Assistant Director Strategy and External Affairs

Overview

Assistant Director of Strategy and External Affairs.

Permanent

B01- £87,724 to £130,531

Working 36.5 hours per week

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for shaping public policy and driving meaningful change? Birmingham City Council is seeking an exceptional leader to join our senior team as Assistant Director of Strategy and External Affairs.

This is a pivotal role at the heart of the council's strategic leadership, responsible for ensuring Birmingham's priorities are championed across regional and national platforms. You'll lead high-impact engagement with government, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and key partners, influencing policy, securing resources, and embedding Birmingham's voice in the decisions that shape our future.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead strategic policy engagement with national and regional bodies, ensuring Birmingham's priorities are heard and acted upon.
• Shape the council's position on public service reform, inclusive growth, and economic development.
• Develop and deliver lobbying strategies, funding bids, and advocacy campaigns.
• Provide high-level briefings and strategic advice to senior leaders including the MD, Deputy Chief Executive, and Cabinet.
• Represent Birmingham in WMCA forums and lead joint policy initiatives with partners like Core Cities.
• Oversee the Cabinet Office and Strategic Partnerships, aligning external affairs with internal strategy.
• Drive a culture of collaboration and innovation, working across departments and with external experts to deliver impactful outcomes.

What We're Looking For

• Proven strategic leadership in complex stakeholder environments.
• Deep understanding of UK government policy, devolution, and public sector reform.
• Exceptional communication and analytical skills, with the ability to influence at the highest levels.
• Experience in programme and project management, delivering results under pressure.
• Strong political acumen and the ability to navigate and shape policy landscapes.
• A collaborative leader who builds trusted partnerships and champions diversity and inclusion.

Why Join Us?

At Birmingham City Council, we're committed to driving positive outcomes for our residents. You'll be part of a dynamic leadership team, working in a city that's bold, diverse, and ambitious. We value openness, resilience, and innovation and we're looking for someone who shares these principles.

This is more than a job it's a chance to shape the future of Birmingham.

Ready to make a difference?
Apply now and help us lead Birmingham into its next chapter.

Application Process

Please upload your up-to-date CV and a cover letter via the attachments part of your application, this is required for shortlisting. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV attached

Equal Opportunity and Support

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data tells us that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are underrepresented and therefore we will use positive action to support us to achieve diverse shortlists. This may mean that recruitment times are a little longer, but we think this is worth it to achieve our aim.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people.

We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Job Description and Person Specification.pdf