Job Description Senior Policy Assistant to the Chief Executive and Programme Manager Grade: 7 (£47,587 - £56,823 per annum) Hours: Location: 35 hours a week Central London The King’s Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and health care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible care is available to all. Role This is a vital post providing research and policy support for the Chief Executive. The post-holder will develop, lead, and undertake research, analysis and policy projects in support of the Chief Executive, and will manage some private office functions. The post-holder will also programme manage the cross-Fund Integrated Care Programme. This will involve overseeing the coordination of integrated care activities across the organisation, monitoring and reporting on progress, acting as the main point of contact for colleagues internally, communicating with senior external stakeholders, and supporting the design and delivery of development programmes related to integrated care. It should be recognised that while the focus will initially be on integrated care, the Programme Manager aspect of the role may change as the priorities and programmes of the Fund evolve. Main responsibilities 1. Undertake research and policy work at the direction of the Chief Executive o Carry out primary and secondary research, analysis, commentary, consultancy and development work on health policy topics for the Chief Executive (ranging from small web-based research tasks to more extensive projects for example involving literature reviews, interviews and visits) o Provide support with preparing papers and articles by the Chief Executive for publication, such as preparing references for journal articles, and liaising with the Publications team as necessary o Attend external conferences and events on behalf of the Chief Executive, providing written and verbal feedback o When conducting research on behalf of the Chief Executive, ensure this is delivered on time and to budget 2. Provide private office support for the Chief Executive, working closely with the Chief Executive’s PA. This includes: handling correspondence; liaising with senior personnel from health and social care organisations at the request of the Chief Executive; taking notes at internal and external meetings as requested; and organising events hosted by the Chief Executive 3. Act as a key point of contact between the Chief Executive and other colleagues, including following up on actions on the Chief Executive’s behalf to ensure these are carried out 4. Keep abreast of the Fund’s work and policies and developments in the external environment in support of the Chief Executive, ensuring relevant information is shared with the Chief Executive as appropriate 5. Undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required to support the Chief Executive 6. As Programme Manager for the Integrated Care Programme, oversee the coordination of the full range of policy, leadership development, events, communications, and other integrated care activities across the organisation o Work with the Chief Executive, Programme Lead and colleagues across the Fund to develop the overall objectives and priorities for the programme o Work collaboratively with the Programme Operations Group and colleagues across the Fund to develop, plan, and coordinate the delivery of the range of integrated care activities, to ensure the maximum impact of the Fund’s work on integrated care o Take the lead on monitoring and reporting on progress to the Senior Management Team, the Board of Trustees, and other colleagues as required o Act as the main point of contact for the Integrated Care Programme for colleagues internally, including sharing information about plans and activities with colleagues as appropriate o Maintain oversight of the integrated care programme budget, working collaboratively with Finance colleagues o These responsibilities will involve setting up and maintaining programme plans, holding internal meetings, producing progress reports, and undertaking associated administrative tasks as required, working closely with the programme coordinator 7. Provide advice and input on health policy issues related to integrated care, including contributing to consultation responses as appropriate 8. Work closely with the Communications Lead for the Programme in managing relations with external stakeholders, including developing close links with relevant external bodies, and communicating with stakeholders about our programme of work and our key policy messages on behalf of the Chief Executive and Programme Lead 9. Support the design and delivery of development programmes related to integrated care and in particular, a new programme of support working with four communities on integrated care. This may include: o Contributing to the design of programmes/ workshops o Working with the Programme Coordinator as necessary to help prepare programme materials o Preparing notes and reports of workshops, learning network meetings and other activities o Establishing effective relationships with participants and acting as a key point of contact and support. In addition to these core areas of responsibility, subject to capacity and priorities, the postholder may also: 10. Contribute to the design, development and delivery of research projects on integrated care, employing appropriate research methodologies, and working closely with colleagues in the Policy team 11. Deliver elements of integrated care workshops and development programmes with guidance and support from senior colleagues. Person specification Essential 1. Sound knowledge of how policy is developed 2. A good understanding of health policy and health services in England including how the NHS is organised and funded 3. Strong research skills, and the ability to synthesise information from a variety of sources and to interpret data 4. Strong project and/or programme management skills, and experience of actively participating in a team to deliver projects 5. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write clearly on policy issues for different audiences 6. Good networking and excellent interpersonal skills, including tact and assertiveness, confidence in working with senior people, and the ability to communicate at all levels in a complex environment 7. A self-starter, able to work with a fair degree of autonomy and with discretion 8. Ability to work under pressure to deadlines, and to adapt to changing priorities and conflicting demands 9. Attention to detail and the ability to ensure all outputs are of the highest quality 10. Ability to tackle challenges constructively, and find creative ways forward 11. IT literate with competence in the standard suite of MS Office packages 12. Numerate, with the ability to understand financial data 13. An understanding of, and commitment to, equal opportunities and cultural diversity Desirable 1. A higher degree in public health, health policy or health services research 2. An understanding of current health and social care policy around integrated care