Downing Street is expanding its devolution agenda by recruiting up to 50 people for Number 10 North, with all positions based entirely in Manchester. The roles will be open to applicants from outside the Civil Service as well as existing government employees.
The recruitment drive covers policy, delivery, engagement and operational roles, with some positions offering apprenticeships and opportunities for secondments from the private and public sectors.
Funding and Application Details
Downing Street said the roles will be funded out of existing departmental budgets and will be advertised on Civil Service Jobs. The positions will be open to candidates nationwide and not exclusively for those already in Manchester.
The team will work with regional mayors and councils to help resolve issues affecting local growth and public services.
Statement from Downing Street
A statement from Downing Street said: "The new team will bring fresh perspectives and knowledge of the places they serve, moving decisions closer to the people they affect."
The expansion forms part of the Government's wider devolution programme, which ministers say will transfer more decision-making powers from Westminster to local leaders.
Team Expansion and Relocation
The team at Number 10 North is expected to reach around 120 people, up from the current 60, and will move from its current base at Heron House to the new Government Hub at First Street in Manchester in spring 2027. Staff are expected to be in their new positions by early next year.
Two of the highest paid roles being advertised are for a 'Strategy and PMO Deputy Director' and 'Rewiring the State Deputy Director', for salaries of up to £117,800.
Prime Minister's Defence and Expert Comment
Andy Burnham has previously defended the cost of opening the northern HQ, telling 'London-based' critics that it's better to have 'a north pole that balances the south pole'.
On his first day at Heron House, in July, the prime minister said the new centre will create 'that sense of a more balanced country, and that big things can be done from here'.
Hannah Kennan, associate director of the Institute for Government, said it was 'really good' that Downing Street is recruiting externally rather than relying on existing civil servants.
"If you want the best talent and to bring in new experiences and different ways of thinking then those roles have to be open to people outside of the civil service, as well as those already in the system," she said.
"This is coming alongside wider changes to the Cabinet Office and centre of government, with the Cabinet Office slimming down and the establishment of the Office for Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC), of which No.10 and No.10 North are a part.
Government needs to be thinking really carefully about how these new roles sit in that wider system, and what skills and experience they need to get a No.10 that can govern in the way that Burnham has said he wants – setting strategic direction and working in collaboration with local leaders.
There's a lot more work to be done on establishing OPMC as a proper unit that works together, across London and Manchester, to support the prime minister. That can happen alongside boosting No10 North, but there's a risk of it becoming a bit of an afterthought, which would be a big mistake."
