Policy and public affairs officer jobs in Edinburgh

• As a Policy and Public Affairs Officer, you’ll support the British Heart Foundation’s policy and public affairs work across Scotland, helping to influence decision-makers and advance our priorities. Working within the Devolved Nations Policy and Public Affairs team, you’ll engage with the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, charity sector and clinical community to help deliver BHF’s objectives.

  You’ll contribute to influencing plans, monitor political and policy developments, prepare high-quality briefings and consultation responses, and identify opportunities to raise awareness of issues affecting people with heart and circulatory diseases. You’ll also help organise events, build relationships with key stakeholders and represent BHF at meetings, conferences and parliamentary events.

  Working collaboratively across the organisation, you’ll help ensure BHF’s policy positions are evidence-based, relevant to Scotland and effectively communicated to a range of audiences.

  About you

  As our ideal candidate, you’ll have:

  • Knowledge of the political environment and devolved government in Scotland.
  • A strong interest in policy and public affairs, with relevant experience desirable.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly.
  • Experience producing high-quality written content for a variety of audiences.
  • Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
  • Effective interpersonal and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage a range of stakeholders.
  • The ability to work independently whilst contributing positively as part of a team.
  • Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office, and a willingness to learn Microsoft 365 Copilot.

  If you’re a proactive and collaborative individual with an interest in policy and public affairs, and you're looking to make a meaningful impact in the fight against heart and circulatory disease, we’d love to hear from you.

  Belonging at BHF

  By embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment, we strengthen our ability to achieve our mission of saving and improving lives, ensuring our work reflects and serves the needs of every community across the UK. 

  To hear from our people, check out  Belonging at BHF. 

  Our people are at the heart of everything we do. By funding research across six decades, we’ve helped keep millions of hearts beating and millions of families together. We’re investing in ground-breaking research that will get us closer than ever to a world where everyone has a healthier heart for longer.

  Working arrangements

  This is an 18 month fixed term contract to cover an internal secondment.

  This is a hybrid role, where your work will be split between your home and at least one day per week, on average, in our Edinburgh Office. This may vary from time to time, so you will need to work in a flexible way to unlock your best work for our cause.

  Benefits and development 

  At BHF, we offer a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support our colleagues’ wellbeing and professional growth.

  To find out more about our benefits you can download the Benefits document at the bottom of this page or check out our Benefits and Development pages.

  Need more help balancing your work and home life? Talk to us about what flexibility is available at the application or interview stage.

  Interview process

  The interview process may take place in-person or virtually via MS Teams.

  How to apply

  It’s quick and easy to apply for a role at the BHF. Just click on the apply button below. All you’ll need is an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement, outlining your interest in the role and how you meet the role’s criteria. 

  Our recruitment processes are fair, accessible, and inclusive. BHF use anonymous CV software as part of the application journey. 

  We support responsible use of AI to help shape your application. By applying for a role at BHF, you confirm that your application is authentic and reflects your own skills and experience, to ensure everyone is assessed fairly.

  Should you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us.

5Rights is seeking to recruit a Junior UK Affairs Officer on a six month fixed term contract, to support the Foundation's advocacy and policy work across the United Kingdom. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual interested in children's rights, politics and the tech industry. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to one of the most important policy challenges of our time - how we ensure the digital world is built with children in mind. They will gain practical experience across policy development, stakeholder engagement, legislative processes and campaigning, playing an active role in projects that are influencing how governments, regulators and industry protect and uphold children's rights online.

About 5Rights

5Rights Foundation exists to ensure a digital world that will serve children and young people today and for future generations.We are a small team of senior professionals and experts delivering change in how the digital world works. We have shifted the narrative and the agenda through provocative comms campaigns (e.g. Twisted Toys), pioneering research (e.g. Pathways) and award-winning tools (e.g. Child Online Safety Toolkit). We continue to drive real-life change thanks to an outstanding track-record of delivering legislation (e.g. Californian Age Appropriate Design Code), policy and regulatory frameworks (e.g. UNCRC General comment No.25), and industry standards (e.g. IEEE 2089).

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyse developments in UK digital policy, online safety, privacy, AI governance, and children's rights.
• Conduct research on parliamentary activity, government consultations, regulatory initiatives, and emerging technology issues.
• Prepare policy briefings, stakeholder summaries, background notes, and advocacy materials.
• Support the drafting of consultation responses, position papers, speeches, and external communications.
• Assist with stakeholder mapping and engagement activities involving policymakers, regulators, civil society organisations, academics, and industry representatives.
• Help coordinate meetings, events, roundtables, and workshops.
• Track media coverage and public discourse related to children's digital rights and online safety.
• Maintain advocacy databases, contact lists, and project documentation.
• Contribute to campaign planning and outreach activities where appropriate.
• Provide administrative and project support to the advocacy and policy team.

Person specification

This is an ideal opportunity for someone at the start of their career who is looking for meaningful work with real-world impact. We are looking for someone with the following attributes:

Essential skills and attributes

• A proactive, enthusiastic problem-solver with a positive, can-do attitude.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing tasks, meet deadlines and consistently follow through.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, accurate and engaging communications for different audiences.
• Sound judgement, professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive information.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to producing high-quality work.
• Curious, adaptable and eager to learn, with the resilience to thrive in a changeable environment where priorities can change.
• A collaborative team player who can build positive working relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Confident using Microsoft 365 (including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and comfortable learning new digital tools.
• A genuine commitment to the mission and values of 5Rights Foundation and an interest in improving children's experiences in the digital world.

Desirable skills and attributes

• A degree in a relevant discipline, such as public policy, politics, law, social sciences, international relations or communications.
• An interest in technology policy, children's rights, digital regulation or public affairs
• Strong research and analytical skills, including the ability to synthesise complex information into clear, concise briefings.
• An interest in current affairs and confidence monitoring and summarising policy developments.
• Experience (through study, work experience or volunteering) of research, communications, campaigning or stakeholder engagement.
• An enthusiasm for learning and developing within a small, ambitious and collaborative team.
  
  Practical details:
  Location: Remote position in the UK. Ability to travel to London for regular meetings is an advantage. Occasional international travel required.
  Salary: Starting salary of £27,040 per annum pro-rata, with some flexibility for candidates with exceptional skills and experience.
  Contract: 6 months fixed term
  Working hours: Full time (38h week), with occasional accommodation necessary for weekend-engagements and work across time-zones.
  Statutory pension contribution.
  Annual leave: 25 days per annum pro-rata
  Work equipment including a laptop will be provided.
  Starting data: ASAP, depending on notice period.
  Reporting line: Head of UK Affairs, based in UK

Team: Advocacy 

Location: Remote with regular travel. Approx. Once a month 

Work pattern: Monday-Friday, 35 hours per week. Flexible working options available 

Salary: Up to £38,918.33 per year 

Contract: Fixed-term contract until 30th April 2027 

We are the UK’s largest cat welfare charity. All over the country, our passionate employees, volunteers and supporters are using their kindness and expertise to make life better for millions of cats and the people who care for them. 

Will you join us and make life better for cats? 

Responsibilities of our Advocacy & Government Relations Officer - Westminster: 

- Support engagement with MPs, Government departments and key external stakeholders to influence policy and advocacy outcomes 

- Monitor parliamentary activity, legislation and policy developments, identifying risks and opportunities affecting cat welfare 

- Draft briefings, consultation responses, position statements and advocacy materials to support campaigning objectives 

- Conduct research and evidence gathering to inform policy development and charity campaigns 

- Develop strategic messaging and responses to legislative, regulatory and reputational issues 

- Coordinate and deliver Westminster-based events and stakeholder engagement activities 

- Work closely with teams such as Media, Digital and Web to maximise campaign impact 

- Build collaborative relationships across the sector to advance shared advocacy priorities and charity goals 

About the Advocacy team: 

The Advocacy & Government Relations team leads the charity in influencing decision-makers and those whose policies, practices and decisions affect cat welfare across the UK. The small, highly motivated team works to influence legislators (national and devolved governments), professional organisations and corporates. The team has successfully influenced the law on microchipping, pet theft and commercial kitten sales in England and worked with the Scottish Government to regulate cat breeding and rehoming activities. The team also runs digital campaigns as part of its strategy. 

What we’re looking for in our Advocacy & Government Relations Officer - Westminster: 

- Experience of advocacy, public affairs or influencing work, ideally in Westminster

- Experience of policy work and research

- Experience of dealing with high profile/ VIP individuals e.g. Ministers, MPs, MSPs, MLAs, MPs, Government Officials, Local Councillors and officers, etc. 

- Proven ability to multi-task and work independently on own initiative, accurately and under pressure

- Experience of effective use of social media and the internet in an advocacy/campaign context

- A confident communicator with good written and oral skills; and great people skills

- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to be flexible and adaptable

- A passion for cats and cat welfare 

What we can offer you: 

- 26 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with service

- A competitive contributory pension scheme and life assurance for peace of mind 

- Health and wellbeing support to help you stay well while working remotely 

- Flexible working options to support a healthy work–life balance

- Ongoing learning and development to help you build your skills and grow your career

- Financial wellbeing support, including access to Salary Finance

- Access to discounted pet insurance to help care for your pet’s health

Learn more about our full reward package

Application closing date: 5th August 2026 

Virtual interview date: 20th & 21st August 2026 

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. 

This role will join an ambitious programme developing the capacity of the Libraries Connected public library networks. We want to help them evolve as strategic partnerships able to deliver social impacts at scale and to secure resources and investment from national, regional and sub-regional government. Be key to the development of libraries as essential social infrastructure, and help them secure the resources they need to make an impact. 

The role is part of a small team of two Regional Managers, supported by an Administrator. 

By developing our existing regional networks into formal, resourced structures we can enable the regions to: 

• Secure investment for the service and for the libraries from regional and devolved / combined authority funds.
• Create unique regional offers to meet specific needs across and within the regional areas.
• Deliver at scale. For example, the Yorkshire & Humber regional network has 15 library services, and 348 library buildings. 
• Create opportunities for cost saving – through joint procurement and shared / collaborative services. 
• Share good practice and experience on a formal and integrated basis. 

We have 9 regional networks in England, covering all library services and ranging in size from 9 to 33 services. Within each region they provide hundreds of library branches, thousands of staff, and serve millions of service users.  They have a long tradition of working together as peer support networks and to deliver activities such as festivals, marketing, and staff training. 

Please see the attached job description for a full description of the role, including person specification. 

Frequent travel within the UK may be required for the role.

About Libraries Connected 

We are an independent charity that supports, promotes and represents public libraries. Our work is driven and led by our membership, which includes almost every library service in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man).  

Across the areas we serve there are 176 individual library services with around 3,000 library branches serving over 61 million people. 

Our unique approach is to bring these services together to share experience, expertise and evidence – driving innovation and impact across the public library sector.

While senior library leaders sit on our board and committees, we work with library staff at all levels.

As well as providing practical support, training and advice to libraries, we represent them to government and raise their profile in the media. We also develop and lead national library projects with cultural, academic and corporate partners.  

We work to a strategic plan that runs until 2027, organised around four themes: drive, grow, connect and engage.  

We generate income from membership subscriptions, commissioned services, events and grants. As an Arts Council Investment Principle Support Organisation, part of our core funding in England comes from the Arts Council to help embed their Investment Principles across the library network.   

Our values 

• We are supportive. We respond to the varied, emerging needs of our members and their communities to enable libraries to learn from each other, and other sector leaders, so that they can safeguard and improve their services.  

• We are inclusive. We work with our members and partners to design and deliver our work and to determine our strategic priorities because we are committed to representing the diverse communities and libraries which we serve.  

• We are open. We are in constant communication with our members and partners on all levels to learn from their experiences, reflect on our practice and develop our services. We welcome challenge and new directions for our work.  

• We are ambitious. We believe that libraries are an essential part of the solution to a range of society’s needs. We promote innovation and collaboration to ensure that libraries are recognised locally and nationally.  

Working at Libraries Connected 

We are a friendly, collaborative team of around 20 staff based all around England and Wales. 

We value diversity and are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment. We strongly believe that inclusive and diverse organisations are not only better places to work, they are more innovative, make better decisions and are more successful. We value people who bring unique perspectives and knowledge to our team. 

We want to make our recruitment process as fair as possible. To reduce bias, we shortlist candidates based on their responses to up to six application questions. These are designed to tell us about your values, experience, attitudes to work, and transferable skills. We do not ask for a separate cover letter or supporting statement. 

We offer flexible working as standard, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities. Many of our staff work their hours in different ways, including flexi time and compressed hours. We are open to discussing what would work for you and be possible for the role. 

All roles are remote and are open to applicants who live anywhere in the UK. We provide staff with a home office set-up including laptop, monitor and phone. There is the option to work from our central London office or use a co-working space if it is not possible to work from home. 

We welcome requests for adjustments to our standard recruitment processes for anyone who needs them. 

This strategically important role will provide global leadership for advocacy across the Open Doors ministry, helping local and regional teams to shape advocacy priorities, strengthen alignment across international teams, and ensure the experiences and voices of the most persecuted Christians continue to inform decisions at every level of our organisation.

The role also oversees Global Integrated Campaigns and plays a key role in strengthening Open Doors’ voice and influence amongst external partners, institutions, governments and decision-makers. As the global context continues to evolve, advocacy remains an essential part of our mission. We believe God is calling us to speak courageously, act wisely and work collaboratively on behalf of those whose voices are often unheard.

This is a role for a courageous and servant-hearted leader who can bring together diverse stakeholders, develop and execute strategic priorities, and strengthen advocacy’s contribution to the mission of Open Doors worldwide.

Purpose of the Position

The Global Advocacy Director is a strategic leadership role, reporting directly to the CEO and responsible for providing direction, alignment and influence for advocacy across the Open Doors organisation. Working closely with field regions, fundraising bases and international leaders, the Director ensures that advocacy priorities remain connected to the needs of persecuted Christians and contribute to the wider mission and strategy of Open Doors.

Personal Qualities

The successful candidate will be:

• A servant leader with humility, wisdom and integrity.

• A strategic thinker who can see both the wider picture and the practical steps needed to achieve it.

• A relationship builder who can unite people around a shared purpose.

• A courageous and resilient leader, comfortable operating in complex and sometimes challenging environments.

• An excellent communicator, able to inspire, influence and engage a wide range of audiences. 

Working for Open Doors

Open Doors International offers a unique opportunity to combine professional expertise with meaningful ministry impact. As a global Christian organisation serving persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries, we are committed to attracting and developing exceptional leaders who are passionate about our mission and values.

The Director of Global Advocacy will join a diverse international organisation working across cultures, regions and functions to strengthen the persecuted Church and advance the mission of Open Doors worldwide.

Location: The successful candidate must live in an African, European or Asian time zone. Applicants must be able to work effectively across international teams and time zones.

International Travel: The successful candidate should expect a significant amount of international travel to engage with colleagues, partners, advocacy networks and ministry stakeholders.

Salary and Benefits: A competitive salary package will be offered, commensurate with the seniority and international scope of the role.

Additional benefits and employment arrangements will be discussed with shortlisted candidates and will be tailored to the successful candidate’s location and circumstances.

Faith Requirement: As a Christian ministry, Open Doors requires the Global Advocacy Director to demonstrate a mature Christian faith and full alignment with the organisation’s Christian beliefs, values and statement of faith.

Community Fundraising Assistant – East

Are you ready to take on a new challenge with a leading charity making a real difference in brain tumour research?

Brain Tumour Research is an exciting, innovative, and ambitious charity. We are passionate about finding a cure for brain tumours through the establishment of dedicated Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence around the UK.

After a successful 2025, we’re building on our momentum and looking ahead with ambition. As our work continues to expand, so does our impact. We are now looking for passionate people to join us on the next stage of our journey!

It is a fantastic time to be joining us and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals. We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraising Assistant - East, to join our Income Generation and Development team.

• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• Are you able to provide friendly and professional support to fundraisers and supporters?   
• Do you have experience in supporting events or community activities?
• Do you live in our East Region (which includes Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex)?

Have you answered Yes to these questions?

Does this sound like the opportunity to really take the next step in your career?

Excited to learn more about this position? Then please take a read through our recruitment pack below. 

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we are excited to receive your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.

We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.

Closing Date: 30th August 2026 

We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.