Head of policy jobs

The Head of Policy & Influencing is responsible for shaping and delivering the Foundation’s policy and influencing strategy within the Impact on Urban Health (IoUH) directorate. The role leads the development of parliamentary and government engagement strategies, ensuring a coordinated and impactful approach across multiple programme areas.

The Head of Policy & Influencing provides strategic oversight of all influencing work, guiding Policy & Influencing Managers and the Policy & Convening Manager, and advising colleagues on how to maximise policy impact. The role drives a unified urban health influencing strategy that aligns with the Foundation’s priorities and contributes to meaningful changes in policy.

The Head of Policy & Influencing builds and maintains strong relationships with stakeholders across government, the policy sector, and partner organisations, acting as a spokesperson and creating opportunities for collaboration. The role supports senior leadership with stakeholder engagement, oversees budgets and manages a team, while ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded in all influencing activity.

Key Responsibilities 

• Develop and deliver our parliamentary and government engagement strategies across all our issue areas.
• Provide strategic oversight of programmatic influencing strategies developed by the Policy & Influencing Managers and Policy & Convening Manager, ensuring a coherent and complementary approach across all programmes. 
• Lead on our cross-programme urban health influencing strategy.
• Provide high-level strategic advice to Heads of Programme and Portfolio Managers on programmatic influencing strategies and the development of influencing partnerships. 
• Develop and maintain a broad range of stakeholder relationships, with a view to creating opportunities for us to partner on our influencing work and acting as a spokesperson for our work at external events.
• Support senior leadership with stakeholder engagement.
• Oversee budgets for our programmatic policy and influencing work.
• Deputise for the Director of Policy, Influencing & Communications as required.
• Line manage the Policy & Influencing Managers and Policy & Convening Manager.
• Bring a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to all our policy and influencing activity, and support cross-organisational work on diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Role responsibilities are not exhaustive, and you would be reasonably expected to take on wider tasks that are commensurate with the level of your role. 

Skills, abilities, and attributes

• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills at all levels.
• Enjoys working in places with a clear and ambitious mission, a matrix structure and ways of working that challenge the norm.

Knowledge, experience, and qualifications

• Significant experience working in public affairs and policy in a UK setting, with demonstrable impact on policy making in Westminster Parliament and/or the devolved administrations. 
• Experience leading teams to deliver against impactful influencing strategies.
• Experience working across a broad policy brief, and the ability to develop expertise and familiarity with different policy areas quickly.
• Experience developing and managing budgets.
• In-depth understanding of the UK political environment and operation of Government.
• Expertise in public policy, ideally in issues relating to health equity or social justice. 

Benefits 

• Contributory pension
• Annual health and wellbeing personal allowance
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and parental leave pay accessible without length of service requirements.
• Health and wellbeing programme that offers optional free yearly health check-ups.
• Support for healthy eating via fruit bowls and onsite lunch facilities. 
• Agile working, flexible hours, and supportive IT kit. 
• Shower facilities and bike lock area. 
• Generous annual leave (27 days + bank holidays)
• Subsidies for glasses
• Employee Assistance Programme

The Bevan Foundation is seeking a Head of Policy (Poverty) to lead its high impact team and to deputise for the CEO whilst the current post holder is on maternity leave.

Could you lead the Bevan Foundation in its mission to end poverty in Wales?

About the Bevan Foundation

The Bevan Foundation is Wales’s most influential think tank. We create insights, ideas and impact that help to end poverty and inequality. Over recent years the Foundation has helped secure real and lasting change for people across Wales, from universal free school meals for primary pupils to increases in Education Maintenance Allowance. We’ve built a reputation for trusted, evidence-based insights and ideas that influence decision-makers and improve lives.

About the role

The Bevan Foundation has an exciting opportunity within its high impact policy and research team. This is a unique opportunity to make a contribution to our programme of work and to develop ideas to solve poverty. The post holder will also deputise for the CEO providing an opportunity to contribute to the development of the organisation’s strategic direction.

About you

You will have expertise in Welsh policy and politics, as well as an excellent research and analytical skills, superb communications skills and an ability to develop innovative solutions.

Key terms

This is a fixed-term maternity cover position for an anticipated period of 12 months.

The current post holder works four days a week. The Foundation may consider appointing someone for a full working week and this is something that could be discussed at interview.

The full time equivalent salary for this post is £51,519 – £57,980. The expectation is that the candidate would normally be appointed at the bottom of the scale.

We work in a hybrid way, with staff expected be office-based for two to three days a week and to attend monthly in-person team meetings. The Foundation’s offices are in Merthyr Tydfil. We are also open to discussing remote working within Wales for the right candidate.

We would also welcome applications from individuals seeking a secondment opportunity, subject to agreement from their current employer.

Application information can be found in the Job Specification added below.

About the team

We have big goals over the next few years.

We're going to be fighting for mental health in a way we never have before.

Together we'll be working to make sure everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets the support and respect they deserve.

Ynglŷn â'r tîm

Mae gennym uchelgeisiau mawr ar gyfer y blynyddoedd nesaf.

Byddwn yn ymgyrchu dros iechyd meddwl mewn ffordd fwy uchelgeisiol nag erioed o'r blaen.

Gyda'n gilydd, byddwn yn gweithio i sicrhau bod pawb sy'n wynebu problem iechyd meddwl yn cael y gefnogaeth a'r parch y maent yn eu haeddu

Team information

Will you join us?

Mind Cymru's Policy and Campaigns Team works to improve mental health policy, services and public attitudes across Wales. We seek to influence changes to the mental health system in Wales by developing evidence-based policy, responding to consultations and advocacy. We use research and lived experience insight to shape recommendations and campaign priorities. The team also leads public campaigns, builds partnerships with other organisations and supports Mind's wider network to amplify key issues. Its goal is to create a Wales where everyone can access the mental health support, rights and opportunities they need.

Gwybodaeth am y tîm

Hoffech chi ymuno â ni?

Mae Tîm Polisi ac Ymgyrchoedd Mind Cymru yn gweithio i wella polisïau iechyd meddwl, gwasanaethau ac agweddau'r cyhoedd ledled Cymru. Rydym yn ceisio dylanwadu ar newidiadau i'r system iechyd meddwl yng Nghymru drwy ddatblygu polisïau sy'n seiliedig ar dystiolaeth, ymateb i ymgyngoriadau a chynnal gwaith eiriolaeth.

Rydym yn defnyddio ymchwil a mewnwelediadau o brofiad byw i lywio ein hargymhellion a'n blaenoriaethau ymgyrchu. Mae'r tîm hefyd yn arwain ymgyrchoedd cyhoeddus, yn meithrin partneriaethau â sefydliadau eraill ac yn cefnogi rhwydwaith ehangach Mind i godi ymwybyddiaeth o faterion allweddol. Ein nod yw creu Cymru lle gall pawb gael y gefnogaeth iechyd meddwl, yr hawliau a'r cyfleoedd sydd eu hangen arnynt.

Key duties and responsibilities

The post holder willl:

-Provide strategic leadership, planning and insight on Welsh policy, campaigns and senior stakeholder engagement to achieve Minds strategy in Wales, including providing advice and guidance to senior management and trustees, representing the organisation at the highest level on complex policy issues and engaging lived experience in the work of Mind Cymru

-Maintain an inclusive approach that reflect Mind's values and behaviours in how work is delivered and how team-level outcomes are measured. Ensure diverse voices and experiences are sought, engaged and reflected in Mind Cymru's policy and campaigning

-Develop relationships to enhance Mind Cymru's influencing in Wales providing a strong voice on behalf of the federation and our beneficiaries, including with elected politicians, Ministers, Welsh Government and UK Government officials, NHS Wales and other key decision makers

-Build and maintain constructive working relationships with colleagues across the organisation to ensure the needs of Welsh audiences are taken into account on policy and campaigning activity

-Represent Mind Cymru internally or externally, acting as a credible spokesperson and advocate for our work, including in the media and through speaking opportunities.

-Maintaining and applying knowledge across the policy and political environments in Wales and the UK

Prif ddyletswyddau a chyfrifoldebau

Bydd deiliad y swydd yn:

-Darparu arweinyddiaeth strategol, cynllunio a mewnwelediad ar bolisi Cymru, ymgyrchoedd ac ymgysylltu â rhanddeiliaid uwch er mwyn cyflawni strategaeth Mind yng Nghymru. Bydd hyn yn cynnwys darparu cyngor ac arweiniad i'r uwch dîm rheoli ac ymddiriedolwyr, cynrychioli'r sefydliad ar y lefel uchaf ar faterion polisi cymhleth, a sicrhau bod profiad byw yn rhan greiddiol o waith Mind Cymru.

-Cynnal dull cynhwysol sy'n adlewyrchu gwerthoedd ac ymddygiadau Mind yn y ffordd y caiff gwaith ei gyflawni ac wrth fesur canlyniadau ar lefel tîm. Sicrhau bod lleisiau a phrofiadau amrywiol yn cael eu cynnwys a'u hadlewyrchu ym mholisi ac ymgyrchoedd Mind Cymru.

-Datblygu perthnasoedd i gryfhau dylanwad Mind Cymru yng Nghymru, gan ddarparu llais cryf ar ran y ffederasiwn a'r bobl rydym yn eu cefnogi. Bydd hyn yn cynnwys gweithio gyda gwleidyddion etholedig, Gweinidogion, swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU, GIG Cymru a phenderfynwyr allweddol eraill.

-Adeiladu a chynnal perthnasoedd gwaith cadarnhaol gyda chydweithwyr ar draws y sefydliad er mwyn sicrhau bod anghenion cynulleidfaoedd Cymru yn cael eu hystyried wrth ddatblygu gweithgareddau polisi ac ymgyrchu.

-Cynrychioli Mind Cymru yn fewnol ac yn allanol, gan weithredu fel llefarydd ac eiriolwr hygred dros ein gwaith, gan gynnwys yn y cyfryngau a thrwy gyfleoedd siarad cyhoeddus.

-Cynnal a chymhwyso gwybodaeth am yr amgylcheddau polisi a gwleidyddol yng Nghymru ac ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig.

Mind's equity statement

Mind is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff, and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

Please refer to the Job Description while completing your application as candidates will be shortlisted based on how closely they match the criteria in the personal specification.

This role requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

We retain the authority to close this vacancy prior to the advertised closing date and without prior notice, once an adequate number of applications has been received. Applications will be assessed on a continuous basis, and we respectfully advise prompt submission to ensure consideration.

Datganiad Cydraddoldeb Mind

Mae Mind wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau cyfle cyfartal i bob aelod o staff, ac rydym yn croesawu ceisiadau gan unigolion beth bynnag fo'u hoedran, anabledd, rhyw, ailbennu rhywedd, cyfeiriadedd rhywiol, beichiogrwydd a mamolaeth, hil, crefydd neu gred, neu statws priodasol a phartneriaeth sifil.

Cyfeiriwch at y Disgrifiad Swydd wrth gwblhau eich cais, gan y bydd ymgeiswyr yn cael eu rhoi ar y rhestr fer yn seiliedig ar ba mor agos y maent yn bodloni'r meini prawf a nodir yn y fanyleb person.

Mae'r swydd hon yn gofyn am wiriad gan y Gwasanaeth Datgelu a Gwahardd (DBS).

Rydym yn cadw'r hawl i gau'r swydd wag hon cyn y dyddiad cau a hysbysebwyd a heb rybudd ymlaen llaw, unwaith y bydd nifer ddigonol o geisiadau wedi'u derbyn. Caiff ceisiadau eu hasesu'n barhaus, ac rydym yn cynghori ymgeiswyr i gyflwyno eu cais cyn gynted â phosibl er mwyn sicrhau y cânt eu hystyried.