Policy Advisor

**Purpose**

The Group Policy Unit focuses on supporting the long-term strategy of influencing and informing relevant politicians, policy makers and enabling organisations of the strengths of the University. The Group Policy Unit supports the achievement of key performance metrics and the successful delivery of the corporate strategy by informing the University Group Leadership of key policy drivers and their implications for University practice.

The Policy Advisor (Singapore Hub) will take the lead on co-ordinating the University Group’s access to intelligence about education, research and innovation policy in the geography covered by the Singapore Hub (with an initial focus on a limited number or priority countries). The post holder will also support the administration of effective relationships with government officials; maintain the Singapore Hub social media presence and will build strong links internally within Coventry University Group. (“the Group”).

**Main Duties and Responsibilities**
- Support the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Group Policy) and relevant members of University Group Senior Management in their engagement with national-level politicians, policy makers and relevant national organisations in the region to share knowledge internally and extend the reach of the Group in the region, with the local support and administrative supervision of the Director of the Singapore Hub, as per the Group Matrix Management structures and approaches.
- Undertake relevant and timely desk research, including background research to write briefing notes and policy papers. Precis relevant policy reports and other relevant reports, including an assessment of the priority and importance to the Group within the summary document.
- Draft formal Group responses to (for example) government inquiries and calls for contribution from other relevant sector bodies. This will frequently involve co-ordinating a number of contributions from internal colleagues and effectively drawing together many sources of information.
- Collate and maintain relevant Group information and case studies to enable effective information sharing with national politicians, policy makers and relevant national organisations.
- Create social media campaigns to promote the Group within the context of the Singapore Hub, working with Marketing and External Affairs to ensure correct Group corporate messaging.
- Administer effective relationships with relevant external contacts and partner organisations. Maintain relevant information and support effective communication with external contacts and with internal stakeholders.
- Build strong internal links within the Group to ensure effective communication, information sharing and intelligence gathering.
- Organise and attend relevant meetings, seminars and other events; take notes and communicate as appropriate. Support senior staff by attending meetings and with follow-up as appropriate.
- Administer and maintain all necessary management information to meet the requirements of the Group and Singapore Hub procedures.

**AND **such other duties as are within the scope and the spirit of the job purpose, the title of the post and it’s grading.

**Supervision Received**

The role has dual reporting lines to the below positions, in line with Group Matrix Management structures and approaches:

- Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Group Policy)
- Regional Managing Director, Singapore Hub

**Supervision Given**

None

**Contacts**

Staff at all levels throughout Coventry University Group

Educational partners at a national level in the region covered by the Singapore Hub

Relevant local and national organisations, including government agencies

**PERSON SPECIFICATION**

ESSENTIAL
- Educated to degree level standard or equivalent
- Experience / knowledge of the political or policy environment within a country in region
- Experience of drafting formal documents for external submission and for internal use at the most senior levels
- Experience of administering effective external relationships with significant partner organisations
- Experience of managing social media streams in the workplace
- Ability to understand the political sensitivities of the work
- Excellent desk research skills
- Excellent writing ability, including producing summaries of reports and collating information from a number of sources
- Ability to work cooperatively within the team and across a number of **virtual **teams
- Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals and organisations at all levels
- Ability to work effectively and accurately under pressure and be able to prioritise workload
- Ability to work on own initiative
- To be flexible in approach to working hours
- Willingness to travel internationally

ADVANTAGEOUS
- Experience of working with (or for) national policy organisation(s)
- Experience of writing complex responses to government inquiries or similar documents