Regulatory Policy Lead

The Regulatory Policy Lead is the Authority’s senior specialist on regulatory and statutory policy. The role holds responsibility for shaping, developing, and maintaining BTPA’s regulatory framework, ensuring the Authority meets its statutory duties, mitigates legal, financial and reputational risk and that regulatory instruments remain robust, effective, and aligned with national policing and rail-sector developments.

The postholder provides authoritative and strategic advice to the Chief Executive, Authority Members, and senior leaders, exercising substantial professional autonomy and judgement in determining regulatory approaches where there is significant legal, or reputational exposure for the Authority or operational exposure for the Force. They lead the design and implementation of regulations, interpret complex legislation, influence major national reform agendas, and represent BTPA across senior cross-government and sectoral forums.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic regulatory leadership

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of BTPA’s regulatory and statutory policy framework.
• Act as the Authority’s senior expert on the legal and regulatory environment governing BTP and BTPA.

Regulation design and implementation

• Lead the end-to-end design, drafting, governance, and implementation of BTPA regulations under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.
• Develop and own regulatory guidance, procedures, templates, and explanatory materials, acting as the professional lead on regulatory interpretation and ensuring legal robustness, enforceability and proportionality.

Policy leadership and cross-portfolio support 

• Provide senior policy leadership across the Executive Team, shaping Authority-wide policy positions and ensuring coherence between regulatory, governance, performance and strategic planning activities.
• Lead or contribute to cross-Authority projects.

Compliance, oversight and assurance

• Provide authoritative compliance advice to senior leaders and Authority Members, including formal opinions on regulatory interpretation and operational exposure.
• Oversee the identification, assessment and escalation of regulatory compliance risks, advising on mitigation strategies and reporting through Authority governance structures. 

Stakeholder and partnership engagement

• Represent BTPA at cross-government, regulatory and sector forums, acting as the Authority lead on regulatory policy and influencing reforms where there is impact to the Authority and the Force. 
• Build relationships with DfT, Home Office, devolved administrations, and sector partners.

Analysis, insight and reporting 

• Monitor reform agendas across policing and rail, assessing potential implications, risks and opportunities.
• Provide strategic intelligence and advice to inform decision making, priorities and stakeholder engagement.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Extensive senior-level understanding of policing legislation and public sector regulatory frameworks, including the ability to interpret and apply statutory provisions where precedent is limited.
• Experience designing or interpreting or leading complex regulatory or policy frameworks, with accountability for managing legal, governance and reputational risk.

Desirable

• Experience in policing, transport, or public sector policy roles.
• Knowledge of police authority governance.