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Salary: £35,159 to £36,935 (starting salary range)
Working pattern: Full-time, Permanent (35 hours per week)
Pension: USS
Annual leave: 25 days plus 8 bank holidays, 3 well-being days, and a Christmas office closure
Location: Hybrid, flexible working model with an office located in central London. Occasional UK-wide travel for GHE and relevant events.
Reports to: Policy Manager (Skills, Innovation, International)
Purpose
GuildHE is seeking an ambitious Policy Officer to play a pivotal role in the next phase of our organisation’s growth. Working directly with the Head of Research Policy and the Policy Manager (Skills, Innovation, International), you will help monitor, analyse, and respond to policy initiatives within the research and innovation space. You will support a range of member-focused events and activities to ensure staff in our member institutions are well-informed and supported. This includes supporting the management of the GuildHE Research Consortium and leading on the organising and delivery of our flagship annual PGR Doctoral Festival, helping our members develop, share best practices, and maximise their research impact.
Key Responsibilities
Policy Analysis & Communication
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Horizon Scanning: Monitor government departments (e.g., DSIT, DfE), funding and regulatory bodies (UKRI, Research England, OfS, Innovate UK), and other stakeholders for policy updates, funding calls, and consultation launches in relation to Research and Innovation policy.
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Briefings: Produce concise policy briefings, data summaries, and position papers for GuildHE members and leadership on key Research and Innovation issues (e.g., REF, knowledge exchange, KEF, commercialisation, research culture, open research). Develop high-quality external reports, consultations, blogs and other materials articulating member challenges and opportunities.
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Consultation Drafts: Assist senior policy colleagues in gathering evidence, analysing member feedback, collaborating with sector stakeholders, and drafting compelling arguments that articulate the unique perspectives of GuildHE institutions.
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Share Best Practice: Identify case studies across the GHE membership to share best practice internally and externally and drive national conversations about new ways of working and operating in the sector.
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Policy issues: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of national and institutional research and innovation policies indicated by the Head of Research Policy or Policy Manager (Research, Innovation, International).
Member Support & Consortium Coordination
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Member Engagement: Maintain regular, positive communication with research and innovation leads across member institutions, fostering a collaborative network. Support relevant GuildHE member networks, including the Knowledge Exchange, Innovation and Place network, promoting communication, collaboration, and best practice exchange to inform evidence-based policy development.
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Member development: Provide support for timely implementation of good practice guidelines and associated resources, within agreed budgets. This includes assisting with members' business development initiatives, such as Research Degree Awarding Powers.
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Event Delivery: Develop and deliver content for events including the GuildHE Research Consortium meetings, the Research and Knowledge Exchange Symposium, PGR Doctoral Festival, the PGR Network for global majority students and sandpits/match events, workshops and roundtables.
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Shared Services: Collaborate with other GHE teammates to maintain and deliver our shared services (i.e. research outputs repository, shared postgraduate online training, research impact tracking and researcher development tools) and explore new services in response to members’ needs
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PGR Students: Develop and deliver initiatives for postgraduate students and early career researchers (e.g., our PGR Support Programme and associated student networks), working closely with the Policy Manager (Student Experience) to ensure postgraduate students are reflected in broader student support policies.
The postholder will also be expected to:
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Actively support the delivery of the GuildHE strategy.
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To contribute positively to a small, professional team focused on delivering excellence in their members’ interests.
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Support GuildHE events and communication activities as appropriate - including campaigns, writing articles, blogs and press releases.
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Build strong relationships with key stakeholders at HE institutions and sector agencies, including senior leaders, academics, and policy staff.
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Gather feedback from HE institutions and use this to inform the continuous improvement of our services.
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Demonstrate a proactive approach to embedding EDI principles within all policy development and advocacy efforts.
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Represent GuildHE externally on a range of HE sector groups and projects and deputise for the Head of Research Policy or the Policy Manager (Skills, Innovation and International) as appropriate.
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Undertake any other reasonable duties as may be required.
Person Specification
Core Skills
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Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships
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Clear, concise writing skills for drafting policy responses, reports, and emails to senior stakeholders with excellent attention to detail.
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Problem-solving, Influencing and advocacy skills
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Ability to digest complex, lengthy policy documents and extract key themes relevant to GuildHE members.
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Confident digital skills and highly proficient user of computer packages including MS Office and G Suite
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Ability to manage multiple tasks effectively, adhere deadlines, and maintain project momentum. This includes the capacity to monitor progress, identify and mitigate potential risks, and proactively address challenges.
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Experience in using data and evidence to enhance and impact assess activities.
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Facilitation and convening skills would be advantageous
Core Attributes
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Ability to build professional relationships quickly and sustainably with members and a wide range of stakeholders
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Able to meet deadlines, to prioritise work and to anticipate issues and problems with strong attention to detail
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A collaborative, communicative and flexible team player who is also comfortable working independently.
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An individual who shares our values of equity and inclusion and can translate these values into day to day work and impactful outcomes.
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An understanding of, or a keen interest in, the UK higher education sector, research funding landscape, or public policy.
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To be willing to travel across the UK for meetings with members, stakeholders and events and to work flexibly, when and where necessary.
Ideal Experience
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Knowledge and understanding of higher education policy, working in research and innovation and/or supporting a research environment.
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Experience of developing policy positions and responses
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Experience in synthesising complex data and/or ideas
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Experience in supporting training and development
Job Advert
GuildHE is a formal representative body, representing diversity in the higher education sector and the widest variety of institution types across the UK. We are undergoing an exciting period of transformation, evolving our policy approach and member-focused services to significantly increase our impact within the sector and ensure we’re providing timely, proactive support to our members as they address emerging 21st century challenges.
GuildHE is seeking an ambitious Policy Officer to play a pivotal role in the next phase of our organisation’s growth. Working directly with the Head of Research Policy and the Policy Manager (Skills, Innovation, International), you will help monitor, analyse, and respond to policy initiatives within the research and innovation space. You will support a range of member-focused events and activities to ensure staff in our member institutions are well-informed and supported. This includes supporting the management of the GuildHE Research Consortium and leading on the organising and delivery of our flagship annual PGR Doctoral Festival, helping our members develop, share best practices, and maximise their research impact.
If you think you can bring bold, creative and proactive energy to our small-and-mighty team to help take us to the next level, we want to hear from you!
Application closing date: Sunday 12th July
Interviews: Tuesday 21st July
Please submit your cv and a cover letter via the jobs portal
Curious about the role? Please contact Dana Gamble, Policy Manager for more information
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Us:
Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting is the world’s only movement for every girl and any girl because we believe that each of them deserves to be the best they can be. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts learn by doing, make friends and have fun. In brave, local spaces, girls develop the skills and attitudes to change themselves, their communities and our world. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts supports 153 national Girl Guide and Girl Scout organisations around the world to be united, thriving and growing.
Job Purpose:
WAGGGS is embarking on a once-in-a-generation capital investment programme to secure the long-term sustainability of its global property portfolio, including its iconic World Centres.
These centres are at the heart of the Movement - places where girls and young women from across the world come together to learn, lead, and build lifelong connections.
Over the next ten years, £5.9 million is required to protect, upgrade, and future-proof these spaces, ensuring they remain accessible, inclusive, and fit for the next generation.
A significant proportion of this funding (£3.75 million) will be raised through a global capital fundraising campaign. This project will coincide with WAGGGS Centenary in 2028 and is an amazing opportunity to amplify the moment.
This role will lead the initial scoping and feasibility phase of the campaign- testing assumptions, shaping a compelling case for support, and laying the foundations for a successful multi-year appeal. The consultant will assess readiness, define strategy, and provide clear recommendations on campaign viability, structure, and resourcing.
Subject to successful scoping and organisational readiness, there is potential for this role to transition into a longer-term position leading campaign delivery.
About You:
We are looking for an experienced fundraising professional with a track record of developing and delivering major fundraising strategies, ideally including capital campaigns, feasibility studies, or significant growth projects. You have experience securing high-value support from trusts, foundations, institutional funders, major donors, or other philanthropic partners, and understand how to build compelling cases for investment.
A strategic thinker with strong relationship-building skills, you are comfortable engaging senior stakeholders, assessing fundraising potential, and translating complex projects into clear, evidence-based recommendations. You are motivated by the opportunity to help shape a once-in-a-generation campaign that will secure the future of WAGGGS' World Centres and their impact on generations of girls and young women around the world.
Key Responsibilities:
- Campaign Scoping and Feasibility
- Case for Support Development
- Donor and Market Analysis
- Campaign Strategy Design
- Resource and Delivery Model
- Implementation Road map
Please refer to the attached Job description for the detailed key responsibilities.
To apply for this role, please submit your CV and a Cover Letter.
In your Cover Letter, please highlight your relevant experience in fundraising and capital appeals, including any experience of campaign planning, feasibility assessments, major donor fundraising and developing cases for support, and tell us why you are interested in working with WAGGGS.
Please note applicants must have right to live and work in the UK.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
We are the largest voluntary movement dedicated to empowering girls and young women in the world.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.