Senior Policy Officer - Health and Economic Participation


Company:	West Midlands Combined Authority
Salary:	£54,979 to £61,497 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Birmingham, B19 3SD
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	19 Oct 2026
Closing date:	2 Nov 2026

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Summary

Good health and economic participation are mutually reinforcing... In this role, you’ll help turn health and prevention priorities into practical projects that enable more people across the West Midlands to enter, remain in or return to work – specifically Good Work.

Working across WMCA and alongside health services, local authorities, employers and community partners, you will use evidence and insight to develop policy proposals, pilots and employer-facing interventions. Your work will support the implementation of WMCA’s Health Duty, with a particular focus on prevention and workforce wellbeing.

Please note, this is an 18-month fixed-term-contract.

What you will be doing

Support the development and implementation of policy on health and economic participation, ensuring alignment with the Growth Plan, West Midlands Works and Health of the Region strategy.

Turn evidence and stakeholder insight into practical projects, pilots and policy proposals addressing ill-health-related economic inactivity.

Develop workplace and community prevention activity, including digital health checks, health screening, employer-facing interventions and approaches that support healthier, longer working lives.

Build effective relationships with employers, NHS partners, local authorities, business networks, employment support providers and VCSE organisations to co-design and test interventions.

Prepare clear briefings, options papers, business cases, funding proposals and recommendations for senior leaders, governance boards and the Mayor’s Office.

Plan and monitor projects, manage risks and dependencies, and use performance and evaluation evidence to refine, scale and embed effective approaches.

What’s essential

Substantial experience of supporting policy development and practical implementation in health, employment, skills, economic development or a related public policy field.

Experience of developing and delivering projects or pilots involving multiple partner organisations.

Experience of using research, data and stakeholder insight to shape policy recommendations and delivery models.

Experience of writing high-quality briefings, business cases, reports and presentations for senior or political audiences.

Strong policy analysis, research and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn complex evidence into clear recommendations.

Excellent stakeholder engagement, facilitation and influencing skills, including confidence working with employers and senior partners.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages for different audiences.

Good project management skills, including planning, risk management, reporting and coordination of dependencies.

Degree or equivalent professional experience in public policy, public health, economics, employment, programme management or a related field.

For a full list of duties and essential criteria, please refer to the job description attached.

Location.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

How to apply.

Applying for a role with WMCA is straightforward. Follow these steps to get started.

Create your Careers Account. Register with your name, email address, and a password.

Build your Profile.Upload your CV to help populate your career and education details.

Write your Supporting Statement.Make sure to address each of the required essential criteria.

Submit your application.Do one final check and once complete, click submit.

Please note, we reserve the right to close any vacancy from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Anonymised Applications.

Your uploaded CV won’t be visible after submission. Our process is anonymised, and

only the information in your profile is used for shortlisting. Be thorough in each section. It’s your chance to showcase your skills and experience.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We cannot stop anyone from using AI to help write application content. Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit the

FAQs section of our careers site.

Reasonable adjustments.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team (

careers@wmca.org.uk).

Salary and benefits.

We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

Local Government Pension Scheme (

one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).

Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributionscheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).

28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.

EV car benefit scheme

Healthcare plans.

Discounted

gym membership, will writing,and

mortgage advice.

An option to

buy a bicycle, including e-bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.

3 days of paid leave each year to

volunteer.

Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology

Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more. You can now also obtain a

Costcomembership through the WMCA.

Boundlessunlocks unlimited entry to top-rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.

Eye

Care Scheme,offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the

benefits page on our career site.

Why join WMCA?

WMCA is laser-focused on improving the West Midlands, bringing economic growth, jobs, homes, and better journeys to the region. We target local needs where it matters most, ensuring everyone has a job that pays well and has access to safe and affordable places they can call home.

We put people and place at the heart of everything we do, working hand in hand with our partners to direct funding where it's needed most. What you do, really matters. Your expertise will help make a big difference, improving people's lives, every day.

Our Values and Behaviours.

Fostering an environment where people feel valued, included, supported, and proud to contribute to our region is important to us at the WMCA. Our behaviours are more than statements; they guide how we work, make decisions, and treat one another - they set the standards we hold ourselves to and the experience we want others to have.

Collaborative -We work as one organisation. Together we build trust, connection and shared purpose across teams, partners and residents to create the biggest impact for our region.

Driven -We are focused on outcomes. We perform at our best to unlock productivity and delivery, achieving the greatest regional impact.

Inclusive - We value difference. Creating an environment where people belong, and feel psychologically safe, so we can all thrive and shape a West Midlands built for everyone.

Innovative -We are courageous. We embrace new ideas and challenge the status quo to continuously improve and shape the future of the West Midlands.

Creating an inclusive workplace.

WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We’re a Disability Confident Employer with ‘Leader’ status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria.

We are also proud to be a Ban the Box employer, which means we do not ask about criminal convictions at the initial application stage, and will only ask after an offer is made as part of our onboarding checks, which helps us remove barriers for people with past convictions and supporting fair opportunities for all.

We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.

We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying

Right to Work in the UK

Proof of Right to Work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) would be required to hold a relevant Visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

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Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.