Director, UK Government

Job reference: UKG26

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to become a core member of the Institute for Government’s newly restructured senior team. 

During the first half of 2026, the Institute undertook a major review of its strategy. The creation of the role of Director, UK Government was one of the outcomes of that review. Following the strategy review, the Institute will have three Directors leading three large research teams – UK Government; Devolved and Local Government; and Public Services.

The new Director, UK Government will bring their expertise and experience to bear on strategic decisions about the Institute’s priorities and work programme and be responsible for building our new UK Government (UKG) team, which will focus on the ecosystem of central government and parliament – making its institutions, governance and people work better. They will be a prominent external face of the Institute and their visible leadership of a team of committed and high-performing staff will be crucial to shaping our future impact.

We are creating this role at a moment of great importance for government in the UK. Identifying the right candidate will be vital to our success in delivering our exciting new strategy, which will see us become bolder, more ambitious and more focused on what we want to change about how UK government works.

For full details, including a person specification, please read the job application pack. We encourage all applicants to read the job pack before starting their application.

The IfG is committed to supporting greater diversity and inclusion within our workforce, and to fostering an environment in which everyone feels welcome, supported and valued. We welcome applications from anyone who is interested in government and how to make it more effective, and particularly encourage applications from candidates who belong to groups currently underrepresented in the think-tank sector. This includes but is not limited to people from minority ethnic backgrounds, those living with disabilities and those who have experienced disadvantage in their early lives.

Salary

The salary for this role is £100,000–£110,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.

How to apply

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter to [email protected].

The covering letter should outline, in no more than 2,000 words, your view of the contribution that the Institute can and should make over the next three years to UK government working well for the people of the UK, and the role you personally would play in achieving that mission.

Closing date

This vacancy has a closing date of Monday 27 July 2026 at 10:00am. 

Interviews

We expect to hold first interviews during the week commencing 27 July 2026.

Second interviews will take place as soon as possible after the first round concludes in early-mid August.

Any questions?

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions about the role or the application process.