionate, committed people. We make final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by UK Government departments and the NHS in England. We work closely with people to understand where, how and why public services sometimes fall short and fail to put people first. And we find ways to put it right.
Based in the centre of Manchester and Westminster, we employ over 600 individuals, collaboratively working together to make voices heard. We have created a diverse and inclusive culture, whilst offering flexibility to give you the autonomy to work in the best way suited to you.
This is an opportunity to join us at a senior level and shape how we influence change across public services. You will work on issues that matter, using insight from complaints to improve how services are delivered, and building relationships at the highest levels to make sure people’s experiences lead to real change.
The role
This is a senior leadership role where you will shape how we think, plan and work as an organisation. You will lead our strategy, policy and stakeholder engagement teams, making sure our plans are clear, evidence-based, and focused on improving public services.
You will work closely with senior leaders, including the Executive Team and Board, to provide advice on key issues and help set direction. You will also build strong relationships with people across government, the NHS, and other organisations, making sure our work has real influence and supports change.
Alongside this, you will lead and develop high-performing teams, making sure they have clear direction and support to deliver. This is a role where you can have a real impact, using insight from our work to shape policy, improve services, and make a difference to the public.
What we are looking for:
- Significant experience in a senior strategy, policy, research, or stakeholder engagement role, ideally within the public or health sector
- Proven track record of developing and implementing strategy and policy to deliver organisational objectives
- In-depth understanding of strategy development, policy analysis, research methodologies, and stakeholder engagement methods
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience of engaging and building relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior government officials and public sector leaders
- Excellent leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and develop high-performing teams
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We recognise the value of lived experience. If you have experience of complaining about any public body, we strongly encourage you to apply.
Our benefits:
- Civil Service Pension scheme
- 32.5 days annual leave (plus bank holidays on top)
- Hybrid working, 40% office-based
- Flexible working
- Access to a free, confidential Employee Assistance Programme offering 24/7 advice and support from professionals and counsellors
- Comprehensive learning and development programme
- Employee discount scheme across hundreds of retailers
- Bicycle loan scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Gym membership subsidy
- Paid for professional memberships
- Eye test reimbursement
Applicants from the Civil Service or accredited Non-Departmental Public Bodies are welcome to apply.
We are open to considering this role on a loan or secondment basis. If you are applying on this basis, you must have agreement in principle from your current employer before submitting your application.
How to apply (and how to do well)
You will answer four scored questions at the application stage. We use these to longlist and shortlist, so your answers matter.
- Choose real examples (from professional settings)
- Focus on what you did, not what “we” did as a group
- Explain your thinking: what you looked at, what you decided, and why
- Keep it clear and specific, avoid generic statements
Please do not use AI to write your answers. We need to assess your skills, and applications may be rejected if answers appear AI-generated.
If your examples are very short, mostly opinion-based, or don’t describe a specific situation and outcome, you are unlikely to score well.
Inclusion & Wellbeing
Equality, diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing are vital to the way we work and our culture. We want our colleagues to feel included, valued, and supported at work. It is essential that we are representative and accessible for the people who work here and those who use our service.
Actions we take to embed this include:
- An anonymised shortlisting process to make sure it is fair and unbiased
- Monitoring the demographic trends in our workforce and making measured, sustained efforts to improve our diversity at all levels
- Providing wellbeing support and opportunities for personal and professional development for all colleagues
- Creating spaces for connection and engagement through our employee network groups and social clubs
- Part of the disability confident scheme
- Providing reasonable adjustments
- Engaging in regular inclusion learning to enhance the cultural competency of our organisation
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We know the value of having diverse, representative teams across our organisation. Which is why we particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented within the team. These include people who are:
- Asian, Black, Mixed Ethnicity, or another ethnic background
- Disabled
- LGBTQ
Contact and important information
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact either Scott Stevenson, Director of Strategy and Resources, Scott.Stevenson@ombudsman.org.uk or Laura Pardoe, Assistant Director of Strategy, Policy and Stakeholder Engagement, Laura.Mingins@ombudsman.org.uk
- Interviews: held onsite
- Feedback: we do not offer feedback at the application stage
- Right to work: we can only consider candidates with the right to work in the UK
- Sponsorship: we are unable to offer sponsorship (we do not have a licence)
- Applications: we do not accept CVs—please apply via the application form (‘apply now’)
- Agencies: no agencies; applications from individuals only
- Early closure: we may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of applications
- Salary: non-negotiable
Important notice: fraudulent job postings
We have been made aware that some websites are falsely advertising job vacancies for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). We only advertise job vacancies through these official channels:
- Our website
- Civil Service Jobs
- GOV.uk
- Indeed
- Ombudsman association
- BMEjobs.co.uk
- Disabilityjob.co.uk
- Neurodiversityjobs.co.uk
- LGBTjobs.co.uk
Do not share personal details with any other websites claiming to represent PHSO. Contact our recruitment team to report any concerns at recruitment@ombudsman.org.uk
We are changing our name
We are changing our name. Later this year we will become the Public Service Ombudsman. This will make it easier for people to find us and understand what we do. The service we provide will remain the same. Visit our website to find out more.
If you have any questions, please contact us at recruitment@ombudsman.org.uk.
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