Head of Policy - Scotland

About the CBI

We serve as the catalyst between industry and government to drive positive change, speaking for businesses of all sizes and sectors across the whole economy in every UK region and nation, ensuring sustainable growth for the benefit of society. Our voice represents 170,000 businesses. This includes over 1,000 corporate members, plus nearly 150 trade associations. Our corporate members alone employ over 2.3 million private sector workers.

The CBI is committed to ensuring a safe, supportive and inclusive people-centric culture where our people can excel in achieving their full potential and being their best authentic selves in an environment where ethical values and respectful behaviours are at the very heart of who we are in our everyday interactions.

Role Summary

As the CBI Scotland Head of Policy, you will play a crucial role in shaping and advocating for the business agenda in Scotland, influencing key stakeholders, and driving economic growth in the region. This is an important and interesting time to join the CBI in Scotland – with a new government in Westminster and the potential for major priorities, such as net zero, having significant policy implications in Scotland.

Reporting into the Scotland Director, the Head of Policy serves as the primary contact for the Scottish Government, Civil Service and other stakeholders operating in Scotland, playing a pivotal role in guaranteeing that the CBI accurately reflects the diversity and richness of the business community.

CBI Scotland runs a program of work that revolves around key economic events: A program for the Government, Budgets for both UK and Scotland, and the CBI Scotland Productivity Index Report.

This role leads in overseeing and authorising CBI Scotland’s submissions to the Scottish
Government, coordinating input from across the policy floor, leading the membership engagement strategy, liaising with the press and media team, and overseeing the economic analysis function, which supports policy development.

The Scottish Head of Policy will provide strong support for the delivery of the overall program of activation, engagement and influence of both business and government in Scotland (B2B and B2G activities) in pursuit of that prize. They will develop the subject matter expertise the CBI needs to have an impact in this area, contribute effectively towards the program design and delivery, will identify and work with partners in pursuit of impact, and will work with colleagues to ensure it sits effectively within a wider CBI set of campaign activities.

They will be working closely with the Scotland Director and team (Commercial, Events & Sponsorship and Media & Communications), as well as the Policy and Economics Directors, Public Affairs, Campaigns & Communications, other Nations policy leads and other Commercial leaders to ensure the CBI programme of B2B and B2G facing work is an integrated, proactive and impactful set of activities and outcomes.

We are looking for candidates with a good understanding of the policy landscape and fiscal context, strong written and verbal communication skills (a good foundation in economics), and the ability to think strategically and work at pace. You will need to possess strong project management skills to plan and run the fiscal submission process and ensure inputs from policy teams are received in good time.

If you possess a keen interest in political and current affairs, coupled with a passion for business, and possess the authoritative voice needed to represent the foremost business leaders in Scotland, we invite you to join the UK’s leading business membership organisation in Scotland.

Through contributing to our mission of enhancing the business environment with the overarching goal of fostering prosperity for all. This is an excellent opportunity if you are looking to use your Scottish policy expertise to achieve lasting impact.

As well as full-time applications, we are also open to part-time or job share applications. If you would like to be considered on this basis, please indicate on your cover letter.

Key Responsibilities

Influence public policy in the interest of CBI members and business, to respond to priorities and needs of government and members

• Develop intellectually rigorous perspectives and responses to support CBI views and perspectives, working with members and CBI colleagues.
• Ensure policy work is of high quality, evidence-based and sits within a broader CBI policy perspective.
• Liaise closely with the other Devolved Nations policy leads to ensure that UK wide policy reflects the view of devolved nations and that the Devolved Nations can draw on additional support as needed.
• Ensure that CBI policy is informed by a representative cross-section of business.

Drive key cross-cutting policy enablers of CBI themes and business success factors

• Lead the work to identify key policy enables that drive cross-cutting success and develop positions and perspective.
• Develop CBI positions on key areas of policy that are core to members and sit separately from programs such as cross-cutting enablers such as infrastructure, skills and regulation, as well as key business priorities such as business rates and taxation.
• Link with the Policy and Economic Directors to identify and formulate cross-theme policies that will have an impact on the enablement of all the CBI work.

Ensure that subject matter expertise is maintained and perspectives developed on key cross-cutting enablers.

• Monitor and develop subject matter expertise related to Scottish policy within the Scotland team and supporting colleagues.
• Identify emerging risks, for example, a lack of expertise, in particular areas that arise through an understanding of member and government priorities.
• Support the team to continue to develop perspectives and encourage knowledge sharing across different policy areas.

Represent CBI at a senior level through key government and stakeholder relationships as well as on public platforms

• Building credible and strong working relationships at a senior level in the UK and Scottish Governments, the business community and with other organisations.
• Represent the CBI in media and through other public communications that support the policy position developed and build credibility and awareness of the strength of CBI policy work.
• Identify key partners and stakeholders to collaborate with (formally and informally) and put those relationships in place.
• Participate actively in CBI events, councils and standing committees to both shape and represent the work of the team.

Support member engagement and communications in key policy areas

• Ensure that relevant updates and perspectives are made available to the teams driving member account management and communication.
• Seek innovative ways to maximize our member service by leveraging the work the team does around fiscal events and the fiscal intelligence we gather.
• Develop and deploy team capacity to support key members with communications related to policy concerns and perspectives.
• Lead discussions and gather input from relevant Standing Committees and Councils as relevant for the areas of work.

Support the development of the CBI policy priorities on a quarterly basis, and align the team to deliver against them.

• Working closely with the Scotland Director, develop perspectives on priorities and resources for the team, balancing the team’s workload to maintain subject matter expertise while also responding to priorities needed.
• Working with the Public Affairs team, keep abreast of government priorities and identify the opportunities to maximize influence.
• Working closely with the Marketing and Propositions Director, understand key member priorities and implications for policy priorities.

Additional responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with other members of the leadership to make a full and active contribution to all aspects of CBI’s work.
• Undertake any other responsibilities as required by the Scotland Director.
• Maintain a degree of flexibility, enabling the organisation to make the most of new and unexpected opportunities.

Knowledge and Experience

What an individual must know or understand to be able to fulfil the role's requirements:

• Professional understanding of how to influence UK and Scottish policy development.
• Good grasp of challenges and opportunities facing businesses operating in the UK.
• Experience in senior policy development or influence.
• A good foundation in economics.
• Knowledge of the regional, national and international economic and political climate.
• Demonstrated intellectual interest and curiosity.

Additional role specific skills

The practical actions required to be able to fulfil the role's requirements:

• Influencing skills.
• Ability to take good judgement calls in fast-paced environments.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Effective in dealing with senior stakeholders in business, government and the media.
• Ability to develop exceptional working relationships, both internally and externally
• Excellent planning, prioritisation and organisational skills.