Department of Health and Social Care
Senior Companies Policy Sponsor
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Leeds, London
Job Summary
The Companies Sponsorship Team operates across DHSC's London and Leeds offices and is responsible for overseeing the department's portfolio of government-owned companies. The team provides strategic, financial and governance oversight, ensuring these organisations are well governed, financially sustainable, deliver value for money, and align with departmental priorities.
This role works autonomously within a supportive and collaborative team environment, providing commercial and financial leadership across a varied portfolio of sponsorship, governance and corporate projects. There is scope to tailor aspects of the role to reflect the skills, interests and experience of the successful candidate.
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Companies Sponsorship Team, contributing to the department's oversight of government-owned companies and supporting the delivery of complex transformation programmes. The role offers exposure to senior stakeholders across government and the opportunity to influence key decisions that support the effective management and performance of organisations delivering key public objectives.
In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.
Job Description
You will lead the development and implementation of sponsorship and governance policy across the department's portfolio of government-owned companies and retained estate interests. Acting as a senior policy adviser, you will provide expert interpretation of complex cross-government requirements, including Managing Public Money, Cabinet Office controls, HM Treasury guidance and the DHSC Companies Governance Framework, translating policy into practical governance and oversight arrangements.
Working closely with ministers, senior officials, company Chairs, Boards and cross-government partners, you will provide authoritative advice on company sponsorship, governance, accountability, corporate transactions and organisational change. You will lead on the design and application of governance frameworks, ensuring that government-owned companies operate effectively, deliver value for money, and remain aligned with departmental and wider government objectives.
This is a high-profile role requiring strong policy leadership, sound judgement and the ability to influence at senior levels. The successful candidate will combine a deep understanding of government governance frameworks with the practical experience to apply them to complex and often novel circumstances, providing clear, trusted advice on issues with significant ministerial, financial and reputational implications.
Person specification
Companies Policy and Sponsorship
- Lead and advise on companies sponsorship policy, including interpretation and application of the DHSC Companies Governance Framework, Cabinet Office controls, and cross‑government requirements
- Act as a senior policy sponsor for designated companies and corporate interests, ensuring appropriate governance, accountability, and performance oversight
- Provide authoritative advice on creation, change of form, strategic ventures and dissolutions, including business cases and ministerial submissions
Retained Estate Policy and Oversight
- Provide senior ownership and policy advice on the Secretary of State retained estate, including leasehold and freehold interests, overage and clawback provisions, ransom strips, and legal charges
- Oversee and assure the retained estate disposal programme, ensuring compliance with statutory duties, value for money, and appropriate governance.
- Commission and manage specialist professional advice (legal, property, commercial) where required, and assure delivery against agreed objectives.
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Risk, Governance and Assurance
- Lead on identification and management of strategic, financial and reputational risks across the companies and retained estate portfolio
- Provide senior input to audit, assurance, Freedom of Information requests, Parliamentary business, National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee engagement and responses linked to companies’ policy and legacy programmes
- Ensure robust record‑keeping information assurance and compliance with departmental and cross‑government standards
Stakeholder and Cross‑Government Leadership
- Build and maintain effective senior relationships with HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, UK Government Investments, legal advisers, arm’s length bodies and wider health family partners
- Represent the department in senior forums, boards, and cross‑government groups where companies policy or retained estate interests are considered
- Provide clear, trusted advice to ministers, senior officials and private offices on complex and sensitive issues
Leadership and Capability
- Provide strong leadership within the Companies Sponsorship function, modelling inclusive leadership and professional excellence
- Develop capability across policy, sponsorship and commercial disciplines within the team
- Line‑manage senior staff and contribute to wider directorate leadership and workforce planning
Essential
Key skills and experience required for the role
- Significant experience operating at a senior level in a policy, sponsorship governance or related strategic role
- Demonstrable experience applying corporate governance, public‑sector company sponsorship and statutory accountability frameworks to support oversight and decision‑making
- Proven ability to provide strategic advice on complex organisational, governance or sponsorship issues, translating high-level policy into practical solutions and influencing senior decision-making
- Experience supporting Boards, senior committees or organisational change programmes, with a strong understanding of sponsorship, governance and shareholder oversight arrangements
- Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with a track record of building trusted relationships and working effectively with senior leaders
Desirable
- A relevant professional qualification in governance, company secretariat, public policy, law, risk management, finance or a related discipline (for example CGIUKI, CIPFA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA, PRINCE2, MSP or equivalent)
- Experience advising on the creation, restructuring, governance reform or closure of public bodies, government-owned companies or corporate entities
- Understanding of the health, care, life sciences or wider public services landscape and the governance challenges associated with government-owned companies
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
Alongside your salary of £70,730, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £20,490 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
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Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Applications will be sifted week commencing: 21/09/2026
Interview date: week commencing: 28/09/2026
Interview location: By video
Further details and interview slots will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
An initial sift based on the personal statement may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert. Please also include a list of your relevant qualifications, including any you are working towards.
Please use your personal statement to (in no more than 1250 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.
At Interview Candidates Will Be Assessed On Following Behaviours
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/departments/working-for-the-department-of-health-social-care/ and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/
Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available.
Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.
Candidates must ensure that all information provided in their application is factually accurate. Any examples provided must be taken from personal experience. The Civil Service abides by honesty and integrity as part of its core values, if evidence of plagiarism is found, applications may be withdrawn.
Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.
This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes
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