Senior Debt Strategy & Policy Manager
| Posting date: | 12 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 12 October 2025 |
| Location: | Bedford, MK42 9AB |
| Company: | Reed Talent Solutions |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | MaPS00971-343953 |
Summary
Senior Debt Strategy & Policy Manager
c.£79000 per annum
Bedford
Permanent
Hybrid Working
Join us at the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) as a Senior Debt Strategy & Policy Manager. This role offers you the chance to make a significant impact by shaping evidence-led debt advice policy, driving strategic alignment across the sector, and improving outcomes for people experiencing problem debt. You’ll lead work on integrating debt advice into health systems in line with the NHS 10 Year Plan, recognising the vital link between financial wellbeing and health. Through collaboration with stakeholders and the application of research, insight and lived experience, you’ll help design and continuously improve high-quality, accessible services that respond to the evolving needs of the public. This dynamic role will evolve with the debt advice landscape, offering opportunities to influence national strategy and service delivery at scale.
You’ll be part of a dynamic team dedicated to helping people across the UK improve their financial wellbeing.
Role Overview
The Senior Debt Strategy & Policy Manager will report directly to the Head of Debt Strategy & Policy. In this role, you will be responsible for:
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop MaPS policy positions on matters relating to debt and debt advice, including leading MaPS submissions and inputs to Government and sector initiatives and consultations that impact the organisation or its customers.
- Collaborate with internal and external policy leads to ensure MaPS aligns with and delivers on strategic priorities, including those related to health systems.
- Lead engagement activities with the debt advice sector, enhancing and maintaining MaPS reputation and credibility.
- Forge and sustain relationships with emerging and previously disengaged stakeholders, such as digital lenders, commercial debt advice agencies, insolvency practitioners, central government departments, and local authorities.
- Support the Service’s Debt Advice Reference Group, Debt Adviser Panel, and related working groups, while facilitating sector-wide engagement groups and external meetings.
- Attend, support, and contribute to relevant stakeholder events to represent MaPS and its strategic interests.
- Provide subject matter expertise to other teams across the Service.
- Scope and manage research initiatives to strengthen MaPS evidence base and inform policy development.
You will need to demonstrate the following skills and experience.
To excel in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
- A broad and deep understanding of the debt advice sector in the UK or other similar sector.
• Proven expertise at influencing and engaging senior and operational stakeholders, both internally and externally.
• Proven experience in policy development, analysis and advocacy
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, able to produce and deliver compelling, engaging and tailored content for different audiences
• Demonstrable experience of project leadership and oversight.
• Able to work autonomously and manage/ influence others to meet deadlines and required standards.
• Ability to accurately and effectively manage a variety of business management tasks.
• Experience of line management and managing matrix teams
Desirable:
• A broad and deep understanding of the health sector in the UK or other similar sector.
About Us
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford, in a recently renovated modern office. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become an integral part of a dynamic organisation, working to help people across the UK.
At the heart of the Money and Pensions Service are our values – caring, connecting, and transforming, which are the foundation of our success. They permeate every area of our work and define all our business relationships and the way we work with each other. We’re not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but we need people who align themselves with our values:
- Caring
We care about our colleagues and the people whose lives we are here to transform. - Connecting
We will transform lives through our ability to make positive connections. - Transforming
We are committed to transforming lives and making a positive societal impact.
Our Inclusive Working Environment
By fostering our values, we are immensely proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. The diversity of our people is a strength that we embrace and wish to build upon, so we are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds. We work hard to ensure that we have a progressive approach to inclusion, equity, and belonging. We really do want our colleagues to “bring their whole selves to work.”
Our colleague and ally networks encompass LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, women’s health, men’s health, ethnicity, and diversity.
What We Offer
- Generous Annual Leave – 30 days plus Bank Holidays
- Pension scheme – contributions matched 2 to 1 (up to 10% of your salary)
- Interest-free loan for season tickets for buses and trains
- Cycle to work Scheme
- Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
- Life assurance scheme
- Give as you earn scheme
- Employee assistance programme (EAP)
- PAM Assist and PAM Life scheme (Wellbeing)
- Enhanced family and sick pay
- Paid volunteering (2 days a year)
- Recognition Scheme
- Discounts portal to numerous retailers
Flexible Working
At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Career Development
In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process.
Reserve List
If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required.
Application Process
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: recruitment@maps.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.
Job Reference: MaPS00971
Close Date: 28/09/25
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme