We don’t just talk, we do. Lead the change with us.

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere.

We are a global team of nearly 800 changemakers, operating in more than 30 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference.

In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

Role Summary

Role Summary

The Director of Political Leadership Research is a new role within the Policy and Politics division, leading a team dedicated to cutting-edge thinking about how political leaders can get things done. This will include giving political leaders the right methods for determining and sticking to strategy, developing action-oriented policy and ensuring actual delivery, all with a focus on how technology enables most effective possible good government.

This is a very unique role in that it is focusing on generating researching in how political leaders are effective in their role. The research programme will rely on comparative analysis, case studies, and broad external engagement. All to produce content for use with TBI’s clients and sometimes publication, that is practical vs theoretical in nature.

The Director will play a leading role in supporting our global advisory efforts and strengthening our proposition to political leaders.

The Director is also expected to work closely with all other policy teams on issues such as science and technology, economics and fiscal policy, health etc to ensure our overall policy package we develop globally is ambitious but also practical and capable of implementation.

This role reports to the Executive Director, Policy, and requires close working relationships with the Institute’s Executive Chairman, Senior Executive Team, senior global Advisory colleagues, our Strategy and Partnerships and Internal Operations teams.

Key Responsibilities

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The holder of this position will lead a research programme to explore the demands on political leaders today, best practice examples of political leadership from around the world, and new thinking on how to get things done. This might include:

• Tools for incoming political leaders to set priorities and implement manifestos (for example checklists for first 100 days, first year, first term)
• Structures for delivery, including models for centralised units and coordination between departments
• Tools for developing long term policy, and how to work strategically
• Innovation in government in terms of structure & machinery of government, use of data, communication and personnel
• Methods for preparing for emerging challenges, and to anticipate and prepare for eventualities

The jobholder will also be expected to:

• Deliver a combination of published research, private briefing papers for client governments and bespoke consultancy-type projects for individual leaders and governments.
• Provide direct advice to senior leaders in TBI, and to external clients
• Advocate for the Institute’s point of view in external meetings and conferences, or through the media, growing our reputation in the field
• Provide collaboration and specific expertise to other strands of policy work
• Support senior leaders in the Institute in their external engagements
• Manage and be accountable for the team’s budget
• Build, lead, coach and direct a team that operates in a globally integrated way across TBI
• Ensure the growth and development of a high-performing culture and provide a continued focus on learning, development and employee well-being
• Oversee and be accountable for recruitment within the team
• Build strong, collaborative relationships across TBI and actively champion TBI’s progressive values

Person Specification

• A track record of substantive engagement on political leadership, within government, business, academia or a policy organisation
• Familiarity with political leadership issues, including:
  • The theory of how to get things done in government; and
  • The practice of implementing changes
• A network of global contacts through industry, academia and policymaking
• Experience of working with political leaders
• An outstanding ability to communicate complex issues to a range of audiences
• A track record of leading high-performing teams and proven ability to build, inspire and retain teams to achieve exceptional objectives
• Excellent teamwork skills to work successfully within a complex and diverse organisation
• Strategic, entrepreneurial, and able to drive forward with minimal oversight

The following attributes are advantageous:

• Academic qualifications in a relevant field, and/or experience working directly in implementation
• Experience of working in a more than one national setting
• A track record of public speaking and advocacy on political leadership issues

Closing Date:

2024-08-09