Public Policy Jobs

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic PR and marketing professional in our London fundraising office to design and deliver creative, multi-channel, integrated fundraising and PR campaigns designed to significantly increase the Hospital’s voluntary income.

The success of this role will be dependent on engaging and building meaningful long-term relationships with both existing and new supporters through effective donor stewardship, attending events, and networking.  

The successful candidate will work in conjunction with a small, dedicated team to provide fundraising, comms, and event support to our community fundraising groups.  

High quality comms and media are going to be central to our plans to go public in a big way in 2024.  Creating high-quality, impactful, and engaging content for multimedia platforms will be key. You’ll be able to identify stories from across the organisation, draw out information and ideas from others, and successfully turn complicated or clinical information into clear, simple, and compelling narratives.  

The role requires a creative thinker with exceptional communication and leadership skills.

Main responsibilities:

Fundraising

· Develop and implement integrated fundraising, marketing and PR campaigns designed to significantly increase the Hospital’s voluntary income.

· Create and promote compelling and engaging content for web, social media, and email – ensuring that all comms have clear goals and outcomes.

· Manage the key relationships with the Guild fundraising Committee and the SOA fundraising committee including comms, marketing, and event support as well as helping to manage the key relationships with the Knights Templar sub-groups, and the County Priory Groups across the UK.  

· To put in place measures for evaluating the effectiveness of all fundraising, PR and marketing activity ensuring robust data collection, analysis procedures, and making suggestions for improvements where required.

· Manage the production of key organisational publications – including, the Jerusalem Scene magazine, Annual Report, Strategic Plan, Annual Leaflet, and other promotional materials.

· To work closely with the Executive Head of UK Office and project partners to deliver a new website, contributing expertise and ideas in regard to its look, feel and functionality.

· Take responsibility for the ongoing management and maintenance of the website, working with external consultants where required to resolve issues.  

· Understand and apply the principles of up-to-date SEO.

· Working with colleagues in Jerusalem to maintain a bank of compelling messages, narratives, and case studies for use across all external communications.

PR & Media

· To actively promote the charity’s fundraising endeavours including drafting all external and internal messaging to both new and existing supporters – e.g. email campaigns, newsletters, invitations, letters, speeches, presentations etc. for senior staff and volunteers.

· Managing press and media opportunities related to SJEHG’s fundraising activities.  

· Cultivate and maintain relationships with press and media, proactively pitching stories to secure media coverage, drafting press releases, media plans, articles, and other materials for SJEHG’s fundraising activities.

· To provide counsel and advice to senior leadership on external and internal messaging, as required.

Other

· To assist with the management of the marketing budget, monitoring expenses, ensuring cost effectiveness, seeking to maximise return on investment.

· To keep accurate records and help ensure effective data management processes across the organisation.

· Collaborate effectively with colleagues and a wide range of individuals and organisations.

· To uphold and enhance the charity’s brand identity through consistent messaging, and visual elements across all communication channels and materials.

· Promote innovation and best-practice in marketing communications, with a strong focus on the external environment and trends.

· Any other tasks as may reasonably be required.

At Ambitious about Autism, we're currently looking for a Policy and Campaigns Officer to join our team on a part time (0.4 FTE) basis.

The postholder will have a track record of influencing policy and an understanding and passion for issues affecting autistic children and young people across a range of areas, including education, employment, health and social care. You'll gather evidence and data that will influence change, using your written and verbal communication skills to engage with a wide range of audiences on our strategic priorities and raise awareness of our work.

You'll engage with autistic children, young people and their families to understand their priorities and embed their needs in our communications and policy work. You'll identify opportunities to communicate AaA's policy position and respond to these appropriately, working closely with the communications team to draft impactful statements, as well as web and social media copy.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Experience of working in a policy role, ideally in a relevant sector.
• Ability to identify appropriate sources, evaluate and analyse data and evidence to provide up-to-date, accurate information.
• Experience of producing high quality policy-related documents, as well as being able to write engaging pieces for a range of audiences.
• Experience of using social and digital media to develop and promote policy work.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity and we warmly welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates. We welcome applications regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, or age. All applications will be considered solely on merit.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

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 has no cure. It costs the UK economy around £8.2 billion every year in healthcare costs, loss of work and treatments and yet it isn’t recognised by most employers. 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.

We’ve big ambitions in our strategy, 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 women and those assigned female at birth with endometriosis in the UK – and all those diagnosed in the future.

This will be a busy, varied and important role working closely with the Head of Campaigns and Communications to identify opportunities to influence external policy to better support and represent the needs of those with endometriosis. You will be working as part of a passionate team with a strong commitment to achieving change to help those with living with endometriosis. You’ll have a sound knowledge of the UK political landscape and how to influence it and will play an important role in developing our campaigns. This is an exciting opportunity to help drive forward Endometriosis UK’s strategy and boost our impact for the benefit of everyone affected by endometriosis. I hope you’ll consider joining us so we can, together, do even more.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 20th May and interviews will take place at our Office in London Bridge on Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th June. 

Age UK is currently looking for a Senior Public Affairs Officer to take forward our Public Affairs work, influencing and changing public policy, to improve the lives of older people.

You will design and deliver public affairs strategies which grow Age UK's profile in Westminster and Whitehall and build support for our policy and campaigning priorities. Highly attuned to the political environment, you will identify key political targets, building new and deepening existing relationships.

You will line manage the Public Affairs Officer and oversee public affairs work done by the team's Support Officer.

For more information about the role, please review the job description below and apply to join our collaborative and passionate External Affairs team.

This role is offered on a Hybrid / London contract and there is a requirement to attend team meetings once a week in the office. There will also be occasional travel to support at events across the country.

Age UK Internal Job Grade - 6L

Must haves:

* Excellent knowledge and understanding of local and national government structures, the UK Parliament and our political, policy and campaigning context, and experience of influencing them.
* Substantial experience of working in a political campaigning/public affairs environment, developing influential relationships with Parliamentarians and other national organisations.
* Strong track record of influencing on social policy issues.
* Experience of project-managing complex influencing activities, leading project teams and managing workloads.
* Excellent all round communication skills, particularly the ability to communicate clearly and concisely to a range of audiences.
* Experience of writing high quality briefings, articles and other materials to communicate complex policy and political issues to stakeholder audiences.
* Experience of running effective events for political audiences.
* Experience of representing an organisation to political audiences and other national stakeholders.
* Experience of working in coalition and partnership with other organisations.
* Experience of engaging with senior stakeholders including Parliamentarians.
* An understanding of how to work in a politically balanced way.
* Knowledge and understanding of what equal opportunities means in relation to this post and the ability to incorporate equality practices into all aspects of the work.
* Experience of working collaboratively with others to achieve results.
* Strong interest in UK politics and passion for social justice.

Great to haves:
* Understanding of policy issues affecting older people.
* Experience of influencing change from a voluntary sector perspective.
* Experience of working in a political environment.

What we offer in return

• Competitive salary, 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + annual leave purchase scheme
• Excellent pension scheme, life assurance, health cashback plan and EAP
• Car Benefit Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loan
• Techscheme - buy any tech from Apple or Currys, up to £1000, and spread the cost over 12 months, interest free
• Blue Light Card Scheme
• You Did It Awards - recognition awards from £100-250.

Additional Information

Must be able to travel easily into central London to attend meetings, sometimes at short notice. Required to be in the London office at least one day a week.

There is an occasional requirement to travel and stay overnight (e.g. party conferences); some out of hours working (e.g. occasional evening Parliamentary events).

All CVs will be anonymised by our recruitment system when you apply for a role at Age UK. Please note that our system is unable to anonymise cover letters, and we would therefore ask that to support the work we are doing on making our recruitment selection process fairer and more unbiased, that you remove any personal information from your cover letter/supporting statement, including your name before uploading this. All equalities monitoring information is also anonymised and not shared with the hiring panel. Your name and address will only be known to us once you are invited for an interview.

Age UK is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. We guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria under the Disability Confident Scheme. Please note that on occasion, due to high numbers of applications, Age UK reserves the right to limit the overall number of interviews offered, and therefore, it may not always be practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job.

Age UK is committed to safeguarding adults at risk, and children, from abuse and neglect. We expect everyone who works with us to share this commitment.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert at any time.

Age UK politely requests no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Senior PR Manager

Are you a passionate about public relations and looking for your next challenge?

We have an exciting opportunity to join Sue Ryder as our Senior Public Relations Manager to help raise the profile of the charity and increase the public understanding and awareness of our work and our services. Reporting to the Head of PR & Internal Communications you will develop and lead a national PR strategy for Sue Ryder, raising awareness for a number of projects, services and campaigns.

About you:

We are looking for somebody with extensive experience of working in a national media or PR team, ideally within a charity. You will have significant experience of managing reputation management issues along with supporting governmental lobbying and influencing and affecting change in policy.
Experience of delivering pro-active PR campaigns with an excellent understanding of the media and experience of managing external PR agencies. You will be a highly proficient writer with the ability to direct and manage projects with multiple stakeholder involvement..

Key Responsibilities:

· Develop and lead a national PR strategy for Sue Ryder, with the aim of supporting income generation and increasing public understanding of the charity and measured against KPIs

· Manage and lead a responsive and pro-active national PR team which operates an out of hours service

· Deliver 2 x pro-active PR campaigns per year which meet set project KPIs

· Work to position Sue Ryder as an expert commentator on end of life and bereavement care within the national media

· Manage reputation management issues with the support of the Head of PR

· Manage our current roster of celebrity ambassadors and deliver against a celebrity outreach strategy to bring additional high profile supporters on board.

· Manage the retained PR agency ensuring that projects are delivered on time and on budget and achieving agreed evaluation metrics.

· Line management of the Case Studies Manager, National PR Manager and National PR Officer

· Develop and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues across the organisation, including members of the executive leadership team.

· Manage the day-to-day reporting against the PR departmental budget

What we can offer you:
Competitive Benefits Package

· 27 days holiday rising to 33 with length of service plus bank holidays (pro rata if part-time), - Company pension scheme

· EAP support scheme

· Staff discount with thousands of retailers

· Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

· and lots more. Please visit our careers website for the full list.

Closing date: 23rd May
Interview date: TBC

We aim to give all candidates the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. Please let us know if you require any adjustments at any stage

If you want more than just a job, we want you. Join the team and be there when it matters.

Sue Ryder is here to make sure everyone approaching the end of their life or living with grief can access the support they need. There is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need, but with our support, no one has to face dying or grief alone. We are there when it matters.

About the role: 

We believe everyone should be able to take part in life, no matter their disability.  
Our work helps thousands of people who are deafblind or who have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world and fulfil their potential.  
To see a world where this happens, our campaigning and influencing needs to change hearts and minds. The Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research will be part of an engagement team that will think big and deliver life-changing work. 
You’ll join our London-based colleagues working on a hybrid basis, and lead a high-performing Policy, Public Affairs and Research team. 

The role is responsible for: 

• Playing a senior leadership role in Sense’s Leadership Team and Engagement directorate, planning ahead to our 70th anniversary year in 2025 and beyond 
• Ensuring Sense is seen by national decision makers and stakeholders as the foremost and most authoritative voice on the issues facing people with complex disabilities and their families. 
• Ensuring that public policy in England meets the needs of people with complex disabilities and their families, whilst supporting similar work in Wales and Northern Ireland  
• Providing the expertise and evidence base on the lives of people with complex disabilities and the changes they need to see. 
• Ensuring that the organisation is seen as credible, influential and accurate by external partners. 

To succeed in this role you will meet the following requirements: 

• Relevant graduate level qualification, or equivalent experience
• Evidence of effective influencing of public policy
• Evidence of continuing development of relevant knowledge and skills in the field of public policy development and research 
• Able to demonstrate a significant history of achievement at a senior management level
• Able to demonstrate significant achievement in influencing the development of public policy
• Able to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the way that public policy and new legislation is formulated and developed 
• Track record of successfully influencing MPs, policy makers and opinion formers to achieve improvements on behalf of disadvantaged groups within society through the use of evidence, information and data gathered from a diverse range of stakeholders
• A passionate commitment to people with complex disabilities and Sense’s vision and values; a willingness to learn communication skills and how to make activities, opportunities and work accessible for people with complex disabilities. 
• A demonstrable commitment to delivering positive change in the lives of people with complex disabilities and their families. 
• Evidence of effective consultation with stakeholders using a range of methodologies to gather evidence to inform the development of policies. 
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at a senior level. 

To Apply 

Please use the link below to complete your application.  
 
Managers will use your supporting statement to shortlist candidates for interview; in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly.  We would recommend that you read the candidate guidelines, job description and person specification (found at the base of this advert) before applying. 

Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time. 

No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable. 

Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to an enhanced DBS check. 

For this role we particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds and candidates with disabilities. Sense is committed to equality of opportunity, and to promoting and celebrating the diversity of staff, volunteers and the people we work with. Everyone's contribution is valued and we ensure they're given the opportunity to realise their potential. We welcome applications from talented people from all sections of the community who share our values and belief that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential.

We are looking for a Policy Officer within our Service Delivery Team. You will have demonstrable understanding of health and social care policy and related public policy developments in the UK, as well as an understanding of how policy decisions are influenced and made. You will have knowledge and experience of research and analysis relevant to health policy, as well as familiarity with and understanding of the core principles of both quantitative and qualitative research.

Salary: £40,708 - £43,615 per annum

Contract period: Permanent

Reporting to: Group Chief Executive

Team: Service Delivery

Location: Oxford / hybrid working (up to full time from home, in line with Picker's remote and home working policy - must be based in the UK)

In this role, you will support the development and implementation of Picker's policy influencing strategy to make person centred health and social care a reality for everyone. You will be responsible for monitoring policy and political developments, promoting evidence-based policies to advanced person centred care and building and maintaining relationships within the health policy world. You will leave on the development of policy outputs including briefings, position statements and white papers, working with colleagues to build evidence and articulate Picker's messages.

This role

In this role, you will:

• Develop and maintain a good understanding of key health and social care policy and political developments
• Lead on or assist with a range of high-profile policy projects, including the planning and development of projects, and contributing to analysis, writing and publication.
• Identifying opportunities to contribute to public policy debates in health and social care, using evidence from Picker’s work and from the public domain to provide insightful thought leadership.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to support policy analysis, responsive policy work, and to enhance Picker’s external profile across various audiences.
• Lead on and assist with written outputs, such as topic-specific briefing papers, website copy, presentations and blog posts to communicate the findings of our work.
• Carry out literature reviews and rapid scans of data and evidence to scope public policy positions on a range of key issues.
• Present evidence and findings (both in writing and orally) about highly complex and sometimes contentious subjects to a wide range of audiences, ensuring an understanding of the subject and issues arising and enabling informed decision making
• Support the drafting of responses to consultations, policy briefings, and other public policy initiatives, including relevant third party publications.
• Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, partners, and collaborators relevant to our policy portfolio, including academic and health and social care policy communities.
• Work collaboratively with other teams, creating strong links between other programmes and projects, to promote the use of services, products and survey findings that improve the quality of healthcare.

About You

You will have:

• Understanding of health and social care policy and related public policy developments in the UK
• Understanding of how policy decisions are influenced and made
• Knowledge and experience of research and analysis relevant to health policy. This might include synthesising different kinds of evidence, carrying out interviews, or analysing data
• Familiarity with and understanding of the core principles of both quantitative and qualitative research including strengths and limitations of different approaches and their use in different contexts
• Evidence of being able to produce high quality written work for a range of audiences
• Experience of developing and maintaining relationships with external stakeholders, collaborators or partners
• An interest in healthcare quality and person centred care
• Ability to analyse complex policy issues, assess their implications for Picker and our beneficiaries, and provide evidence-based recommendations
• Excellent project management skills with a track record in undertaking and managing policy and/or research projects
• Ability to present data and information to a wide range of audiences through formal and informal presentations, both written and oral
• Ability to work independently under managerial direction, seeking advice on company policy or resource issues as required, and gain required approval at predetermined stages of projects
• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant discipline (or equivalent experience)

This is a summary of the job description. Please review the full job description below.

About Picker Institute Europe

Picker is an Oxford-based charity with an international reputation as a key authority in the measurement and improvement of patient experience. Our mission is to make person-centred health and social care a reality for everyone.

We evaluate the areas of health and social care that matter most to people, producing actionable and insightful results to drive advances in standards. If you are passionate about putting people at the forefront of healthcare services, then Picker could be the place for you.

Working with us

Here at Picker, we believe in treating our people well; from excellent career opportunities to a positive, collaborative culture. We all work with a shared set of values that inspire us to achieve the biggest impact.

Working alongside colleagues who are experts in their field, you will be part of a team contributing to our vision ‘the highest quality person centred care for all, always’. You will contribute to our research with NHS Trusts and many high profile charities, such as The British Heart Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer UK and Mind.

To support you we offer a friendly, person centred working culture with many benefits including:

• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities, including flexible start and finish times
• Convenient Oxford location with free parking
• 25 days holiday, increasing to 30 days, plus public holidays
• Option to buy or sell up to 5 days of annual leave
• Christmas office closure (currently an additional 3 1/2 days leave)
• Contributory company pension scheme (currently employer matching up to 8%)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Free life assurance (currently 4 x salary)
• Tailored learning and development, including access to complete iHasco training library
• Health and wellbeing resources including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Season ticket loan scheme
• Regular calendar of social activities organised by a dedicated Social, Wellbeing and Employee Engagement team

Simon Community NI is looking for a dynamic and experienced public affairs professional to lead our policy and public affairs activity. You will be a strategic thinker with a proven track record of influencing for change and an ambition to make a difference.  

This role is part of our Growth & Engagement directorate and will work very closely with our CEO and Research & Development function. We are looking for someone with a strong understanding of the political landscape in Northern Ireland, ideally with direct experience of working in homelessness/housing.  This is a new position, and there is a huge amount of opportunity to build a movement of change for people experiencing homelessness across NI.

Job Purpose: Simon Community’s Public Affairs & Policy Manager will lead our efforts in advocating for policies and initiatives that end homelessness across NI. As part of our wider Growth & Engagement team, you will work collaboratively across the public, political and voluntary sectors to amplify the voices of the people we help and advocate for policy change. 
 
The postholder will develop research-based policy positions, identify and deliver clear opportunities for public and political engagement, and mobilise support from a range of stakeholders. You will build a network of constructive relationships with decision makers, influencers and political parties, and engage with the media on a regular basis, acting as a spokesperson for Simon Community when required. 

Essential Criteria:

• At least 3 years’ experience managing a public affairs, policy or media function.
• Experience of communicating complex information clearly, concisely and persuasively, both verbally and in writing.
• Experience of acting as a spokesperson for an organisation.
• Experience of budget and project management.

Desirable Criteria:

• Full current driving licence or, if a disability prevents driving, an alternative means of transport to enable the duties of the post to be carried out in full.

Skills & Knowledge:

• ​​​​​​​Strong understanding of Northern Irish politics and the policy making process in our devolved context.
• Proven track record of successfully influencing different audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Ability to represent Simon Community in meetings, on the media and on public platforms
• Ability to analyse, interpret and communicate facts and statistics.
• Proven ability to innovate and grab new opportunities.
• Ability to work independently and proactively.
• A working understanding of the issues affecting homelessness and/or the voluntary sector in NI.
• Excellent workload management skills and ability to prioritise to meet targets and deadlines.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Why work for the Simon Community?
We offer an extensive benefit package, including:

• Pension Plan
• Employer funded Healthcare - Benenden Health and Health Shield (includes savings on gym memberships and retail outlets)
• Death in Service Benefit
• Generous Annual Leave Entitlement
• Learning and Development Opportunities
• Compassionate Culture
• Occupational Sick Pay
• Health & Wellbeing Initiatives
• Management Development Programmes
• Long Service Awards
• Blue Light Card Scheme

England’s National Parks represent our finest landscapes, famed for their spectacular beauty, varied wildlife and rich cultural heritage. National Parks are critical to supporting local communities, providing access to green spaces for the nation, and helping to tackle the dual challenges of climate change and declining biodiversity.

National Parks England’s purpose is to be the collective voice for English National Park Authorities, helping us to achieve our purposes through influencing policy.

The Policy and Public Affairs Manager will be an experienced public affairs professional with a passion for nature and understanding of National Parks. 

The successful applicant will join our senior management team, managing the Policy and Public Affairs team and work with the Executive Director  to help develop and drive the NPE policy and public affairs strategy, working closely with stakeholders in our member National Parks and the wider Protected Landscapes family.

Every childhood is worth fighting for. This is our belief. It drives us. 
 
It drives our award-winning Policy and Public Affairs team to shape law, policy and practice to ensure children can grow up free from abuse and neglect.
 
To help us achieve even more for children, we are recruiting six Policy and Public Affairs Officers across the UK. We are looking for: 

• 1 x Policy and Public Affairs Officer based in Northern Ireland
• 1 x Policy and Public Affairs Officer based in Scotland
• 1 x Policy and Public Affairs Officer based in Wales
• 3 x Policy and Public Affairs Officers based in England, with one focused on online safety 

These will be key roles in a high-performing team with an inclusive, supportive and empowering team dynamic. Post-holders will support the delivery of a range of policy-focused projects both within their respective nation policy team, and across our UK-wide team. 
 
The successful candidates will be: 

• committed to our mission to prevent child abuse; 
• able to demonstrate good policy development and policy research skills; 
• a strong communicator and effective network builder; and 
• have experience of influencing policy change in England/Northern Ireland/Scotland/Wales, as the specific role requires. 

 Join us and you'll become part of a team that cares about the work they do and the people they work with. You'll discover opportunities to grow, along with challenges and a shared purpose that'll bring the best out in you. And you'll get to find your own way to make a difference that means more, and that impacts millions of young lives.

Job Title: Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Reports to: Policy Manager

Line reports: None

Contract terms: Full time

Salary: £36,065-£37,013

Location: London-based, with hybrid working

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is a membership organisation and the voice of the profession, with over 4,000 members in the UK and overseas. Our role is to champion the specialty, set standards of training and practice, and influence change to make a difference to the lives of patients with eye conditions.

Job purpose

Part of the Communications and Engagement department, the Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer is responsible for developing and implementing strategic policy initiatives and engaging with key stakeholders to advance our policy priorities across the four UK nations. Working with colleagues, members and external stakeholders, you will deliver high quality analysis and research, produce evidence-based policy positions and outputs, and employ effective public affairs approaches to influence change on behalf of our members.

Main responsibilities

Strategic planning and reporting

• Contribute to developing, implementing and evaluating policy and public affairs (PPA) strategies, campaigns and plans aligned to member priorities and our wider strategic aims.
• Lead and manage the delivery of specific PPA workstreams, working in partnership with other organisations as needed.
• Monitor and report on performance against organisational and departmental objectives.

Policy development

• Monitor and analyse the external policy, political and parliamentary landscape across the four UK nations to identify influencing opportunities and relevant developments – summarising these for internal audiences.
• Contribute to the design and analysis of member surveys, drafting reports and presenting findings to inform the College’s policy agenda.
• Work with colleagues to research and draft evidence-based policy positions, consultation responses and briefings for politicians, civil servants, NHS and other key decision makers.
• Maintain an accurate evidence library of data and information to support the development of policy.
• Provide policy-related support to relevant committees to enable their effective contribution to the College’s work, including ensuring agreed actions are implemented.

Public affairs

• Build new and strengthen existing relationships with policymakers, government officials, clinicians and other relevant stakeholders across the four UK nations to advance the College’s policy objectives and maintain a thought leadership position within the eye health sector.
• Draft briefings and presentations to support events and senior-level meetings with politicians, civil servants, NHS and other key decision makers.
• Arrange and represent (as appropriate) the College at events, conferences and external stakeholder meetings.
• Build and maintain the College’s stakeholder database, tracking progress and advising on how to engage with different stakeholders.

Communications

• Work closely with the communications team to support the delivery of communications strategies and plans, ensuring the accuracy of policy information contained in College outputs and contributing to our press activities, member magazine, newsletters and website as required.
• Draft, implement and evaluate the impact of strategic engagement plans for policy publications.
• Support the communication of College policy positions internally, including by proposing lines to take for inclusion in our messaging house and assisting in briefing colleagues and volunteers – including the Chief Executive and President – on these.

To undertake other duties as required

• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the College.
• Working outside normal hours and/or overnight stays may be necessary to support the delivery of key organisational events.

Inclusion and diversity statement 

The College is committed to encouraging inclusion, equity and diversity among our staff, and eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation by complying with the Equality Act 2010. We want a working environment where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued. To do this, we will proactively tackle discrimination and disadvantage and ensure that no individual or group is directly or indirectly discriminated against for any reason. We expect all employees to champion and live our values through their work at every opportunity.  

Our values 

Inclusion

• actively welcoming a diversity of experiences and perspectives
• everyone being respected and encouraged to participate regardless of their background or role

Integrity

• being open and honest, demonstrating accountability in all its work
• evidenced-based and transparent decision-making, utilising a range of data, information, expertise and experience

Innovation

• creating novel opportunities to advance and deliver on its aims, anticipating changing circumstances
• actively welcoming fresh ideas and approaches
• fostering a climate of ambition and excellence drawing on expertise from across the College’s communities

Improvement

• being a learning organisation, reflecting on both successes and mistakes
• continuous and sustainable development across all its activities

Person specification

 Knowledge, qualifications and experience

• University degree or professional qualification in a relevant field such as public policy, political science, public health or similar
• At least three years’ experience of working in a policy, public affairs or advocacy role, preferably within the healthcare sector or a membership organisation
• Experience of devising developing, implementing and evaluating policy/public affairs strategies and/or campaigns
• Experience managing projects and initiatives from conception to implementation
• Experience of conducting policy-relevant research and developing evidence-based policy positions and consultation responses
• Experience of drafting high-quality, accessible briefings, reports, and other written materials for diverse audiences, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the public
• Experience of engaging with government agencies, policymakers, and other stakeholders to influence policy outcomes
• Working knowledge of IT systems – including Microsoft Office and CRMs

 Skills and abilities

• Strong strategic planning, prioritisation and organisational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas and nuanced points clearly and persuasively
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to research, analyse, and interpret complex qualitative and quantitative data to inform policy positions and advocacy efforts
• Proven ability to critically evaluate policy proposals, legislation and other publications and assess their potential implications for the College and our members
• Strong interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to build and maintain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including government officials
• Ability to generate new ideas, take initiative and problem solve
• Adaptability and an ability to work well under pressure and manage often conflicting demands within tight timeframes

Personal qualities (attributes)

• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and understanding of how this applies to own area of work
• Commitment to own continuing professional development
• Demonstrates a positive ‘can do’ attitude

Staff benefits

We offer a friendly and supportive working environment and make sure our employees are well looked after with a great benefits package, which includes:

Work life balance and family friendly benefits

• Hybrid working
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days with length of service (plus bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year)
• One day of paid leave to move house
• Enhanced parental leave

Planning for your future

• Employer pension contributions up to a maximum of 12%
• Life assurance of 4x of base salary

Career development

• All staff are offered opportunities for learning and development, in addition to a comprehensive e-learning package
• Study loans

Travel

• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme

Wellbeing

• Summer Fridays (staff can finish 90 minutes early from 17th July – 31st August)
• Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme (with access to free counselling sessions)
• Health Cash Plan

How to apply

Please submit your CV (maximum two pages) and a covering letter (maximum one page). The cover letter must explain what makes you suitable for the role. Please use the job description for reference.

Interviews will be held at our office in Euston, the week commencing 3 June 2024. Please indicate if you are likely to need any reasonable adjustments to successfully complete this interview.

Applicants must already have the right to work within the UK without restriction. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The closing date for applications is 27 May 2024.

Position

The Mental Health Foundation is recruiting for a Policy & Public Affairs Officer to support our Policy Team in the London office.

Deadline: Monday 13 May, 9.00 am.

Location: London

Salary: Starting salary £31,350 rising to £35,381 plus £3,285 London Weighting.

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week). We are currently trialling a 32-hour week until April 2025 on the same pay & conditions.

Contract type: Permanent

This exciting Policy & Public Affairs Officer role will lead on developing and influencing specific policy priorities identified by the Foundation as areas where change is most needed to improve the population’s mental health. Initially, the policy area of focus for this role will be the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees.

What does the role involve?

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of policy and legislative developments affecting public mental health and particular priority policy topics for the Foundation.
• Carry out background research, developing influencing plans, responding to government consultations and providing briefings for politicians and other external stakeholders.
• Ensure the Foundation’s stakeholders, including people with lived experience of mental ill health, are involved in development of policy work and strategy.

Requirements

What skills, knowledge and experience are we looking for?

• In-depth knowledge of policy development systems and processes in the UK.
• Excellent writing skills, including the ability to write precisely and quickly for a range of audiences.
• Ability to critically analyse complex legislative, policy and research documents.
• Ability to work within and across teams to deliver results. This includes our policy, research, communications, fundraising and programmes teams.

Safeguarding is Everyone’s business: the Mental Health Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all its beneficiaries, those who surround them, its staff, volunteers, and anyone else who comes into contact with its services and expects all trustees, staff, and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to appropriate vetting procedures (proof of eligibility to work in the UK, proof of residency and satisfactory employment screening, including a Disclosure check and two most recent references) along with 3-year renewals of Disclosure checks. We are unable to provide sponsorship for this post; you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the UK.

Other information

If you think your skills match and you’d like to be part of a dynamic and growing organisation, please complete and submit your application below. Please ensure you attach an up to date CV and statement of suitability answering all points of the person specification. Applications will close at 9.00 am on Monday 13 May and we are unable to accept late applications. Interviews are planned for the 23 and 24 May. There will be a short written test on the day of the interview.

We believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. Diversity and inclusion is a strategic priority for us as an employer and mental health charity, and we are proud to be signatories of the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter and the Disability Confident Committed Scheme. Applications from under-represented sections of the community are actively encouraged.

If you have a disability, require any additional support or have any questions regarding the role, please contact us. We make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and during employment. Disabled candidates who meet all the essential person specification criteria will be offered an interview. Therefore, please do ensure you tick the relevant box on the application form and clearly indicate in your application/covering letter if you consider yourself to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010/Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

We are currently operating mostly digital recruitment (including interviews via video conferencing). We have moved to a hybrid working model of a minimum of 2 days per week in the office and the rest working from home.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The National Lottery Promotions Unit (NLPU) raises positive public awareness of National Lottery brand and the funding which changes the lives of ordinary people through the £30 million it raises every week for good causes all across the UK. National Lottery players help build local communities, power sports teams, protect the environment, unleash creative talent, look after the elderly and unlock youthful potential. In addition, support from the National Lottery wins Olympic medals and Oscars.

The role, 30th Birthday Public Affairs lead will play a key role in managing external relationships with key parliamentarians, and representative bodies. You will bring a network of key contacts to promote and support the importance of the National Lottery to people and communities throughout the UK. You will also play a key role in presenting the National Lottery in an effective and impactful way and manage the delivery of the National Lottery 30th Birthday government relations strategy.

This role is a six month fixed term contract, working full time, 37 hours a week, based in London alongside the wider NLPU Team.  It is critical that the person is committed to delivering change and has the dedication to the project, ensuring challenges and tasks are taken through to completion.

You will have the support of your Director, NLPU team and colleagues from across the whole National Lottery family. With a UK-wide remit you will need to be proactive in engaging with multiple teams/senior stakeholders across the twelve National Lottery distributors, the operator, the DCMS and the Gambling Commission.

Contract Type: Fixed term, six months

Interview Date: Week commencing 10th June, in person, Central Manchester

Location: London, office is Kings Cross – hybrid flexible working

Essential Criteria

• Excellent understanding and knowledge of public affairs, influencing and advocacy
• Experienced in a policy environment, developing issues and themes
• Evidence of Policy analysis skills
• Ability to coordinate systems and processes and develop effective working relationships to enable collaboration across the fund, for example in relation to managing stakeholders
• Parliamentary and legislative knowledge and understanding
• Excellent understanding of the role that digital skills play in policy and relationship management
• Excellent skills in commissioning research and analysis
• Strong project management skills

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.) 

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.