Local Policy Analyst

We are delighted to share this new and exciting opportunity for a Local Policy Analyst to join our dynamic organisation.

As the voice of the UK’s co-operative movement, we empower and support co-operative enterprise with specialised knowledge and expertise, to grow the co-operative economy and create a fairer society. From football clubs and farms to convenience stores and pubs, there are more than 7,000 co-operatives in the UK, each owned and controlled by their members and based on a set of shared principles and values. By promoting shared wealth through member ownership, we are committed to enable anyone in the UK to form, or join, thriving and sustainable co-ops.

As a Local Policy Analyst, you will produce evidence-based policy analysis to support local co-operative growth, ensuring that local co-operatives and national stakeholders are actively involved in the policymaking process. You will assist local policymakers in transforming policy ambitions into impactful interventions, develop business cases, and design local programmes for co-operative development. You will be working within the Reclaiming Our Regional Economies (RORE) programme, which brings together communities and leaders to reform regional economies. Your role will involve collaborating with the RORE partnership and Co-operatives UK Policy Team to apply your expertise in developing effective policies and programmes.

As an organisation we are led by our unwavering values of solidarity, self-responsibility, equity, and honesty, therefore if you share these core values, we would be delighted to receive your application.

Core responsibilities

We invite all interested parties to learn more about the role and our organisation within the recruitment pack, which can be downloaded from the recruitment documents section.

Produce evidence-based policy analysis into effective ways to support local co-operative growth, including:

• Produce analysis of how co-operative growth could align with and contribute to the achievement of local priorities and strategies across different partners
• Produce research and analysis on best practice and ‘what works’ in supporting local co-operative growth
• Horizon scan for best practice, emerging issues and policy/legislative changes which are relevant to co-operative development and growth

Ensure local co-operatives and national co-operative stakeholders are involved and empowered in the policymaking process, including:

• Facilitate co-productive policy design and development processes
• Engage stakeholders in the policymaking process

Support local policymakers in partner areas to turn policy ambition to support co-operative growth into impactful interventions and practice, including:

• Provide advice and guidance to local policy makers and practitioners on best practice approaches to developing interventions which support co-operative growth
• Support partners to identify creative ways to overcome blocks and barriers to translating policy which supports co-operative growth into practice

Help develop business cases and design local programmes and interventions for co-operative growth, including:

• Produce engaging and clear written resources including workshop materials, reports, presentations and guidance materials, as needed
• Conduct thematic or other analysis of data to inform the development of an evidence base

Essential Criteria

• Experience of working at a place-based level, such as within local government, local infrastructure or the community/VCSE sector
• Experience of evidence-based policy analysis, research and development, including analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and presenting insights
• Able to understand, communicate, review and synthesize information generated from quantitative research, data and evidence
• Knowledge of local economic development and diverse business forms such as co-operatives, social enterprise and third sector
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal to a wide range of audiences, including local government and project partners
• Strong relationship, partnership and client management skills. Able to adapt style to influence and generate credibility across a diverse range of audiences and situations
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to prioritise work to meet deadlines, including management of projects
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure, trouble-shoot, and to meet short- and long-term deadlines

Benefits

At Co-operatives UK we are a mindful, inclusive, and equal opportunities employer. As an organisation that is owned and controlled by its members, we put our people at the forefront of all that we do. We offer:

• Flexible working options
• Pension scheme
• Discounted travel to work schemes
• Employee wellbeing assistance programme including free eye tests
• Personal and professional growth and development, including coaching
• Trade union

To apply please follow our application process and complete the application form – CVs cannot be accepted: www.uk.coop/careers

Application deadline: Midnight, Sunday 29^th September 2024

Interviews: Week commencing 7^th October 2024, in Manchester.