Public Affairs Jobs

Salary: £43,000-£46,000 per annum

Location: Harlow Essex, 2 days per week in the office, flexible working available.

Closing: Tuesday 28th January

About the role

The Motability Foundation is looking for a confident, driven media and PR professional to join the Communications team and lead our media and PR activity.

This a really exciting time to be joining the Foundation as we embark on our new strategy in 2025. With a recently refreshed new brand, our vision is clear, we want to help disabled people make the journeys they choose. This role will play a crucial part in our work to raise awareness of the work of the Motability Foundation and amplify the voices of disabled people across the media.

This role will take a lead on all media and PR activities. With a strong news sense, you’ll help develop and execute forward-thinking PR plans and strategies for the organisation, manage our external profile and raise awareness of the work we do, aligned to our vision.

If you are a proactive and motivated media and PR individual looking for an exciting new challenge within a friendly, flexible, and supportive team, then this could be the role for you!

What you will be doing

• Implement and manage a comprehensive and proactive PR activity schedule for the Foundation, crafting compelling content to entice journalists and the media to support our work.
• Act as the main point of contract for all media and press activity. You’ll oversee the day-to-day running of the Motability Foundation press office, providing an efficient service that makes the most of reactive and proactive media opportunities and builds our reputation with the media.
• Develop and foster strong relationships with key media outlets in the sector and journalists, broadcasters and editors to secure coverage that helps to influence key decision makers and engage our audiences in our work.
• Scan effectively for breaking news stories relevant to our areas of work.
• Produce press releases, and secure coverage using media surveys/polls.
• Working with colleagues in public affairs and our Performance and Innovation team, take a lead on proactive media activity around our policy, campaigns and research activity.
• You will work closely with our Case Study Executive to ensure we have the right stories for use in media work.
• Scan for areas of reputational risk and support the Senior Press and PR Manager with preparing for and handling reputational risk.
• Lead on crisis media enquiries and messaging, implementing the necessary checks and actions to protect the Foundation’s reputation and brand.
• Brief and train key spokespeople, developing key messaging and Q&As.
• Analyse and report on media activity for internal teams, external partners and our board, including leading on relevant reports to committees.
• Manage the press and PR budget.
• While this role doesn’t have any line management responsibilities currently, you will nevertheless be expected to support other members of the team on an informal basis.

What will make you great in this role?

You will have a strong track record of securing high profile media coverage, ideally for a national charity dealing in disability, health or social issues. You will have a great news sense and can confidently identify stories and make them work for different media outlets. You will have a flair for writing engaging copy, an eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to meeting deadlines. You will be used to briefing and supporting spokespeople with media interviews and speaking opportunities.

 You will be proactive and a strong team player as this role will need to work closely with colleagues across the communications team and wider organisation. You will be able to take the lead in some areas and lend a hand in others. You will have great people skills and will be comfortable working with people from all walks of life, from your communications colleagues to our case studies to Directors and Board Members.

Your experience

Must haves

• Expertise in media and PR.
• A strategic thinker with excellent project management and communication skills.
• Experience of working with journalists and media outlets, generating and securing strong relevant media coverage.
• Excellent news sense with extensive experience of producing effective and quick reactive news lines for breaking stories.
• The ability to develop excellent long-term media and PR strategies to deliver organisational objectives aligned to our vision.
• Strong judgement and experience of crisis communications.
• Excellent copy-writing skills and ability to influence.

Nice to haves

• Experience working in the non-profit or disability sector.
• Experience of working with PR agencies.

Reporting lines and relationships

Reports to: Senior Press and PR Manager.

Key relationships: Senior Brand and Marketing Manager, Communications Business Partners, Chief Communications Officer, CEO, Case Study Executive

Direct reports: There may be potential line management responsibility in the future as the role evolves.

Extra Information

• The role is based in Harlow, Essex, at Motability’s offices. They are easily commutable from London, just 30 minutes from Liverpool Street station or 18 minutes from Tottenham Hale station. There is a free minibus which brings staff from Harlow Town station to the office at specific times each day.
• We offer blended working within this role – with two days a week in the office or at key stakeholder meetings externally required.  

About us

At Motability Foundation we fund, support, research and innovate so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. We oversee the Motability Foundation Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year.

We award grants to other charities and organisations who provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. We also carry out ongoing research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all.

Are you an experienced Public Affairs professional with a passion for dogs? 
We’re looking for a Public Affairs Officer to support the important work we do to ensure policy makers consider dog welfare in their decision making.

About this role:
As Public Affairs Officer, you’ll:

• contribute to the delivery of our ambitious public affairs programme across Westminster and Whitehall, the devolved administrations and in the EU,
• support and occasionally lead on the organisation and coordination of political events, meetings, and project visits, as part of our programme of engagement with policy makers,
• support the management of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) and the EU Dog & Cat Alliance,
• establish and maintain positive relationships with key external stakeholders, including parliamentarians and civil servants.

About you:
To be successful in this role, you’ll need experience in parliamentary or public affairs, with a good understanding of the political landscape in the UK. You’ll also need excellent communication skills, with the ability to listen actively, negotiate and influence decision makers and strong written English, in order to draft clear and concise professional correspondence and communications. Above all, an interest in the aims and values of Dogs Trust is essential.

Please note, Dogs Trust is a wholly independent organisation, free of association with any political party. Our independence is critical, as it allows us to pursue our mission to campaign on dog welfare issues, on behalf of the UK’s dogs and their owners. For our public affairs roles, the ability to display political neutrality in the public eye or when working with MPs is essential.

About Dogs Trust:
We love dogs. That’s why we do whatever we can to make sure every four-legged friend gets the love they deserve. We’ll never put a healthy dog down, so our work is focused on helping dogs in need, supporting owners every step of the walk, and creating a better world for dogs in the future. It’s what we’ve been doing since 1891 and how we’ve grown to become the UK’s leading dog charity, helping 12,000 loyal friends find their forever homes every year.

To apply for this position please click the APPLY NOW button. Our application process requires you submit a CV and a cover letter explaining your interest and suitability for the role. Please note, on rare occasions, we may close vacancies early if we receive an overwhelming response, so to avoid potential disappointment, please apply at your earliest convenience.

Dogs are incredibly diverse, much like the humans that love them! At Dogs Trust we value diversity, and we're committed to fostering an inclusive culture. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and cultures and believe that a diverse workforce helps us to achieve our mission. Our colleague networks give our people a voice, acting as vehicles for real and meaningful change within Dogs Trust. We truly want to see every candidate shine throughout the entire job application process, interview stages, and during their time with us. If there's anything on your mind or any adjustments you may need, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to support you every step of the way.

Join the National Youth Agency as their Head of Policy and Public Affairs and help transform the lives of young people!

Are you passionate about shaping the future of youth work and making a real difference to the lives of young people? The National Youth Agency (NYA) is looking for a talented policy expert to join their team as the Head of Policy and Public Affairs in a fully remote role.

About:

The NYA is the national body for youth work, committed to supporting and championing youth work across England. They believe in the power of youth work to unlock young people's potential and provide high-quality support and opportunities. Their mission is to enable more people to deliver great youth work so that every young person can experience its transformative impact, and they need your expertise to help achieve this.

The Role:

As the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, you will play a pivotal role in shaping local and national policies affecting the youth sector. You will work closely with our Director of Policy, Insights and External Affairs, and key stakeholders to develop and deliver cutting-edge policy and public affairs strategies. Your responsibilities will include:

• Influencing youth policy and government funding to strengthen the youth sector.
• Developing credible policy positions that align with their mission.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with political parties and key decision-makers.
• Leading policy events and roundtables.
• Collaborating with internal and external partners to drive meaningful change.

About You:

We are looking for someone with significant experience in a senior policy role, excellent communication skills, and a proven ability to engage with senior-level decision-makers.

You should have an understanding of current debates and priorities in the youth work space or within intersecting policy areas and sectors such as education, health, youth justice etc and be able to manage a complex workload to meet tight deadlines. Experience in managing and motivating a small team is also essential.

Why Work for NYA? They prioritise the well-being and development of their employees. They offer a flexible working approach – fully remote working, a supportive work culture, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

How to Apply: If you are excited about this opportunity and believe you have the skills and passion to make a difference, we would love to hear from you. Please apply by submitting your CV and a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role. Please note this role will be subject to enhanced DBS.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.

Closing date: 2nd February 2025 at 23:59pm

Full time, Permanent

Hybrid - Whitechapel, London (1-2 days per week in office)

Salary: £40,440 - 41,850 per annum (salaries are graded against our pay framework and are not negotiable)

The B Corp Movement & the Better Business Act

B Lab UK is part of the global B Corp movement with the mission to inspire and enable people to use business as a force for good. The Better Business Act is B Lab UK’s flagship policy campaign, pushing for a change to UK legislation to make sure all businesses align the interests of people and the planet with profit. The campaign has the support of a coalition of over 3000 businesses and non-profits and is chaired by Mary Portas OBE and Douglas Lamont, CEO of Tony’s Chocolonely.

Why this job?

It’s an exciting time to join B Lab UK. With a new government and a fast-growing B Corp community, business as a force for good is making its way up the UK’s political agenda.

A key ingredient to us achieving our goals? Great relationships with political stakeholders. We’re looking for a Public Affairs Officer to join our team and play a central role in building relationships with politicians and policymakers, to ensure we're maximising the opportunities that the new government presents. 

As Public Affairs Officer, you will work closely with B Lab UK’s Marketing, Communications and Campaigns team to ensure effective communications which enable you to build solid foundational relationships across Westminster, enabling us to advance the goals of the Better Business Act.

In this role you will:

• Assist the Campaigns Manager to plan and deliver the campaign strategy for the Better Business Act.

• Keep abreast of external media and highlight political moments which might present risks and opportunities for the Better Business Act.

• Research, identify and prioritise strategic relationship building opportunities with policymakers, Members of Parliament and their offices.

• Prepare and brief the Campaign Director and Campaign Manager for meetings with key stakeholders.

• Maximise the Better Business Act (BBA) coalition of businesses to engage with their MPs, organising political visits regionally.

• Maintain a stakeholder database of Members of Parliament and policymakers, tracking relationships and progress.

• Work with the Campaign & Events Coordinator to engage political stakeholders in key events including the BBA’s programme of activity at Party Conferences.

Please refer to the job description linked below for full requirements for this role.

What we're looking for:

Remember no one has every skill or experience needed for this role and you’ll have the opportunity to learn a lot from the team. We believe someone who has a few of these is well suited to exceed in this role:

• Deep understanding of the levers involved in policy-change and parliamentary processes.

• A keen interest in politics and UK public affairs.

• Able to work on campaigns driving social change.

• Highly skilled in communication, relationship building and stakeholder management and confidence in dealing with stakeholders at all levels.

• Excellent written skills, with proven ability to commission/deliver policy reports, research, draft opinion pieces and to input to consultations.

• Ability to project manage and monitor work of external providers, in order to achieve objectives.

• A keen collaborator who values the ability to go further together with their colleagues and stakeholders.

• Passionate about sustainability, and specifically about the role that business can play in creating the future that benefits all people and the planet.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK (we are not able to provide visa sponsorship).

What we give you:

• Purpose driven work enabling B Lab UK’s mission of redefining the role of business as a force for good
• Hybrid and flexible working, we have a high trust environment and are advocates for right place working
• Hybrid working (min 1/2 days per week in office)
• Flexible working hours (based around core working hours)
• Opportunity to work 4 days a week 
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (pro rata for part-time staff)
• 1 additional annual leave day (pro-rata for part-time staff) for each complete annual year of service, up to a maximum of 30 days
• Our office is closed between Christmas and New Year, no need to take extra holiday!
• Private Medical and Dental cover
• £200 per annum tax free Annual Wellbeing allowance and Employee Assistance Programme
• 2 paid volunteer days per year
• Enhanced Parental Leave and family friendly policies, including carers leave
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Enhanced Pension and Life Assurance
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Income Protection policy
• Working in a flexible office workspace

B Lab believes an equitable and inclusive work environment and a diverse, empowered team are key to achieving our mission. We’re not looking for candidates who are “culture fits.” We’re looking for candidates who can expand our culture and challenge business as usual. We strive to foster an environment where all staff can bring themselves to work by their own definition, and we strive to provide all candidates with an equitable and accessible recruitment process.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced policy and public affairs manager with a strong track record of creating policy solutions that drive real change. In this role you will work closely with the Head of Campaigns and Communications to drive the organisation’s influencing work across all 4 nations of the UK through policy development, public affairs activity, and developing and delivering issue-based campaigns that aim to make a real difference.

Endometriosis impacts the physical and mental health of 10% of women and those assigned female at birth, from puberty to menopause - although the impact can be felt for life. Yet it’s a disease most people have never heard of, do not understand, and that currently has no cure. Diagnosis time in the UK currently takes on average 8 years and 10 months, and UK non-cancer gynaecology waiting lists have now grown to more than 750,000. As the UK’s leading charity for all those affected by endometriosis, we’re determined to change this and ensure that everyone gets prompt diagnosis and the best treatment and support. With a new UK Government and increased interest in menstrual health across all 4 nations, there has never been a more exciting time to join Endometriosis UK and help us make a difference to the lives of those affected by endometriosis in the UK.

Within this role, you will play a key role in the delivery of our new organisational strategy that will launch in 2025, focused on better supporting those with endometriosis, driving down diagnosis times, campaigning for improved treatments and access to services, raising awareness, and leveraging more money into research. We place people with endometriosis at the heart of all we do. If we get our work right, we really can make a difference to the 1.5 million with endometriosis in the UK – and all those diagnosed in the future.

SCIE Vision

We are committed to building a society which enables people who draw on social care to live fulfilling lives.

At the SCIE, we are driven by our values:

· Progressive – always learning and developing.

· Inclusive – working together for equality, diversity, and fairness.

· Credible – evidence-based, robust, and reliable.

· Transparent – open and honest.

The role:

A great opportunity for you to join our small friendly team and make a real difference to people’s lives by:

· Ensuring that SCIE’s evidence, drawn from research and people’s lived experiences, influences social care policy and practice.

· Developing and delivering influencing strategies, drafting policy papers and legislative briefings, and managing relationships with various stakeholders and key partners.

· Growing SCIE’s profile as an influential, informed, and powerful voice in the social care sector.

· Positioning SCIE to work as a partner to government, responding independently to new government policy, supporting and advising on a range of national policy programmes, initiatives, and influencing guidance and practice.

· Producing high-quality research and evaluations demonstrating what works and makes a difference in social care, promoting evidence-based good practice.

What we are looking for:

· Knowledge of the policy and political landscape developed from previous experience working in a policy or public affairs role, either in government, the civil service, charities, or non-governmental organisations.

· Proven experience developing and delivering public affairs strategies and leading influencing activities.

· Proven experience producing policy papers and applying policy research skills, such as evidence gathering, analysis and reporting.

· Proven experience as a strategic and analytic thinker who can influence policymakers with persuasive arguments, policy ideas and campaigns.

· Proven ability to manage a wide range of internal and external stakeholder relationships, including at senior levels, and to engage with people with diverse viewpoints and backgrounds.

What we offer in return.

We offer excellent staff benefits including a competitive salary and homeworking allowance. We provide an employer pension contribution above the statutory minimum, an award-winning employee assistance programme, and an attractive holiday package which rises with length of service.

If you would like to access the application form in a different format or if would like any assistance that might help improve your experience while completing the application, please contact us. (You can find our contact email in the 'How to apply' section)

Location: Hybrid working part London Office (Islington, London) part home work. The post holder will work a minimum of 1 day per week in the office. 

Salary: £34,525 per annum

Hours: 35 hours per week

Closing date: Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 10.00am

Interview date: Week commencing 27 January 2025

Please note that the interview process with involve a mixture of face-to-face interviews and a group discussion.

Who we are looking for

We are recruiting a Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer to join our award-winning policy and public affairs team.

We are looking for an experienced policy and public affairs professional, with charity, agency or industry experience and a strong track record of programme delivery. The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills and an evidenced track record in managing cross sector advocacy programmes.

This role is fundamental to the delivery of our advocacy mission: to reduce health inequalities in type 1 diabetes, to widen access to type 1 diabetes treatments and technologies and to ensure that people with type 1 secure access to emerging new treatments and future cures.

It’s an exciting time to join Breakthrough T1D as global advances in treatments are transforming health outcomes for people with type 1 diabetes.  We invite you to apply and join our incredible mission.

Experience required

You’ll have previous experience of:

• experience of leading public affairs delivery of a cross sector, multi stakeholder programme 

• project management of cross sector influencing projects 

• communicating across a range of professional stakeholders at all levels 

• conducting desk research and analysis, summarising findings clearly to a range of audiences 

• drafting briefings, reports and policy submissions

• working in a policy and public affairs environment

About Breakthrough T1D UK

Breakthrough T1D UK is the world’s leading charitable research funder into type 1 diabetes, improving lives until we find the cure. We are dedicated to our 400,000 strong type 1 community in the UK and work closely with our international affiliates across the world, including the US, Canada and Australia.

You will find a vibrant atmosphere and spirited team at Breakthrough T1D UK, always striving to make a difference to people living with type 1.

Employee benefits

As an employer we offer:

• Hybrid working arrangements
• Flexible working and will consider compressed hours
• Generous annual leave entitlement – 25 days per year plus bank holidays for full-time staff with leave increasing after three and five years’ service
• Health cash plan that allows you to claim for some treatments such as dental, optical and physiotherapy treatment
• Season ticket and cycle loan
• Pension scheme
• Family-friendly policies – maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave at enhanced rates
• Personalised training to suit your career aspirations and professional development

Breakthrough T1D UK is an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation or age.

About the role

At a time of growth and of new opportunities for the Motability Foundation, we are looking for a Public Affairs Manager to join our Communications Team and lead our Public Affairs activity for the organisation.

Our vision is to fund, support, research, and innovate, so all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. There are an estimated 16 million disabled people in the UK, and this role will play a crucial part in our work to raise awareness of the work of the Motability Foundation, amplify the voices of disabled people and to influence policy.

·This new role will work alongside our new Evidence and Policy Manager, based in our Innovation team, and other colleagues across the organization as well as key partners (Motability Operations), to manage our horizon scanning and monitoring of the political landscape, leading on advising our Governors, CEO and senior management team on actions we need to take, and preparing detailed briefings for engagements, and events with Parliamentarians and senior Ministers. The role holder will develop, implement and lead our Public Affairs and Government Engagement Plan, and proactively identify and develop opportunities to influence and shape policy where it may have a positive impact for disabled people.

With a General Election and potential welfare reform on the horizon, this role is especially important and experience in creating and implementing post-election public affairs strategies, leading activities across the team and devising and managing structured results reporting to the organisation, is highly desirable.

What you will be doing

• Develop, implement and manage our public affairs strategy, leading on public affairs activities aligned with the Motability Foundation’s vision and overall strategy.
• Amplify the Motability Foundation’s voice in Parliament, across the devolved nations, and in political spheres, building, developing and managing relationships with parliamentarians, decision-makers and stakeholders.
• Manage our horizon scanning and monitoring of the political, legislative and regulatory landscape in relation to the work of the Motability Foundation, leading on advising the business on actions we need to take.
• Provide sharp political intelligence, insight, advice and briefings for Governors, directors, senior management and a variety of audiences across the organization.
• Support the establishment of the Motability Foundation’s policy positions and delivering our influencing objectives.
• Manage a contact program for Parliamentarians, raising awareness of the work of the Motability Foundation, establishing regular meetings for senior leaders where relevant, and facilitating dialogue on issues relevant to our work.
• Working closely with the Evidence and Policy Manager to manage the dissemination of any policy output for presentation to the external world.

Your experience

Must haves:

• Strong grasp of parliamentary processes in Westminster, Scotland and the other devolved nations.
• Ability to initiate and manage projects independently while contributing effectively to team efforts.
• Experience in proactively identifying opportunities to influence.
• Strong communication skills, with an ability to grasp complex issues quickly and share information in an accessible way across a variety of audiences.
• Ability to facilitate sensitive internal and stakeholder conversations to reach a point of consensus.
• Ability to engage effectively with stakeholders in Government, industry, and other charities and foundations.
• Experience of operating effectively in a complex environment with multiple agendas and stakeholders.
• Highly IT literate with extensive experience of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.

Nice to haves:

• Understanding of key disability and transport issues, such as the social model of disability, inclusive micro mobility and the transition to electric vehicles.

Closing date: Wednesday 22nd January 2025 at 9am

Working arrangements: Remote working, permanent, regular or ad hoc (with frequent travel to London if not London-based) Please note that we also have approximately 3-4 team retreats per year which could be located anywhere nationally.

At this pivotal time for 38 Degrees, an exciting opportunity has arisen to manage our Public Affairs & Media offering. We’re looking for an effective communicator, who is great at collaborating and has a track record of delivering significant media and public affairs campaign results. You’ll bring to life and manage the implementation of 38 Degrees’ media and public affairs strategy, in service of 38 Degrees’ mission: to make our country fairer, more respectful and sustainable. As we adjust to a shift in our political environment, this brand new role will relentlessly and powerfully amplify 38 Degrees campaigns and the voices of our supporters to the general public, the media and decision makers in the UK.

You’ll manage our Public Affairs & Media team, including a new Public Affairs & Media officer role – working together, and with colleagues across the campaigns team and beyond,  to execute our Public Affairs & Media strategy and deliver impressive results. Whilst this is a Manager role, it’s also a very hands on role – you’ll be as at home picking up the phone to regional TV to discuss local supporters whose experiences could make perfect case studies for the big story of the day, and helping those people tell their story, as you are meeting with MPs and their staff to use our Campaigns By You platform to run campaigns on local issues in their constituencies.

You’ll relish a newsroom atmosphere and will be happy that no two days at 38 Degrees are the same, as you focus on amplifying campaigns and making a difference which helps change lives, little by little.

Your background and experience

We’re looking for someone who can effectively grasp the 38 Degrees approach to public affairs, which combines pressure and persuasion – and who is confident in pursuing both. You will be able to show you can use both, in the right circumstances: from liaising with Metro Mayors on possible partnership campaigns, to commissioning and landing coverage of snap polling that demonstrates public opinion on government plans. The person recruited will need to be a brilliant communicator, and be passionate about opening up democracy and making political and corporate change accessible to all.

You’ll be a great fit for this role if you have excellent political and news judgement – you know what can make a story and what impact that story can have on decision makers.

You’ll be extremely comfortable speaking to politicians and their teams, along with journalists, other communications teams in partner organisations, and 38 Degrees supporters who act as case studies in our campaigns. You may already have extensive journalist or political networks and relationships, and you’ll have definitely had results. We’re looking for a person who knows the political and news agenda each day, and can help set it too.

You’ll be equipped with the skills to develop a new team, with the skills and experience to manage more junior members of staff, setting clear, inspiring and exciting shared goals.

To succeed in this role, you’ll need to be a positive, practical person adept at building cross-team relationships,  bringing people with you  to solve problems in a collaborative way.

We’re looking for someone who understands the need for us to demonstrate a strategic approach, balancing long term planning and objectives with agility and flexibility. And while you’ll have a strategy to work to, your priorities could change at a moment’s notice. If this sounds appealing, our fast-paced and exciting role could be for you.

Full job description here

About us

38 Degrees is one of the UK’s biggest campaigning communities, involving over a million supporters who campaign to make the UK a better place. We’re united by a shared vision to create a fairer and more respectful UK and a more sustainable world.

In the space of a week, millions of supporters could be campaigning on anything from protecting our NHS and stopping cuts to Universal Credit, to saving local green spaces and protecting our democracy.

38 Degrees is fiercely independent. We are primarily funded by small donations from hundreds of thousands of members of the public from all over the UK. This independence means we never have to hold ourselves back from taking on those with power and can truly listen to our supporters.

Why you’ll want to work here

The 38 Degrees culture is honest, kind, supportive, courageous, and respectful. We move fast, and frequently change plans to respond to events. We work hard but we also have fun.

We regularly enjoy team away days and social hours.

Benefits include:

27 days holiday per year (plus bank holidays); Office closure between Christmas and New year; 9-day fortnight (office closed every other Friday); 4pm closure on the alternate Friday; Flexibility to work 90 days overseas per tax year (30 day maximum per travel in any location as per approval process); One month paid sabbatical leave after 5 years of service; Employer pension contribution; 24 hour employee assistance programme; Enhanced family leave policies; Cycle to work scheme; Employer paid annual flu vaccination; Rental deposit loan; Contribution to eye tests/glasses; Learning and development budget.

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We’re especially keen to hear from people who’ll bring lived experience of the issues we work on and who’ll make our team more diverse as a result. So if you’re Black, Asian or from any other minority ethnic group, if you’re disabled, LGBTQIA+, or if you’re from a working class home, your application will be especially welcome. And thanks to our flexible home working approach and network of offices, we have a staff team that is increasingly based across the UK. We’re keen to continue diversifying geographically, so that we’re rooted in our supporters’ communities.

To make sure that we are able to reach our goal of a diverse team we have equal opportunities monitoring requirements. Your application will not be complete without the equal opportunities monitoring form.

38 Degrees is committed to inclusive working practices, so during the application process we commit to:

• Paying for childcare whilst you’re at 38 Degrees interviews or tasks
• Paying for your travel costs to the office and back – and for overnight accommodation if you’re travelling from a long distance for an interview although at present the majority of interviews are held online using zoom.
• Making any reasonable adjustments – for example ensuring we have a BSL interpreters organised in advance if you’d need one
• If there anything else you’re concerned about or think we could provide, please let us know.

To be successful in your application you must meet the essential requirements for this role and answer the questions below which are part of the selection criteria. Without completion of this task your application cannot be considered.

The successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK at the time of appointment.

Application Questions (max. word count: 2000 words across all questions)

1. Tell us a campaign you have been part of developing a media or public affairs strategy for, including what you were trying to achieve, how you brought team members together to action the plan, and what results you achieved. 
2. What challenges and opportunities do you think the recent change in government might have presented to 38 Degrees in the context of our public affairs and media work?
3. 38 Degrees is a digital first, people-powered campaigning organisation where millions of people do something small to add up to bigger political and corporate change. How do you think we can most effectively use our supporters in our media and public affairs work, to win campaigns that align with our vision for the country?

Closing date: Wednesday 22nd January 2025 at 9am

Working arrangements: Remote working, permanent, regular or ad hoc (with frequent travel to London if not London-based) Please note that we also have approximately 3-4 team retreats per year which could be located anywhere nationally.

An exciting new opportunity has arisen to join 38 Degrees’ Public Affairs & Media team. We’re looking for someone with a passion for opening up democracy,  politics and the news, who is a brilliant communicator, a great team player and is highly organised, to join us as Public Affairs & Media Officer.

You’ll play a vital role in bringing to life 38 Degrees’ media and public affairs strategy, in service of 38 Degrees’ mission: to make our country fairer, more respectful and sustainable.  As we adjust to a shift in our political environment, this brand new role will relentlessly and powerfully amplify 38 Degrees campaigns and the voices of our supporters to the general public, the media and decision makers in the UK.

Working alongside the Public Affairs & Media Manager, and with colleagues across the campaigns team and beyond you’ll spend every day trying to shine a light on the actions our supporters take on campaigns they care about. From monitoring what’s going on in Parliament – and when it’s the perfect moment for the 38 Degrees community to use our collective voices – to being able to put together media packages that are irresistible to journalists, you’ll know how to skillfully use the public affairs and media tools at our disposal to win campaigns, raise our profile and build our reputation.

Your background and experience

You’ll have a proven track record of great political and news judgement, and have played a key role in using these skills in a campaigning environment to deliver powerful campaigns that deliver impactful media and public affairs results. That could be from working in a press office or media environment, to working with (or for) a politician. It’s possible you are more experienced at either media work or public affairs work – but either way, you’ll know what it takes to use both to influence decision makers and land a big news story. We’re looking for a person who knows the political and news agenda each day, and can help set it too.

The person recruited will need to be a brilliant communicator, as at home speaking to 38 Degrees supporters and empowering them to act as media case studies, as you are pitching a story to a journalist or handling enquiries from MP’s offices.

We’re looking for someone who can show they’re highly organised, know how to prioritise and with a track record of successful project management, when it comes to partnership work and events.

To succeed in this role, you’ll need to show us you’re team-focused and know what it takes to build positive and productive relationships with colleagues, in a fast paced environment – where the news cycle means that priorities can sometimes change for all of us at a moment’s notice.

You’ll relish a newsroom atmosphere and will be happy that no two days at 38 Degrees are the same, as you focus on amplifying campaigns and making a difference which helps change lives, little by little.

About us

38 Degrees is one of the UK’s biggest campaigning communities, involving over a million supporters who campaign to make the UK a better place. We’re united by a shared vision to create a fairer and more respectful UK and a more sustainable world.

In the space of a week, millions of supporters could be campaigning on anything from protecting our NHS and stopping cuts to Universal Credit, to saving local green spaces and protecting our democracy.

38 Degrees is fiercely independent. We are primarily funded by small donations from hundreds of thousands of members of the public from all over the UK. This independence means we never have to hold ourselves back from taking on those with power and can truly listen to our supporters.

Why you’ll want to work here

The 38 Degrees culture is honest, kind, supportive, courageous, and respectful. We move fast, and frequently change plans to respond to events. We work hard but we also have fun.

We regularly enjoy team away days and social hours.

Benefits include:

27 days holiday per year (plus bank holidays); Office closure between Christmas and New year; 9-day fortnight (office closed every other Friday); 4pm closure on the alternate Friday; Flexibility to work 90 days overseas per tax year (30 day maximum per travel in any location as per approval process); One month paid sabbatical leave after 5 years of service; Employer pension contribution; 24 hour employee assistance programme; Enhanced family leave policies; Cycle to work scheme; Employer paid annual flu vaccination; Rental deposit loan; Contribution to eye tests/glasses; Learning and development budget.

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We’re especially keen to hear from people who’ll bring lived experience of the issues we work on and who’ll make our team more diverse as a result. So if you’re Black, Asian or from any other minority ethnic group, if you’re disabled, LGBTQIA+, or if you’re from a working class home, your application will be especially welcome. And thanks to our flexible home working approach and network of offices, we have a staff team that is increasingly based across the UK. We’re keen to continue diversifying geographically, so that we’re rooted in our supporters’ communities.

To make sure that we are able to reach our goal of a diverse team we have equal opportunities monitoring requirements. Your application will not be complete without the equal opportunities monitoring form.

38 Degrees is committed to inclusive working practices, so during the application process we commit to:

• Paying for childcare whilst you’re at 38 Degrees interviews or tasks
• Paying for your travel costs to the office and back – and for overnight accommodation if you’re travelling from a long distance for an interview although at present the majority of interviews are held online using zoom.
• Making any reasonable adjustments – for example ensuring we have a BSL interpreters organised in advance if you’d need one
• If there anything else you’re concerned about or think we could provide, please let us know.

To be successful in your application you must meet the essential requirements for this role and answer the questions below which are part of the selection criteria. Without completion of this task your application cannot be considered.

The successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK at the time of appointment.

Application Questions (max. word count: 2000 words across all questions)

1. Tell us about a media or public affairs campaign you have delivered –  including what you were trying to achieve, any challenges and obstacles you met, and the results you achieved. 
2. What do you think the biggest challenges and opportunities about delivering media and public affairs work at an organisation like 38 Degrees would be? 
3. 38 Degrees is a digital first, people-powered campaigning organisation where millions of people do something small to add up to bigger political and corporate change. How do you think we can most effectively use our supporters in our media and public affairs work, to win campaigns that align with our vision for the country?

Policy and Public Affairs Manager (England) 

Job Description and Person Specification 

Reporting to: Head of Policy and Public Affairs

Line Management: 1 Policy and Public Affairs Officer England 

Location of work: London. Must be commutable for meetings at Westminster.The role may involve some infrequent travel throughout England and Scotland. 

Contract type: Ideally full-time, 35 hours per week, although 4 days a week/flexible hours will be considered. The role will require occasional evening and weekend work.

Contract Length: Permanent

Salary: £42,000 

BACKGROUND 

The latest research suggesting that the number of children and young people at risk of hunger has rocketed to 2.7 million* means that one in five children don't have enough to eat.  When a child is too hungry to learn, when they’re aching for something to eat, they can’t concentrate. They can’t absorb information. Big feelings and worries can be impossible to control. They fall behind in their studies.  

Magic Breakfast provide a nutritious and filling breakfast to over 200,000 children and young people every school day. We work with schools in areas of high disadvantage, helping staff target the children most in need without barrier or stigma.  Magic Breakfast are ambitious to grow our impact to remove hunger as a barrier to learning for all children and young people in the UK. 

The new UK government’s Children’s Wellbeing Bill outlined in the King’s Speech, includes a requirement for free school breakfast clubs in every English primary school. This is a fantastic start towards ending child morning hunger. Magic Breakfast’s influence will be instrumental to ensuring school breakfasts are introduced in a way that is hunger-focused and barrier free. In 2021, the Scottish Government, pledged a not yet enacted promise to provide breakfast to primary children. 

Thousands of secondary school children are at risk of losing their free school breakfasts from September next year. For many of these students, this is their only opportunity to have a nutritious meal before facing a demanding school day, including taking exams. 

Solutions across all UK nations are currently either not yet actioned or are severely underserving the current need. Being part of the work of Magic Breakfast is your chance, together with parents, teachers and people across the UK, to demonstrate the power of school breakfasts and to shape the way forward to end morning hunger for good. 

*Food Foundation Insecurity Tracker Jan 2024

JOB PURPOSE 

Magic Breakfast’s mission is to end child morning hunger in the UK now and for good. The role of the Policy and Public Affairs Manager is to support us to deliver on this mission through influencing governments to address child morning hunger and the underlying systemic causes, in order to give every child the opportunity to reach their full potential. 

The Policy and Public Affairs Manager will play a pivotal role in shaping policy initiatives and influencing decision makers across Westminster and Whitehall. Specifically, you will help ensure the new Early Adopters Programme – the government’s pilot breakfast scheme in England – is hunger-focused and puts children and young people at its centre. This in turn, will inform the national rollout of primary school breakfast provision across England from September 2026 – a policy which you will also work to influence. In tandem, you will be responsible for informing and shaping how breakfast is included and positioned in the Children’s Wellbeing Bill.

More widely, you will keep abreast of political developments relevant to Magic Breakfast, identifying opportunities to respond, influence and shape the debate. You will be able to put complex policy ideas across in simple and effective terms both in person and through reports and briefings.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and lead Magic Breakfast’s influencing strategy to shape and inform school breakfasts within the Children’s Wellbeing Bill 

• Engage thoroughly in the legislative process to shape how breakfast is positioned, to ensure the law protects and supports children and young people at risk of hunger 

• Influence and shape the scope of the Early Adopter’s Programme to inform long-term school breakfast policy across England 

• Work with ministers, politicians, civil servants and advisors to help shape the national rollout of school breakfasts across England 

• Identify and produce high-quality evidence-based responses to new policy developments, sector reports and consultations from Government, advisory bodies, other political parties and membership organisations 

• Proactively monitor and track policy developments, and ensure internal understanding and alignment on issues and opportunities 

• Lead the dissemination of Magic Breakfast policy briefings and research reports to key political stakeholders 

• Organise and lead key influencing events to influence and inform decision-makers

• Deliver on our policy objectives through building relationships with key stakeholders in national government, key national organisations and coalitions, including garnering intel and ensuring that our opportunities to influence policy making are maximised 

• Ensure organisational buy-in, coordination and collaboration to support our advocacy strategy 

• Develop and deliver political stakeholder engagement plans; track progress against plans and deliverables; with regular reporting on targets and outcomes, timely evaluation and shared learnings across internal teams 

• Work closely with the Policy and Public Affairs Manager Scotland, to share expertise and intelligence 

• Be flexible in work focus and responsibilities when required e.g. support with Scottish election/campaign work and advocacy in Wales 

• Work closely with Campaigns colleagues to inform and shape campaign activities and respond proactively to live developments through the life of the campaign 

• Proactively recommend and establish systems, tools and procedures to ensure effective delivery of objectives across the Policy and Public Affairs team 

• Provide management and coaching for the Public Affairs Officer, agreeing a career development plan in line with required expertise

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

• Experience of policy development and influencing

• Sound understanding of the legislative process (experience in this process is highly desirable) 

• Good working knowledge of the UK political system (national and regional) and previous experience in a UK public affairs/advocacy/or policy role.

• Ability to prepare high quality, evidence-based internal and external briefing material, and messaging under time pressure 

• Experience of line management 

• Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders 

• Demonstrated experience in developing integrated, public affairs campaigns 

• Strong interpersonal skills and experience building effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders including civil servants and sector peers 

• Demonstrated experience of developing influencing plans and working with sector peers and in coalition to achieve change 

• A collaborative team player, able to proactively engage colleagues to share knowledge and expertise

• Outstanding time management and organisational skills with the ability to prioritise within your work, managing multiple tasks simultaneously and working to tight deadlines 

• Understanding of the education, child poverty and/or health sectors – desirable 

• Excellent attention to detail

General

• Passion and commitment to Magic Breakfast’s mission 

• Contribute to team meetings, sharing best practice and supporting team members where necessary. 

• Help to maintain a positive working environment; keeping the vision of Magic Breakfast at the heart of everything we d

• Work collaboratively across the organisation more widely to build good working relations across the organisation and provide ad-hoc support to other teams and members of staff. 

• Adhere to all Magic Breakfast policies and procedures.

• Ensure that all activity is compliant with current legislation, GDPR and child safeguarding requirements. 

• Participate in occasional work-related events at external venues and perform support related activities as required be willing to undertake occasional work outside of regular office hours and UK travel.

• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role. 

• Uphold a culture that encourages curiosity, continuous improvement, optimism, and a steadfast commitment to social impact. 

Job title: Media Officer

Salary: £35,233 per annum

Location: London E1 (Hybrid working)

Contract/Hours: 35 hours per week, full time, nine month maternity cover contract

Fairtrade Foundation is recruiting for a Media Officer to work within the Press Office section of the Public Affairs Team on the development and delivery of media strategies and campaigns.  You will need to build and maintain relationships with print, broadcast, and digital media outlets, to ensure impactful coverage of Fairtrade and its positive impact for producers. 

The role is a vital and highly visible one within the Foundation. You will join a small high performing team that creates, develops, and promotes compelling stories about Fairtrade to increase awareness of Fairtrade's work, our mission and help influence for a fairer trade system, as well as playing a key role in events such as the Fairtrade Fortnight. You will have excellent writing skills, along with experience of working in a busy press office dealing directly with journalists and managing the external media monitoring and press clippings services. You will often be first point of contact for journalist enquiries. You should also have experience of using web content management systems and specialist journalist contact databases such as Cision and Meltwater. If you have experience of organising events for journalists with the aim of securing media coverage, that’s great, but it’s not essential.

It’s an exciting time to join the Fairtrade Foundation – we have just celebrated 30 years of the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK. Fairtrade Foundation is a passionate and ambitious development organisation committed to tackling poverty and injustice through trade. We are best known as the independent, not-for-profit body behind the FAIRTRADE Mark, a product label assuring consumers that their purchase helps disadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries secure a better deal.

Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions and a fairer deal for farmers and workers around the world. Globally, across all Fairtrade members, we share a vision of a world in which all farmers and workers can enjoy secure and sustainable livelihoods, fulfil their potential and decide on their future. To achieve this we connect disadvantaged farmers and workers with consumers, promote fairer trading conditions, and empower farmers and workers to combat poverty, strengthen their position and take more control of their lives.

The Fairtrade Foundation is an equal opportunities employer, offers flexible working and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We particularly welcome applications from candidates with ethnically diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ candidates and from candidates with disabilities, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to greater results for producers and farmers around the world.

Closing date: 10am, Monday 3 February 2025

Interviews will take place: WC 10th or 17th February 2025

We need someone who understands social issues and with data gathering, interpretation and communication skills to join us from April 2025.

Senior Policy and Public Affairs Advisor (Part time 21 hours a week) 
Starting salary: £39,312 (£23,587 pro rata)

Newcastle upon Tyne 

At the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, we share a love for North East England and believe in the importance of giving and philanthropy, backing local charities and championing disadvantaged people. Every year, we award grants to hundreds of local charities and community organisations through funds set up by donors and partners.

As our new Senior Policy and Public Affairs Advisor, you’ll ensure we understand the policy environment for our work, lead on gathering data from our grant-making and related fields, oversee our research projects and work on influencing key stakeholders. You’ll lead our flagship Vital Signs project and commission projects including our Third Sector Trends Study. You don’t need to have worked in the funding field, but you’ll bring understanding of policy relevant to our work. You’ll be able to research, analyse, interpret and present different types of data. You’ll believe in backing the brilliant work of small charities and embracing equality and diversity.

Alongside an attractive salary and benefits package, we offer a great office environment, travel-to-work schemes and flexible/hybrid working opportunities. 

To apply, visit our website and download the application pack. 

We embrace diversity and positively welcome applications from people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. 

Deadline for applications: 9am on Thursday 16 January 2025 

Shortlisted applications notified by 12 noon on Friday 17 January 2025

In-person interviews for shortlisted applicants at our office: Friday 24 January 2025 

Registered charity number 700510 

Prospectus are delighted to be supporting a national charity in their search for a temporary, part time External Affairs Support Officer to help deliver campaigns and events during a busy time. 

The organisation is the UK's leading charity for helping every older person that might need support. Their range of services and support include everything from tackling loneliness to offering advice on issues such as finances. They exist to help older people when they need support the most.

This is a temporary role, starting as soon as possible and running until the first week of March in the first instance. It is part time, 4 days per week. You will be required on site in Central London on a Thursday, and would be able to work the remainder of the days remotely.

This role will help get important policy change for older people by supporting a conference to improve local influencing. General duties will include writing communications, assisting with coordinating projects and events, and supporting the rest of the team where necessary.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Good organisational and planning skills, along with an ability to prioritise workload and competing demands.
• Experience of providing admin and logistic support to events.
• Experience of writing for external audiences and senior internal stakeholders.
• Experience of working collaboratively with others to achieve results.
• Experience of co-ordinating events, projects and initiatives.
• Experience of developing a project plan and seeing activities through to a successful conclusion.
• Knowledge of parliamentary procedures and the political process

This post is looking to start as soon as possible, so you will need to be available immediately or at short notice in order to be considered.

If you are interested in finding out more information about this new opportunity, please register your interest below and submit your CV in Word format.