View Vacancy - CPK - Senior Policy Officer, Health and Social Care C4(L)

China has ambitious plans to reform its health and social care systems and the UK, with its extensive experience in these sectors, is keen to work with China as it goes through the reform process―both in terms of policy collaboration and supporting commercial opportunities for the UK. China is also a vital partner in the fight against twenty-first century global health challenges, such as infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance. Engaging with China on these issues is a key part of the team’s work. The team has an evolving remit and other issues may be added to its portfolio over time.

The successful candidate will be joining a high performing, vibrant team in the Embassy which focuses on deepening our policy collaboration with China on health and social care issues. You will support the First Secretary, Health and Social Care and lead on specific areas of the team’s portfolio, for example primary care, depending on your prior experience and expertise. You will also be asked to lead on other areas as work develops.

You will plan overall strategy and provide policy direction to multi-year programmes on health in China (including primary and elderly care, hospital reform, and life science policy) under the cross-Whitehall Prosperity Fund (pending Ministerial approval). You will be involved with planning and executing Ministerial visits and high level dialogues, including the UK-China People-to-People Dialogue and Health Dialogue. The successful post holder may be required to travel to the UK to engage UK stakeholders from the Department of Health, Healthcare UK, NHS Trusts, and UK healthcare companies.

This will be an exciting opportunity to work in area of growing importance in the UK-China bilateral relationship with a supportive line manager who is keen to develop your talents.

This position is advertised on a fixed-term basis for one (1) year.

What will the jobholder be expected to achieve?

• Strong high level bilateral relations on healthcare: Working to the First Secretary, Health and Social Care, you will take forward the UK’s bilateral relations on healthcare with a particular focus on specific areas, for example primary care and elderly care, depending on your prior experience and expertise. This will involve setting strategic direction, identifying and analysing new policy developments, high quality reporting, and planning visits. You will develop a strong network of contacts at senior levels across government, academia, and the commercial sector in the UK and China.
• A strategic approach to maximising the policy and commercial opportunities of the UK’s healthcare links with China: You will lead on developing and implementing an influencing strategy for your specific policy areas in line with UK government objectives for health cooperation with China. This will involve driving forward an overall strategy and using your policy expertise to give strategic direction to Prosperity Fund project work. It will also involve complementing this work with a particular focus on the commercial opportunities presented by the UK’s healthcare sector, working alongside colleagues in the Department for International Trade (DIT).
• Support relationships between key UK and China health bodies: You will support new and existing relationships between health bodies in the UK and China. This will include the relationship between Public Health England (PHE) and China Centre for Disease Control (China CDC) and the relationship between Imperial College (formerly NICE International) and the China National Health and Development Research Centre (a key think-tank under the Chinese Ministry of Health). You will assist them to develop ambitious programmes of work, drawing on available funds.
• Develop and lead the team’s communications on health and social care with HMG and external stakeholders: You will lead on ensuring the UK projects its sectoral strengths in the health and social sector and its global health messages to best effect. You will identify and plan the best methods of achieving this, looking at tools such our articles, blogs and speeches, and produce communications materials for these media.
• Strong team leadership of Health and Social Care Team: You will deputise for the First Secretary, Health and Social Care during periods of absence, covering all areas of the team’s remit, as well as lead on learning and development for the team.

You will be a proactive self-starter who has the ability to devise and implement ambitious influencing strategies on policy and advise on how best the UK can project its sectoral strengths. You will need to have strong networking skills and draft fluently in English. You will also need to demonstrate the drive to take responsibility for ministerial level dialogues and have the experience necessary to deputise for the First Secretary, Health and Social Care in their absence. You will need to be flexible and have a can-do attitude.

The successful candidate will also have a bachelor's degree, ideally in a health-related field.