Advocacy intern jobs

Internship opportunities for 2026-27

Are you a young *Christian who is passionate about issues of justice and peace? Do you want to explore the intersection of faith, policy, and politics, and potentially pursue a career in one of these fields? The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) is recruiting to two full time paid internship positions to start in September 2026.

Interns work as part of a small ecumenical team on a diverse range of tasks and initiatives including communications, policy, campaigning and supporter engagement, contributing to the public advocacy and political engagement work of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches.

JPIT is a partnership between the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church, and the Church of Scotland is an associate partner. Its purpose is to help the Churches to work together for peace and justice through listening, learning, praying, speaking and acting on public policy issues. It is a team which brings together around ten staff working across the denominations. In recent years it has focused on issues around poverty, the economy, refugees and migration, the environment, peace and conflict, and politics.

These internships provide opportunities to develop skills in campaigning, communications, research, and policy within a dynamic team environment. There will be opportunities for professional and personal learning and development to equip the intern for further employment after their time on the internship. Whilst we are looking for some evidence of certain skills and experience, candidates will have the opportunity to develop relevant skills during their time in the role.

They are full time paid roles with fixed-term contracts to the end of August 2027, and a salary of £26,936.00 per year (we are committed to paying at least the London Living Wage). The roles are based in the Methodist Connexional Team which offers hybrid working arrangements, with an expectation of spending at least two days a week at an office base in central London.

We welcome and encourage applications from a diverse range of people. You should be aged 21-30, have excellent communication skills, be enthusiastic and willing to take on new challenges, be interested in political engagement and be a practicing Christian. An Enhanced DBS Check will be required.

Our Culture, Values and Benefits

Thank you for considering joining our inclusive and welcoming team that strives for excellence and values employee wellbeing.

We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), TOIL, flexi-leave and an on-site Well-being Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme, where the Methodist Church will pay double the employee contribution up to a maximum of 16% employer contribution.

The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups.

We are a Disability Confident employer and welcome applications from people living with disabilities. If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please contact the HR team (details on our website). 

Application Details

• Visit the JPIT site for further details of the role. 
• The closing date for completed application forms is Friday, 10 April 2026
• Interviews will be held in London on Wednesday 6th May 2026. Candidates called to interview will be notified at least a week in advance.

*This post is restricted to Christians due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement section under Schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Job Description 

Lead research and policy projects 

You will lead our Research and Policy team and manage our research experts. This will include leading on existing and new projects from concept design to funder reporting, as well as conducting research in different areas of economic and social policy like social security, pensions, VAWG, labour market, social care, etc.

Maintain and forge external partnerships 

You will maintain, identify and forge new collaborations with academics, feminist organisations and economics think tanks. 

Represent WBG at external events and to the media 

You will represent WBG in meetings with key stakeholders and speak at external events. You will also be a spokesperson for the press, radio and broadcast TV to promote WBG’s research and analysis. 

Contribute to our advocacy strategy 

You will work closely with our Communications and Public Affairs team to ensure our research outputs are relevant to our advocacy goals and that they are accessible to a wide range of audiences, including policymakers, politicians, journalists, and feminist campaigning organisations. 

Supervise our research and policy support programme 

In collaboration with our Head of Training and Capacity Building you will expand our programme of research and policy support for grassroots organisations in the UK and internationally. 

Manage a team and support its members 

You will be leading not only projects but also people. You will have experience of supporting, motivating and leading a team of people and supporting them to develop new skills and grow in their careers. This includes staff members and paid interns. 

Hours: 30 hours per week. We operate a shorter working week with 30 hours the equivalent of full time. We are happy to consider a secondment role and/or flexible working arrangements. Some out of hours working will be required for which TOIL will be given. 

Location: Must be resident in the UK with the right to work in the UK. Post is hybrid with requirement to be in the office at least once a week. Office is in Vauxhall, London. 

Duration: 10-month fixed-term contract. 

Line management: Reports to the Director, manages three staff members and any paid interns working in the Research and Policy team. 

Start date: Late May 2026 

Interviews will be held on w/c 13 April 2026. 

Job Title - Research Manager

Contract – 1-year fixed term contract

Work pattern - Full time or 0.8 FTE (for flexible working, including term time working)

Salary - £42,000 - £48,000 per annum (or pro rata)

Location - Flexible, with an expectation of working at Coram’s campus in London on average at least once a week.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about using their research and evaluation expertise, including involving children, young people and their families in research, to join our growing Impact and Evaluation team to help improve support for vulnerable children and young people, and ultimately make a positive difference in their lives.

About Coram and the team

Established as the Foundling Hospital in 1739, Coram is today a vibrant charity group of specialist organisations, supporting hundreds of thousands of children, young people and families every year from infancy to independence. We champion children’s rights and wellbeing, making lives better through legal support, advocacy, adoption and our range of therapeutic, educational and cultural programmes.

Coram’s vision for children is a society where every child has the best possible chance in life, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Building on our legacy as the first and longest continuing children’s charity, we have launched the Coram Institute for Children, the dedicated research and development organisation for children. The Institute will be instrumental in realising this vision by acting as a catalyst for change and collaboration, seeking evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing children in the 21st century in policy, law and practice.

This role will be based in Coram’s Impact and Evaluation team[1]which sits at the heart of Coram’s Institute for Children dedicated to improving the life chances of children.[2] This role will play an important part in building the Institute and the strategic direction of the team. The role offers exciting opportunities to work within the Coram’s Impact and Evaluation team to lead a portfolio of mixed methods research projects and evaluation studies. As well as build links across Coram as well as externally with research partners and universities to pursue research dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people.

As a team, are core research principles are to be child-centred, rigorous, grounded in experience, collaborative and impactful. We are dedicated to delivering child-centred research to ensure their voice is at the forefront of our work. We use co-design and participatory research methods to challenge power imbalances within research and work with marginalised groups.

About the role

The Research Manager will play an important role in working with the Head of Impact and Evaluation and across Coram to develop and expand work of the team within Coram’s Institute for Children.

Working within Coram’s growing Impact and Evaluation team (which currently includes eight permanent researchers) the Research Manager will lead the delivery of high quality, innovative qualitative and quantitative studies including externally commissioned research and evaluation to support the improvement of policy and practice for vulnerable children, young people and their families. This will include implementation and process evaluations with children/young people, parents/carers and professionals as well as quasi-experimental and experimental impact evaluations.

We welcome applications from mixed-methods, quantitative and qualitative researchers who have knowledge of a range of research methods and evaluation approaches. We are dedicated to delivering child-centred research to ensure their voice is at the forefront of our work. We use co-design and participatory research methods to challenge power imbalances within research and work with marginalized groups.

The Research Manager will work with colleagues across Coram and with external partners in local authorities, central government, businesses and other third sector organisations. They will have the opportunity to shape the work of the Institute by designing new research funding bids, responding to tender opportunities and developing our academic partnerships.

The role also comes with a range of personal and professional benefits including dedicated time for continuous professional development, 25 plus days of annual leave, regular team reflective practice sessions and flexible working arrangements.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced research manager who has a passion for innovative, participatory research to take the initiative to design and deliver high-quality evidence which improves policy and practice for children, young people and their families.

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority groups, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented in research roles. If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing date: 15/03/2026 @ 09.00AM

Interview dates: W/C 23/03/2026

We will also make any reasonable adjustments at the interview stage for applicants invited to interview to support inclusivity.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

Are you a highly organised project leader with a track record of developing rigorous and impactful processes? Do you want to lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation transforming mental health in higher education? This could be the role for you.

We’re looking for a methodical and strategic Programme Manager (Award) to manage the end-to-end delivery of University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) Award and act as key spokesperson for the programme. 

You’ll play a vital role in ensuring that the Award upholds its standards and values, and continues to develop and scale, supporting positive change for staff and students at universities across the UK.

About the role

• Lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation for mental health in higher education: the University Mental Health Charter Award.
• The UMHC Award recognises universities that promote the mental health and wellbeing of their university communities and supports them to continually improve. 
• You will own the end-to-end management of a complex, high-profile and impactful programme, balancing administrative excellence and strategic development.

Key responsibilities

• Drive the Award lifecycle, from onboarding universities, coordinating our network of assessors and managing the Award panel.
• Scale and continually improve the Award process, ensuring it remains rigorous, impactful and values-led.
• Act as key spokesperson and point of contact for universities and other stakeholders.
• Responsible for budget, risk and line management. 

What we’re looking for

• Proven track record of managing complex projects.
• Experience developing, maintaining and improving robust systems and processes.
• A rigorous approach to accuracy and quality control.
• Comfortable holding difficult conversations with stakeholders at all levels.
• A commitment to co-production, equality, anti-racism and an interest in mental health.

Find out more about the essential criteria for this role by downloading our Recruitment Pack from the documents section.

What you will gain

• The chance to contribute to a high-impact national programme supporting better mental health for university communities across the UK.
• Experience in a varied role with opportunities to learn and develop.
• A supportive and collaborative workplace culture that values wellbeing.
• Flexibility in how and where you work. 

How to apply
If this sounds like a good fit, we’d love to hear from you!

1. Click “Redirect to recruiter”, then scroll to the 'Vacancies and volunteering' section of our 'Join our team' page to access the job listing.
2. Download the recruitment pack in the document section at the bottom of this page, where you’ll find more information about the role including responsibilities and person specifications. 
3. Download and complete our application form - instead of collecting CVs, we use an application form to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all. 
   1. Please refrain from including any identifying details in your application answers.
4. Upload your completed application form as a word document. 
   1. Please note that once you start your application on our portal, you will have 24 hours to upload your completed form. Before clicking 'Apply' and beginning the application process, make sure your form is fully completed and ready to upload.
5. Complete the Equality Monitoring Form.

Student Minds is committed to building an inclusive team and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and walks of life.