Policy Officer PO4

An exciting post is available within our Strategy and Design team which operates at the heart of Waltham Forest Council. We welcome applications whether you are new to policy work or local government. As long as you have the passion to make a difference and hold the skills required then we are interested in hearing from you.

As Policy Officer you will play a key role in the development and delivery of the Council’s ambitions, working closely with senior officers and elected members and reporting into the Deputy Head of Strategy.  You will work on strategic priority projects and programmes, provide high quality advice, and help develop new participatory and exciting approaches to support the Council to meet the needs of our existing and future residents. 

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to work across a wide range of subject areas on high-profile, crosscutting pieces of work. Current priorities which you can expect to be working on as part of this role are: the Cost of Living and Housing crises; Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion; 15-Minute Neighbourhoods, and developing the next Corporate Strategy. This means you will get experience of working on some of the biggest challenges not only facing Waltham Forest, but on a national and global scale.

It is a fast-paced role, within a dynamic and influential team, working across all council services and activities. You will be expected to work with change, communications and digital colleagues across the Deputy Chief Executive’s Department, as well as supporting senior leaders with policy requirements, especially at short notice. 

You will also be expected to work across and beyond the council, working with other public, private and third-sector bodies to develop strategy and policy and advocate on our behalf. It will be a visible role, both within and beyond Waltham Forest.

The Person

The successful applicant will have a positive, can-do attitude and approach to supporting the council to deliver their priorities. 

You will have excellent written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work creatively and positively to find solutions to problems. You will be resilient, highly motivated and able to work with agility in a pressurised political environment. You will be confident, open and outgoing in order to build lasting relationships across the Council and with external bodies. 

You will have experience of, or the skills required to work in a policy role, working with politicians and senior leaders. Research, analysis and evaluation experience, as well as writing reports and briefings to a high standard is also an advantage.

Waltham Forest

Waltham Forest is an ambitious Borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities and increase social cohesion.  Building on our year as London’s first-ever Borough of Culture we are creating more opportunities to empower our residents and boost their life chances. We have recently opened Fellowship Square, a new public space to bring communities together and will be at the heart of a new neighbourhood.

Our ambition is to ensure all of our residents can enjoy a good quality life. This includes working with residents to tackle the inequalities they face. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally-driven and commercially-minded; a Council focussed on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents.

We are looking for the right people to make this a reality and with the Council’s strong track record of providing a variety of career pathways this is an exciting opportunity not to be missed.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Amy Steel, Deputy Head of Strategy at amy.steel@walthamforest.gov.uk