Senior Business Strategy & Governance Officer

Overview

Are you confident turning complex information into clear, practical advice that helps services make good decisions?

We are looking for an experienced, collaborative, proactive and highly organised Senior Business Strategy and Governance Officer to join the Communities Strategy and Governance team. This varied role sits at the centre of policy, governance, planning, reporting and organisational improvement.  

Policy development makes up a significant part of the role as you will be the council’s Home to School Transport policy lead. You will help your business partnered service area to review their policies, interpret legislation and guidance, coordinate public consultations and turn policy intent into clear, deliverable objectives.

You will work closely with senior leaders, elected Members and corporate colleagues to shape directorate priorities, support key decision-making processes, and drive excellent governance across a diverse and high-profile service area. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact on services that matter to our residents and communities.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

The Communities Directorate delivers a broad range of services that make a real difference to residents, communities and places across Buckinghamshire. It is a directorate with a wide reach, varied responsibilities and a strong focus on supporting thriving, resilient and well-connected communities.

Our Strategy and Governance team helps services plan ahead, navigate governance and decision-making, develop strong policies and produce clear, evidence-based reports. As a team, we provide strategic leadership, policy and governance advice, business planning support, policy development, staff engagement coordination, and decision-making guidance.

We work across all Communities service areas, partnering closely with senior managers, directors, Members, and corporate business partner teams to ensure informed decision-making and strong organisational governance.

We are a supportive and collaborative team, with a strong focus on practical advice and high-quality delivery. Innovation is encouraged, expertise is valued, and team members are empowered to contribute ideas that help shape the future of our services.

Joining our team means becoming part of a network of professionals who are passionate about improving outcomes for residents, supporting our leaders, and helping Buckinghamshire Council deliver its strategic ambitions.

About the role

As Senior Business Strategy and Governance Officer, you will act as a trusted business partner for one or more Communities service areas. You will build strong relationships, understand service priorities and provide practical support across staff engagement, governance, reporting, planning, performance, improvement, risk and policy development.

You will be the council’s school transport policy lead. You will lead and support policy work from review through to implementation, working with government departments, services and corporate colleagues to produce clear, proportionate and robust policies, procedures and guidance.

You will also contribute to service and directorate planning, corporate plan monitoring, forward plans, leadership team agendas, key decision reports, risk information, horizon-scanning and improvement activity.

The role offers variety, senior exposure and the chance to make a visible contribution to how public services are shaped and delivered. You will work with service directors, senior managers, Members, corporate colleagues, external partners and other Strategy and Governance teams.

No two days are the same. One day you may be supporting a major strategic decision, the next you could be leading policy development, facilitating governance training, coordinating directorate-wide engagement activity, or identifying emerging legislative changes that could impact service delivery.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

We are looking for someone who combines strategic insight with excellent governance knowledge and the confidence to work with senior stakeholders across the organisation.

You are someone who enjoys policy, governance and business partnering work and understands the importance of clear, well-governed decision-making. You will have experience of developing policies, procedures, strategies, plans or guidance in a complex organisation.

You will be able to write clearly, analyse information carefully and translate complex requirements into practical products. You will bring strong organisational skills, sound judgement, attention to detail and the confidence to work with colleagues at different levels.

If you want a role where your policy, governance and relationship-building skills can have a practical impact across a wide range of public services, we will welcome your application.

Other information

Closing date for applications: 28 October 2026

Interview date: 17 November 2026

Assessment process: Two-stage process.

• Stage 1: Panel interviews.
• Stage 2: Selected candidate(s) proceed to a professional conversation with a Service Director.

The team work flexibly with a minimum of 40% in the office; more as required depending on business needs (including team building / management requirements).

If you would like to discuss this opportunity before applying, please contact [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/