Policy Officer (Maternity Cover)

In 2022 the charities Sands and Tommy’s came together to form a Joint Policy Unit. Our shared vision is for a future where fewer babies die, and inequalities in baby loss are eliminated so that everyone can benefit from the best possible outcomes.

Working together we want to secure policy changes that will reduce rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term birth and neonatal death, and to work to eliminate inequalities in these outcomes. We will do this by

• Holding governments across the UK to account on progress, and ensuring that saving babies lives and reducing inequalities is the national policy priority it deserves to be
• Working to ensure progress is being made to improve the safety of maternity and neonatal services, so that everyone can benefit from best-practice care.
• Promoting policy change so that new research and evidence leads to improvements in care

The Policy Officer will be key to helping the Joint Policy Unit achieve these objectives.

The role-holder will support the unit in delivering on our programme of policy work, and to support our external engagement so that saving babies’ lives is a key part of NHS/government policy across the UK. This will include work on a range of projects and outputs. The role-holder will play a lead role in supporting the unit’s responses to government consultations and inquiries, and engagement with new strategies and plans for the health service.

We are looking for someone with an understanding of the policy environment, ability to analyse policy and develop high-quality written outputs. You will be a great communicator with the ability to  translate insights into clear messages for different audiences (e.g. policymakers, stakeholders, supporters and the public).

Experience of leading and managing projects is essential for this role, as is a clear understanding of the relationship between research, policy and practice. Additionally, you will need to have a good understanding of the current policy environment as it relates to reducing baby loss and tackling inequalities, as well as enthusiasm for continued learning and a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances.

Please note this is a 1-year fixed term contract to cover maternity leave.