Policy Manager

General Dental Council

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

GDC carries out its core functions efficiently and in ways that ensure the safety of patients. It is responsible for setting the strategy and direction of the GDC and ensuring that all major decisions are in line with the strategy, making major policy decisions, and ensuring and monitoring financial integrity. There are 24 Council members.

About the role

The General Dental Council has recently announced its Corporate Strategy 2026 - 2028. We have a clear delivery plan to achieve our strategic ambitions and remain committed to protecting the public and maintaining public confidence in the dental profession. This is key to our vision of being a trusted and effective regulator, supporting dental professionals to provide safe and effective care for their patients. 

To enable us to deliver our Corporate Strategy, we are expanding our policy team, recruiting 3 Policy Managers. As a Policy Manager, you will work with colleagues to plan and deliver complex policy projects. You will build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and be responsible for keeping parts of the GDC’s regulatory policy framework up to date.

Policy Managers are overseen by Heads of particular policy areas and an Associate Director of Policy and Research who steers the work of the whole team. The team sits within the Strategy Directorate, which includes Research, Education and Communications, and Engagement teams.

Responsibilities

Areas of Responsibility:

• Acquire and apply policy expertise in a range of policy areas to contribute to GDC regulatory policy development.
• Identify risks in the external environment that require policy consideration.
• Lead, manage, and support thematic or cross-cutting project teams, based on the GDC’s agreed policies and protocols.
• Lead or contribute to work that enables effective intelligence-gathering and development of an evidence-based to inform policy development.
• Collaboratively develop evidence-based policy and guidance, in line with the GDC’s corporate strategy and business plan.
• Review policy and guidance to ensure it keeps pace with changes in the health sector and professional regulation.
• Develop and implement project plans for complex policy development, including developing cost-effective proposals and monitoring expenditure where appropriate.
• Manage consultations, including drafting consultation documents and undertaking analysis of consultation responses.
• Prepare and present reports for Council, its sub-committees and other governance bodies.
• Build and develop relationships with GDC stakeholders in accordance with agreed work areas.
• Line manage staff and lead cross-organisational teams.
• Provide policy advice to operational teams and senior members of staff.
• Prepare GDC responses to the consultations of others.
• Maintain an overview of the work of other regulators and the wider policy and legislative arena.
• Make presentations on the work of the GDC to a range of external audiences.
• Any other appropriate tasks required by a Head of Section or the Director.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Essential:

• Ability to work collaboratively to develop evidence-based policy to support the achievement of organisational objectives.
• Experience of working with others to understand the potential impact and implications of emerging strategy and policy, and to develop risk-mitigation strategies where necessary.
• Ability to understand complex information and communicate this in an accessible way to a range of audiences.
• Experience in reading and understanding legislative texts and/or regulatory procedures and rules.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Effective negotiation and influencing skills.
• Experience in project and/or programme management.
• Ability to identify problems and develop solutions.
• Proven ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team.
• Committed to equality and diversity in service delivery.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the health and social care sector.
• Understanding of how healthcare professionals are regulated.

Required Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant experience.

Compensation & Benefits

• 27 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays) - rising to 30 days (plus 8 bank holidays) after 2 years’ service
• Flexi-time scheme
• Employer pension contributions 10%
• Buy/Sell annual leave
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption leave from 1 year’s service.
• Life assurance, income protection plan
• Enhanced sick leave policy
• Staff discounts for eye care contributions 
• Discounted gym membership

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely

How to apply

• Apply online
• Please note that we reserve the right to bring this recruitment campaign to an end without notice, and we encourage all interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Interviews

• The interviews w/c 29th June 2026

Policies

The GDC is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, that provides an environment that reflects our values and culture and allows employees to flourish. To support this, we offer a range of family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, including flexible working arrangements from day one and employee networks that aid growth and development.

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