Research and public affairs officer jobs
As Policy and Public Affairs Manager, you will help ensure London Youth is a credible, influential voice on issues affecting young people and the organisations that support them. Sitting within the Fundraising and Communications Directorate, you will work closely with the CEO, senior leadership, and youth participation, communciations, fundraising and delivery colleagues to deliver demonstrable external influence and impact.
You will craft clear, evidence-based policy positions that shape debate and influence decision-making at London and national level, ensuring the policymakers understand and respond to the realities facing young people in London. Through effective internal engagement, you will also ensure colelagues and our members are well-informed and equipped to respond to key policy developments.
You will successfully represent the voice of London Youth's members and the young people they support, helping to secure greater recognition, investment, and support for youth services. By building strong relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians, and sector partners working to address the issues affecting young people inthe capital, you will help position London Youth as a trusted and respected contributor to relevant policy discussions.
At a time of significant change across the youth sector, you will play a central role in campaigning for systematic change and in building the profile of London Youth and the wider voluntary sector as the Government's 10-year National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters, is implemented. You will help ensure commitments translate into meaningful outcomes for young people, particularly in relation to youth services, enrichment opportunities, and support for young people not in education, employment, or training, and strengthen long-term investment in youth provision.
What you will be doing
You will lead the development and delivery of London Youth's policy and public affairs work, building a clear and consistent understanding of the London and national context for young people and youth organisations. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, including communications, fundraising, delivery, and MEL, you will help develop a clear and compelling case for support and influence.
You will work in close partnership with the CEO and CEO's office, acting as a trusted policy adviser, supporting the CEO's external policy engagements, positioning, and relationships with senior policymakers and influencers.
You will monitor emerging political and policy developments and relevant funding announcements, providing insight and analysis to identify opportunities for engagement. You will draft swift organisational responses to key policy announcements, in collaboration with the CEO and communications team, and ensure relevant intelligence and opportunties inform the work of the fundraising team.
You will develop, maintain, and communicate evidence-based policy positions, insights, and priorities, convening our members regularly to inform clear policy asks and advocacy. You will shape briefings and consultation responses that reflect the needs of London Youth's members and the young people they support. You will shape policy positions and provide high-quality briefings ahead of key senior-level engagements.
You will oversee and track our policy influencing activity, identifying emerging policy developments, coordinating internal input, engaging stakeholders and representing London Youth in external policy and public affairs forums, and reporting on the impact of our policy work.
You will strengthen policy work through insight and engagement, analysig relevant data and research from our membership and working with the Learning and Impact Lead to ensure insights from London Youth's network inform policy development. You will also identify opportunities for members and young people from our Youth Board to engage in policy work, including through consultations, networks, and events.
You will build and maintain strong relationships with key London and national stakeholders, identifying opportunities for partnership working with other organisations and ensuring London Youth has a visible, credible voice in debates affecting young people.
You will contribute to London Youth's communications, campaigns, and profile, working with colleagues to shape policy activity across digital channels, produce engaging written content including articles and speeches, craft organisational messaging, support youth-led engagement, and contribute to London Youth's thematic networks, influencing events and media opportunities.
What you bring to the role
Knowledge and Experience:
- Strong understanding of how policy is developed in the London and national context, and experience of engaging with political agendas on behalf of a charitable or membership organisation.
- Experience in developing robust policy positions, responses, and solutions, and influencing politicians and decision-makers.
- Up-to-date, proven experience in public affairs, parliamentary engagement or a related policy-influencing role, with a clear track record of driving meaningful change.
- Good understanding of UK parliamentary and government processes, and of current policy areas impacting young people in London and across the UK.
- Experience of producing a range of briefings and written materials, including research findings, public statements, consultation responses, and briefings for senior colelagues.
- Proven ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with opinion-formers and other key stakeholders.
Attributes and Behaviours:
- Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, especially when it comes to policy partners.
- Demonstrate confidence to engage and build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including those at senior level.
- A confidence verbal communicator and presenter able to represent London Youth within policy forums, consortia, and networking events.
- Demonstrate ability to work on your own initiative and as part of a team, with proven ability to innovate and deliver change.
- Demonstrate ability to analyse, summarise, and present evidence to different audiences.
- Demonstrate a commitment to ensuring young people have prominent platforms to voice their views directly on the issues that affect them.
- Demonstrate a commitment to strengthening London's Youth sector.
- Be willing to work some evenings and the occasional weekend.
- Understanding and supporting the vision, mission, and aims of London Youth.
Demonstrate living our values of being:
- Ambitious
- Collaborative
- Inclusive
- Accountable
Why work at London Youth
- Generous holiday allowance - 39 days paid holiday each year (including bank holidays and closure days). Pro-rata if you work part time.
- Employer 4% pension contribution
- Additional leave granted to support voluntary activity
- Free Health Care Cash Plan
- Free access for you and your family to the Employee Assistance Programme
- Free access to the 'Headspace' app for you and your family
- Flexible working opportunities considered
- You'll be working with a fantastic team of passionate colleagues across London Youth
- You will be making a difference to the lives of young people
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
We are looking for someone with excellent communication and organisational skills to support with developing and communicating policy positions that contribute to the charity’s key strategic objectives.
In this dynamic role, you’ll work as a core part of the team and across the wider organisation to coordinate and draft responses to consultations and lead on responding to policy enquiries.
Your ability to influence and work together with others will help you to succeed as Policy Officer to learn from colleagues and external networks in order to contribute to policy positions, confidently represent Diabetes UK and influence others appropriately.
You will also be keen to seek out opportunities to develop your knowledge and skills and have an appetite to develop expert knowledge in particular policy areas.
Join us and be a part of something truly transformative. Together, we can change the narrative around diabetes and make a positive difference to the lives of people impacted by the condition.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Team: Advocacy
Location: Remote with regular travel across Wales and UK - Must be a commutable distance to Cardiff
Work pattern: Mon-Fri, 7 hours per day. Occasional weekend or evening hours required
Salary: Up to £37,565.95 per year
Contract: Permanent
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 and Government Relations Officer for Wales:
- Lead engagement with the Welsh Government and MSs
- Support engagement with the UK Parliament
- Monitor parliamentary activity daily and conducting online research
- Preparing position statements and responses to external policy developments
- Developing public-facing charity campaigns including online resources, organising events and delivering presentations
- Media spokesperson for Cats Protection
About the Advocacy team:
You will be working as part of the Advocacy & Government Relations team in the Advocacy & Influence Directorate. The team is made up of 11 members who work across the whole of the UK speaking up for cats. Our campaigns change laws to better protect the health and welfare of cats.
What we’re looking for in our Advocacy and Government Relations Officer for Wales:
- Experience of advocacy, public affairs or influencing work (which may include campaigns), ideally in Wales
- Lives within a commutable distance of Cardiff or willing to relocate to the area
- Experience of policy work and research
- Experience of dealing with high profile/ VIP individuals e.g. Ministers, MSs, MPs, MSPs, MLAs, Government Officials, Local Councillors and officers, corporate executives; professional organisations
- Proven ability to multi-task and work independently on own initiative, accurately and under pressure
- Resilience and an ability to deal with potentially upsetting topics
- 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
- Intermediate skills using Microsoft Office – Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
What we can offer you:
- range of health benefits
- 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service
- Salary Finance, which empowers you to take control of your financial wellbeing
- Access to a wide range of internal and external learning and development opportunities
- A friendly and supportive team
- We are happy to wait for the right candidate, please still consider applying if you have several months’ notice period
- and much more, which you can learn about
Application closing date: 11th February 2026
Virtual interview date: 19th & 20th February 2026
Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. Please note, applications received after the closing date may not be responded to.
If successful, your recruitment journey will include:
1. Anonymised application form
2. Video screening
3. Virtual interview
Please note, the process may change slightly dependent on application numbers. We will inform you of any relevant changes.
Please email us if you require any adjustments to be made for you to complete your application or to participate in the recruitment journey.
Registered Charity
501 - 1000
Making a better life for cats, because life is better with cats
Thank you!
Team: Advocacy
Location: Remote with regular travel - Must be a commutable distance to Edinburgh or Belfast
Work pattern: Mon-Fri, 7 hours per day. Occasional weekend or evening hours required
Salary: Up to £37,565.95 per year
Contract: Permanent
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 and Government Relations Officer for Scotland/Northern Ireland:
- This role will cover both Scotland and Northern Ireland, the successful candidate will need to be able to travel between the two nations
- Lead engagement with the Scottish Government, the Northern Irish Executive, UK and local Government
- Support engagement with the UK Parliament
- Monitor parliamentary activity daily and conducting online research
- Preparing position statements and responses to external policy developments
- Developing public-facing charity campaigns including online resources, organising events and delivering presentations
- Media spokesperson for Cats Protection
About the Advocacy team:
You will be working as part of the Advocacy & Government Relations team in the Advocacy & Influence Directorate. The team is made up of 11 members who work across the whole of the UK speaking up for cats. Our campaigns change laws to better protect the health and welfare of cats.
What we’re looking for in our Advocacy and Government Relations Officer for Scotland/Northern Ireland:
- Experience of advocacy, public affairs or influencing work (which may include campaigns), ideally in Scotland/Northern Ireland
- Lives within a commutable distance of Edinburgh or Belfast or willing to relocate to the area
- Experience of policy work and research
- Experience of dealing with high profile/ VIP individuals e.g. Ministers, MSs, MPs, MSPs, MLAs, Government Officials, Local Councillors and officers, corporate executives; professional organisations
- Proven ability to multi-task and work independently on own initiative, accurately and under pressure
- Resilience and an ability to deal with potentially upsetting topics
- 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
- Intermediate skills using Microsoft Office – Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
What we can offer you:
- range of health benefits
- 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service
- Salary Finance, which empowers you to take control of your financial wellbeing
- Access to a wide range of internal and external learning and development opportunities
- A friendly and supportive team
- We are happy to wait for the right candidate, please still consider applying if you have several months’ notice period
- and much more, which you can learn about
Application closing date: 11th February 2026
Virtual interview date: 5th & 6th March 2026
Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. Please note, applications received after the closing date may not be responded to.
If successful, your recruitment journey will include:
1. Anonymised application form
2. Video screening
3. Virtual interview
Please note, the process may change slightly dependent on application numbers. We will inform you of any relevant changes.
Please email us if you require any adjustments to be made for you to complete your application or to participate in the recruitment journey.
Registered Charity
501 - 1000
Making a better life for cats, because life is better with cats
Thank you!
Are you an experienced Public Affairs professional with a passion for dogs?
We’re looking for a Public Affairs Officer to support the important work we do to ensure policy makers consider dog welfare in their decision making.
What does this role do?
As Public Affairs Officer, you’ll:
- contribute to the delivery of our ambitious public affairs programme across Westminster and Whitehall, the devolved administrations and in the EU,
- support and occasionally lead on the organisation and coordination of political events, meetings, and project visits, as part of our programme of engagement with policy makers,
- support the management of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) and the EU Dog & Cat Alliance,
- establish and maintain positive relationships with key external stakeholders, including parliamentarians and civil servants.
Please note, this role is available as a fixed term contract until January 2027. Interviews for this role are provisionally scheduled for week commencing 9th February 2026, and will take place on Teams.
Could this be you?
To be successful in this role, you’ll need experience in parliamentary or public affairs, with a good understanding of the political landscape in the UK. You’ll also need excellent communication skills, with the ability to listen actively, negotiate and influence decision makers and strong written English, to draft clear and concise professional correspondence and communications. Above all, an interest in the aims and values of Dogs Trust is essential.
To apply for this position please click the APPLY NOW button. Our application process requires you submit a personal statement explaining your interest and suitability for the role.
Dogs are incredibly diverse, much like the humans that love them! At Dogs Trust we value diversity, and we're committed to fostering an inclusive culture. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and cultures and believe that a diverse workforce helps us to achieve our mission. Our colleague networks give our people a voice, acting as vehicles for real and meaningful change within Dogs Trust. We truly want to see every candidate shine throughout the entire job application process, interview stages, and during their time with us. If there's anything on your mind or any adjustments you may need, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to support you every step of the way.
Please note, Dogs Trust is a wholly independent organisation, free of association with any political party. Our independence is critical, as it allows us to pursue our mission to campaign on dog welfare issues, on behalf of the UK’s dogs and their owners. For our public affairs roles, the ability to display political neutrality in the public eye or when working with MPs is essential.
Thank you!
Longer working lives and ongoing economic transitions are reshaping careers: how we start them, and how we move through them. But too many people remain paid in low-paid, low-quality work – with damaging consequences for them personally, and our economy as a whole. We’re seeking a senior, policy-oriented research leader to help us and our partners generate insights that enable more people to move into and progress through better work.
You’ll have a proven track record in scoping and securing funding for research and influencing activity, with significant autonomy to lead your own programme at L&W. You’ll be supported by committed researchers and managers whom you will coach, lead, and develop—alongside a peer group of Deputy Directors working across other key pillars. We welcome quantitative expertise, but most important are the skills to design and deliver high-quality, impactful research programmes.
You’ll join an organisation with a national reputation for driving policy change—and a friendly, highly capable, delivery-focused team.
Location: Hybrid working: 40-60% in an L&W office. Our offices for this role are currently in Leicester and London, but if you are based elsewhere, please contact us to talk about how the role could work for you.
Team:Research and Development
Salary:£64,450 -£77,880 per annum (pro rata), dependent on experience and location
Duration:Permanent
Working hours:0.8 to 1 FTE, with flexible working supported (e.g. condensed hours, flexible start and finish times)
Main Purpose
The Deputy Director, Policy and Research (Better Work and Progression) will have overall ownership of the ‘Better Work’ pillar of our strategic plan at L&W: overseeing all projects and activity in this area and generating new work (including developing project ideas and securing funding).
While there is significant scope to shape the ongoing programme of research and impact work, we anticipate that key areas of focus in this area going forward will be: understanding & better supporting career change; understanding and improving policy to increase employer investment in skills; high quality and fair access apprenticeships and technical education; understanding how to better support progression from low pay.
They will be a senior leader for the organization – helping to continuously shape our strategy and the plans we are implementing to deliver it.
Duties and Responsibilities
Leadership and management
- Intellectual leadership of the Better Work pillar: developing and owning policy positions, messages, theory of change and research priorities, and supporting the wider team to feed into and understand them
- Line management of senior and mid-level staff
- Act as a senior leader at L&W – including taking on specific organization-level responsibilities where appropriate
Income
- Write and/or co-ordinate responses to reactive research and evaluation tenders in the areas of employment, better work and progression
- Develop pro-active proposals that will drive change in your area, and respond to the interests of funders and partners
- Build relationships with current and potential funders and research partners
Impact
- Act as an external expert on the issues of better work and progression: writing press quotes, articles and blogs;speaking on platforms
- Building relationships with practitioners, policymakers and partners to improve our insights, and get our recommendations implemented
- Develop appropriate means of tracking impact towards our better work goals, and monitor against them.
Delivery
- Deputy Director/Project Director-level oversight of projects being delivered in your and related areas: supporting project team to shape research plans, deliver sharp insights and manage funder relationships
- Quality Assurance of research proposals and outputs
- Use your research skills and experience to support the wider development of the Learning and Work team
Person Specification
Experience
Experience of developing, overseeing and delivering programmes of policy-relevant research at a high level - Essential
Experience of business development in a policy/research context: developing ideas, writing bids and building relationships with funders- Essential
Experience of building senior-level relationships with external stakeholders for impact and influence -Essential
Track record of delivering national and/or local policy change - Essential
Experience of senior organisational leadership as part of a team - Desirable
Experience of responding to tenders- Desirable
Skills
Advanced research skills (qualitative of quantitative) -Essential
Quantitative skills: experience of using key national research and administrative data sets to generate insights into the labour market -Desirable
Clear and direct written communication style - Essential
Knowledge
Knowledge of, and commitment to, L&W’s charitable aims and purpose.- Essential
Demonstrable knowledge of employment and/or skills policy in the UK - Essential
Demonstrable knowledge in the specific areas of Better Work and/or progression -Desirable
Learning and Work Institute works across the UK. Our work in Wales is led by a Cardiff based team, but all staff are required to follow the guidance set out in our Welsh language scheme when working in Wales.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Are you ready to bring client stories to life and make a real impact across a national charity?
Do you have the experience to build strong relationships with teams across StepChange and manage stakeholder needs to deliver stories that meet shared objectives?
Are you ready to take responsibility for how sensitive stories are sourced, protected and shared, ensuring every voice is treated with care and integrity?
We’re looking for a Stories Officer to join our External Affairs team. In this role, you will help bring the experiences of people affected by debt to life, working with clients and colleagues to create authentic, impactful stories for campaigns, media, events and public communications.
What you’ll be doing
As Stories Officer, you will take ownership of StepChange’s storytelling function, working directly with clients and internal teams to ensure stories are delivered ethically, effectively, and in line with organisational objectives.
You’ll develop and maintain processes for sourcing, sharing, and managing client stories, balancing creativity with safeguarding and data protection requirements. You’ll work closely with colleagues across media, marketing, campaigns, partnerships, policy, research, and public affairs to deliver stories that meet their needs and help StepChange communicate with impact.
From interviewing clients with lived experience to co-creating materials for campaigns and public events, you’ll ensure every story is told safely, respectfully, and authentically. You’ll also help identify new storytelling opportunities.
This role is at the heart of StepChange’s External Affairs work. You’ll collaborate with a wide range of colleagues, manage ethical and safeguarding responsibilities, and help build a consistent, trusted approach to client storytelling across the charity.
About you
We’re looking for someone with experience in storytelling or content management within a charity or equivalent organisation. You’ll have hands-on experience engaging with people with lived experience and translating their stories into clear, compelling narratives.
Confident working with internal stakeholders, you’ll be able to manage multiple priorities, deliver stories that meet team needs, and maintain strong professional relationships across the charity. You’ll have a keen understanding of safeguarding, data protection, and ethical storytelling, ensuring that clients are always supported and respected.
You’ll be proactive, organised, and adaptable, with excellent verbal and written communication skills. A passion for storytelling and an interest in the debt advice sector will help you succeed and make a meaningful impact in this role.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Equality, diversity, and inclusion are incredibly important to us; we have a culture of belonging. We’re always looking to increase the diversity of our workforce to ensure we can provide the best service possible for everyone. It’s not just about the professional experience you bring – we’re interested in who you are and your potential. If there’s an adjustment to our recruitment process that would help you to be your best, speak to our team and they’ll be happy to help.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
Working towards a society free from problem debt
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Annual leave: 33 days (plus eight bank holidays)
Benefits:
- enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave, and shared parental pay
- family-friendly policies
- 8% employer pension contribution (Aviva)
- three x basic salary life assurance cover
- free health cashback plan (Medicash): employee cover plus up to four dependent children
- 24/7 virtual GP access (UK registered), plus access to Best Doctors
free, confidential employee assistance programme (Medicash) - access to a wellbeing app
- flexible working options including hybrid working, flexible working patterns such as part-time, compressed hours, and more*
- learning and development opportunities including bespoke training and access to LinkedIn Learning)
- commitment to employee health and wellbeing.
- we have a Menopause Friendly accreditation and are a Disability Confident employer
Join Dementia UK as a Policy Officer where you will play a crucial role in driving our long-term policy and influencing strategy in alignment with our 2025-30 strategic plan. As a member of our dedicated Policy, Campaigns, and Public Affairs division, you will lead and shape areas of public policy that affect the quality of healthcare delivered for people living dementia and their carers.
You will play a pivotal role in advocating for improvements to legislation, public policies, and statutory services on behalf of individuals affected by dementia in England. Reporting to the Policy Manager, yourresponsibilities will include monitoring and analysing policy developments while establishing external relationships with sector colleagues and central government. Working closely with the Insights and Evaluation team, Research team, and the broader Clinical Directorate, you will conduct and interpret both qualitative and quantitative research. Your findings will inform the creation of comprehensive public policy documents, reports, briefings, and consultation responses on behalf of the organisation.
The ideal candidate for this role will bring prior experience in public policy within a charity or public sector setting. You should possess a strong track record in policy making and influencing, with proficiency in conducting qualitative and quantitative research. Effective communication skills will be essential, as you will need to adeptly negotiate and influence stakeholders to drive positive change.
If this sounds like you, join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by dementia.
We would love to hear from you!
Our culture
In addition to a competitive salary and a generous benefits package, we truly value our people. It’s important for us to create a working environment that looks after our workforce to support them in achieving their full potential. You will become part of a diverse and dedicated team who are supported to use and develop their skills. We recognise and value the key role you will play in delivering our strategic plans for the benefit of those living with dementia.
Our staff have a voice. Representatives from different roles and levels across the organisation positively contribute to and lead on our working groups around health and wellbeing, menopause, and equity, diversity and inclusion.
Dementia UK is proud to welcome everyone. We aim for a truly inclusive culture with talented, diverse teams that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We celebrate difference and individuality and encourage everyone to join us and be their whole selves always.
Dementia UK is a Disability Confident Employer.
By applying to join Dementia UK, you acknowledge that in the event you are successful for the role, any offer and your ongoing employment will be conditional on you having or obtaining the right to work in the UK.
*Please note that any decision on flexible working is based on business needs
When you apply for a job at Dementia UK, we will collect certain information about you to process your application and assess your suitability for the role. Further details can be found in our privacy notice.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The position is offered on a full time basis (36.25 hours per week). This role will be home-based but will require travel to Edinburgh and/or other parts of Scotland and the UK for in-person meetings as required.
Interviews will be held w/c 16th February in person at our Edinburgh offices.
Are you passionate about making a real difference in children's lives through impactful policy and public affairs engagement in Scotland and across the UK? Do you want to influence key decisions on child poverty and social policy while working with Scottish Government, MSPs, and UK-wide stakeholders? If so, we want to hear from you.
Barnardo's is looking for a Policy & Public Affairs Officer (Scotland) to help shape our influencing in Scotland and strengthen our UK-wide work on child poverty. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone eager to build on their existing knowledge and experience with policy makers in Scotland while playing a pivotal role in creating positive, lasting change for children, young people, and families.
In this role, you'll work closely with our Senior Policy and Public Affairs Lead (Scotland) to implement our influencing plan. You'll help raise Barnardo's Scotland's profile among key stakeholders and policy influencers. You'll be involved in:
- Monitoring key developments within the Scottish policy landscape
- Managing relationships and liaising with stakeholders at all levels
- Conducting research and producing reports to support our policy objectives
- Supporting reactive policy work to respond to emerging issues
- Organising events to showcase Barnardo's vital work and engage decision-makers
Your efforts will ensure that the voices of children, young people, families, and our services are central to our influencing activities in Scotland.
When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Job Title: Policy and Public Affairs Officer (Wales)
Directorate: Strategy and Knowledge
Team/Department: Policy and Public Affairs
Salary range: £ 28,337 - £33,301 (recruitment is typically at the bottom of the range)
Location: Cardiff (hybrid working, with at least one day per week in the Cardiff office). The post holder maybe expected to travel to locations across the UK to support business needs, as and when required.
Working hours: 35 hours per week
Context and Background
The NSPCC’s vision is that together, we can stop child abuse and neglect. Through the collective power of our staff, volunteers, supporters, partners, and over 100 years of experience we will move closer to achieving that vision.
We launched our ten-year strategy in 2021, which is centred around three impact goals. This is the difference we want to make by 2031:
- Everyone plays their part to prevent child abuse: we’ll work together to make it easier for everyone to play their part and create a social safety net that prevents child abuse and neglect.
- Every child is safe online: together, we’ll transform the online world, so it’s safe for every child to go online.
- Children feel safe, listened to and supported: more children will be able to speak out, so they feel safe, listened to and understood – and abuse doesn’t shape their future.
The Policy and Public Affairs team works to ensure that national laws, policies and guidance across the UK are fit-for-purpose in preventing cruelty to children. We work across the four nations of the UK. We develop and maintain the NSPCC’s positions on key public policy issues, drawing on research and policy analysis and feed in organisational insight and expertise gained through our services. We use our evidence-based positions to shape and influence national policy discussions on issues affecting child protection and manage the NSPCC’s political relations and work with governments, legislatures and stakeholders across the UK.
We focus on five key policy priorities: the child protection system and children’s social care; early years and health; child sexual abuse; online safety; and young victims and witnesses.
Job purpose
We are recruiting a Policy and Public Affairs Officer to contribute to the work of the Wales Policy and Public Affairs team in delivering real change and reform in the best interests of children.
The Policy and Public Affairs Officer will be responsible for undertaking policy work to achieve the NSPCC’s strategic goals, using their skills and experience to strengthen the NSPCC’s impact on public policy, and in doing so make a significant contribution to keeping children safe. The post holder will support the delivery of a range of policy-focused projects both within the Wales policy team, and across the wider UK policy team:
- Within the Wales team, the Officer will research and help build persuasive, evidence-based policy positions, support the NSPCC’s influencing activity as appropriate, and write consultations and impactful briefings. They will play a key role in supporting policy analysis, policy research and public affairs activity with a range of external stakeholders, including relevant elected members and government officials. The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this role.
- Across the wider UK team, the Officer will also support policy colleagues working on one or more of our policy priority areas (which are focussed on: child protection; child sexual abuse; early years; online safety; young victims and witnesses). The post holder will help to coordinate collaboration across the teams, facilitate information-sharing and support the delivery of relevant cross-nation projects
Key relationships - Internal
- Reports to the Policy and Public Affairs Manager Wales)
- Colleagues in the wider Policy and Public Affairs and Campaigns teams across the UK
- Colleagues in the Strategy and Knowledge directorate
- Colleagues in the Media team
- Colleagues in the Services directorate (to ensure policy development is informed by experiences and learning from our frontline professionals/ volunteers)
- Colleagues working with children and young people (to ensure the experiences and voices of young people are embedded in policy and influencing work)
Key relationships - External
- Key civil servants and policy advisers in Welsh Government
- Elected representatives in the Senedd and local government structures
- Colleagues in relevant voluntary and statutory agencies
- Practitioner bodies
- Key academics, researchers and research networks
Main duties and responsibilities
- Develop and maintain expertise on key policy areas, enabling the NSPCC to predict and react to changes in the external environment.
- Scope, develop and refine key policies on priority issues, in line with the NSPCC’s strategic goals and outcomes.
- Support the smooth running of one of more NSPCC policy workstreams, supporting effective four-nations collaboration
- Prepare high-quality briefings, summaries and papers for internal and external audiences.
- Draft responses to government consultations and other public policy initiatives.
- Use project management skills to plan effectively the delivery of policy development activity and aligned public affairs activities.
- Undertake policy research and analysis, using a wide range of primary and secondary sources of evidence (such as policy documents, academic literature, survey data and qualitative data from interviews and focus groups), to develop high impact, credible policy positions
- Be a point of contact for internal and external requests for information and advice on NSPCC’s positions public positions
- Coordinate the delivery of NSPCC policy events and conferences (working with colleagues from across the organisation) and represent the NSPCC at external events.
Responsibilities for all Staff within the Strategy and Knowledge Directorate
There is a set of responsibilities for all staff within each directorate.
- A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
- To carry out the responsibilities of the post in a manner consistent with promoting equality and diversity, and which demonstrates respect for children’s rights
- To participate actively in regular department and team meetings, contributing to strategy, discussions and decisions
- To maintain an awareness of own and other’s health and safety and comply with the NSPCC’s Health and Safety policy and procedures
- A willingness to take a flexible approach to work.
Person specification
- A good understanding of public policy relating to the NSPCC’s work, child protection issues and knowledge of the wider legal and political context in Wales.
- Demonstrable public affairs skills, with good knowledge of policymaking and parliamentary processes in Wales and experience of successfully influencing government or other policymakers.
- Proven policy development and policy research skills, with experience of collecting and analysing data, forming robust, evidence-based policy positions, and clearly presenting findings to make a clear and compelling case for policy and legislative change.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills including the ability to write clearly, concisely, and persuasively in a variety of formats for a variety of audiences and deal effectively, efficiently and appropriately with internal and external stakeholders.
- Good organisational and project management skills, with demonstrable experience of delivering on competing priorities within a time-pressured environment.
- Confidence in working as part of a team, with experience of working collaboratively with colleagues to help ensure the successful delivery of projects.
- Experience of organising and successfully delivering external influencing events
- Support for the NSPCC’s mission and values
Safer Recruitment
As an organisation, we are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk.
Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with our children and adults.
The recruitment and selection of our people will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.
Our principles:
- Always seek to recruit the best candidate for the role based on merit including their skills, experience, motivation and competencies. Our robust recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the role and the organisation.
- Committed to diversity and equality of opportunity and will interview all applicants (internal and external) who self-declare at application as having a disability and who meet the minimum requirements in the person specification of the vacancy they are applying for.
- We will make reasonable adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process in order to enable successful candidates who declare disabilities to start working or volunteering their time with us.
- Any current member of staff or volunteer who wishes to apply for vacancies and is suitably qualified will be considered and addressed fairly and objectively based on their merit.
- As an organisation committed to safeguarding, we will ensure all under 18’s joining the organisation will have ongoing risk assessments to ensure their role and activities are safe and appropriate.
- All documentation relating to candidates will be treated confidentially in accordance with the GDPR legislation.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are really excited to have welcomed our new Director of Income Generation and Development to Brain Tumour Research this month, a great new start for the new year!
This is a fantastic time to be joining our ambitious and growing charity and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals.
We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraiser, to be based in the Mid-North Wales and West Midlands region.
As the Community Fundraiser covering Mid-North Wales and West Midlands, you will play a crucial role in helping the charity meet its strategic plans and objectives, which include campaigning to increase the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million per year, while fundraising to create a network of seven sustainable Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence across the UK.
Your role will be to generate and grow our income through community fundraising activities, contributing to a regional team target of more than £1 million.
- Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
- Do you live in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire,Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire or Mid-North Wales?
- Do you have at least one years' experience of working in a professional Community Fundraising position?Have you answered Yes to these questions?
- Does this sound like the opportunity to really get 2026 off to an amazing start?
If you are excited to learn more about this position, please take a read through our recruitment pack provided with this advert.
If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome 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.
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.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
To find a cure for all types of brain tumours To increase the UK investment in brain tumour research
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
This is an exciting opportunity to get experience with a large and growing charity with an engaged and fun team. You will be a key part of our mission to find a cure for all types of brain tumours.
Our Systems Manager is being seconded to an internal project for the next 6-9 months and so we are seeking an experienced IT professional to join our team for an interim basis for six months with the possibility of a three month extension.
In this role you will you lead a team of three people in supporting our staff team of 70 by providing reliable, effective and efficient IT systems and equipment. This include the monitoring and maintenance of our IT software and, with external support, our IT hardware.
You will line manage the Database Assistant and Data Processing Assistant.
If you are excited to learn more about this position, please take a read through our recruitment pack provided in the advert.
If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome 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.
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.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
To find a cure for all types of brain tumours To increase the UK investment in brain tumour research
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The Organisation
Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity supporting low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people.
We help thousands of families every year with essential grants, services and practical support. But we do much more than that. We champion families’ voices, challenge inequality and help shape the conversation on disability, childhood illness and disadvantage.
The Role
This is an exciting opportunity to shape how Family Fund connects with people across the UK. As a newly created role, it offers real scope to define and develop the function, while playing a central role in strengthening the organisation’s voice and influence.
We are looking for a bold, creative Group Director of External Affairs to join our Senior Leadership Team. At a time when families need us more than ever, you will raise Family Fund’s national profile and influence, positioning the organisation as a trusted, evidence led voice on childhood disability, serious illness and the broader challenges facing low-income families. You will build and sustain strong relationships with policymakers, funders, and the public ensuring the organisation secures the visibility, support, and resources needed to drive lasting change for the families we serve.
You will lead an energetic, specialist team spanning communications, media, public affairs, partnerships and research, bringing these areas together through a joined up external engagement strategy that delivers real impact.
Some key responsibilities include:
- Lead our communications, media, public affairs, partnerships and research teams
- Raise Family Fund’s profile as a trusted national voice
- Build strong relationships with policymakers, media, funders and partners
- Help drive real change for families through influence and insight
Who we’re looking for
We are looking for an experienced leader who loves the power of communication, influence and connection.
Key attributes will include:
- Senior experience in external affairs, communications or public affairs
- A strong track record of influencing policy and engaging senior stakeholders
- Experience leading teams and working at senior level
- A warm, confident communication style and great relationship skills
- A real passion for Family Fund’s mission and social justice
This is an exciting, high impact role with the chance to make a genuine difference to families across the UK.
Candidate Briefing Pack
For comprehensive information about Family Fund, the role responsibilities and the person we are looking for, please download the Candidate Briefing Pack.
How to Apply
If you would like to apply for this fantastic opportunity, please provide the following with your application:
- An up-to-date CV
- A supporting statement of no more than 2 sides of A4, outlining your experience, motivations and suitability for the role.
All applications are being handled by our recruitment partner, Russam. All applications should be uploaded via the Russam website.
If you have any difficulty uploading your application or if you would like to have an informal and confidential discussion about the role, please contact Melissa Baxter - Managing Partner, Charities at Russam.
Closing date for applications: Monday 2nd February 2026
Initial interviews with Russam: 17th and 18th February 2026
Interviews with Family Fund: 4th, 5th and 6th March 2026
Flexibility will be provided if needed - do let us know as soon as possible if you are unavailable on these dates.
We commit to inclusion, equality and diversity and we welcome applications from all parts of the community. Family Fund is a Disability Confident Leader. We will invite to interview all disabled applicants who meet the requirements for the role. If you have a disability, and are happy to let us know, please highlight this in your covering letter. We have also signed the Armed Forces Covenant, and we welcome applications from the Armed Forces Community.
Thank you!
Policy Campaigns Officer
A permanent position has arisen as part of the continued growth of our campaigns work within our friendly Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns department. The Policy Campaigns Officer will play a key role in helping the charity deliver high-impact campaigns that mobilise supporters, influence policy, and raise awareness of issues relating to dementia research.
Working across digital and offline channels, you will support integrated campaign planning and delivery, contribute to evaluation and insight, and coordinate activity across multiple teams.
This exciting role will tackle complex issues, offering opportunities to work on innovative public-facing campaigns, digital engagement, and translating policy objectives into compelling actions and messages that drive measurable change for people living with, and affected by, dementia.
Key Responsibilities:
Campaign development and delivery
· Support the development and delivery of campaigns aligned to the charity’s strategic policy objectives.
· Help design campaign plans, including objectives, audiences, tactics, timelines and evaluation measures.
· Deliver campaign activity across a range of channels, both digital and offline.
· Work with colleagues across the organisation to ensure campaigns are evidence-led, inclusive and aligned with organisational priorities.
· Monitor campaign performance and contribute to evaluation and learning.
· Act as a point of contact for work with external agencies and suppliers.
Influencing and supporter mobilisation
· Support efforts to influence decision-makers by mobilising supporters and amplifying public voices.
· Work with policy and public affairs colleagues to align public-facing campaign activity with political influencing messaging and objectives.
· Help build and maintain relationships with supporters, volunteers, partner organisations and coalitions.
· Assist with producing campaign briefings, messaging and supporter-facing materials.
Communications and digital campaigning
· Work closely with communications and digital teams to deliver integrated campaign content.
· Support the development of email, social media and online action tools to engage supporters.
· Adapt campaign messages for different audiences, ensuring clarity, accuracy and impact.
· Contribute to content planning and delivery to maximise reach and engagement.
Events and engagement activity
· Support the planning and delivery of campaign-related events, both online and in-person.
· Represent the charity at relevant events, meetings and conferences as required.
· Assist with coordinating meetings and briefings involving supporters, stakeholders and internal teams.
· Liaise with colleagues, supporters and external partners to ensure effective delivery of campaign activity.
What we are looking for:
· Experience supporting or delivering public-facing campaigns, advocacy or engagement activity
· Understanding of how campaigns can influence decision-makers and public opinion.
· Experience of digital campaigning or supporter mobilisation
· Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues across different teams
· Experience of building positive relationships with supporters, stakeholders or partners
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt messages for different audiences
· Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
· Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
· IT literate, with experience using Microsoft Office and digital tools
· Commitment to the charity’s vision, mission and values
· Proactive, flexible and solution-focused approach to work
· Strong team player with the ability to use initiative
· Willingness to learn and adapt in a fast-moving environment
· Willingness to work outside of regular office hours during busy periods (e.g. campaign launches or events)
Additional Information:
Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.
Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals. This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.
Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD.
Salary: Circa £30,000 per annum, plus benefits.
Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.
The closing date for applications is the 1st February 2026, with interviews being arrange once shortlisting has been completed. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity, as on occasion we may have to bring forward the interview date and/or the closing date based on the needs of the business. Although a possibility, this will only happen in exceptional circumstances. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.
We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented. Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.
As part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and ensuring fairness and consistency in our selection process, we will handle your CV and application with the utmost confidentiality. While we strive to anonymise your CV where possible, there are certain sections, such as the application question, that cannot be fully anonymised. We kindly ask that you remove any personal information, including your name, when answering the application question. The hiring panel will not have access to your personal details, such as your name and address, until you are invited for an interview. Should you require any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, please contact us via our website.
How to apply: Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.
About Alzheimer’s Research UK: Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure. Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope.
There has never been a more important and exciting time in dementia research. With promising new drugs in clinical trials that slow the progression of the diseases that cause it, and revolutionary new ways to diagnose them on the horizon, we are now at a tipping point. Working with the smartest minds globally and across the UK, with industry and academia, Alzheimer’s Research UK is uniquely placed to invest in the very best research identifying barriers to a cure and knocking them down so that there are more and better treatments for everyone with dementia. For the first time in history, we can see a future where people with dementia can get a swift and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments that could slow or even stop their disease. We stand for everyone affected by dementia. We stand for a cure.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Mesothelioma UK
Mesothelioma UK is a national charity dedicated to supporting anyone affected by mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer caused primarily by asbestos exposure. Our mission is to help people live better and longer, champion equitable access to improved treatments, advance research, and amplify the voices of those living with mesothelioma. We are proud to provide specialist nursing, information, research, and advocacy services across the UK.
The Opportunity
As our founder and current CEO steps down, we are seeking a visionary and values-driven Chief Executive to lead Mesothelioma UK into its next chapter. This is a pivotal moment for the charity, offering the chance to build on our strong foundations and drive forward our ambitious strategy to improve outcomes for all those affected by mesothelioma.
About the Role
Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive will:
- Inspire and lead a high-performing team, including our unique NHS-based nursing network.
- Develop and deliver organisational strategy and operational plans.
- Ensure robust financial management and income generation.
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders including the NHS, donors, partners, and research teams.
- Act as an ambassador for the charity, raising our national and international profile.
- Uphold our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
About You
We are looking for an exceptional leader who brings:
- Proven experience at CEO, Director, or equivalent senior level in a non-profit or health sector environment.
- A track record in leadership, strategic planning, financial management, governance and fundraising.
- Strong people management and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Passion for our mission and values, with high ethical standards and integrity.
- The ability to inspire, motivate, and unite staff, volunteers, and partners.
What We Offer
- Salary circa £75,000 (negotiable, dependent on experience)
- 10% employer pension contribution
- Health Cash Plan & Employee Assistance Programme
- Flexible working arrangements
- The chance to make a profound difference to people’s lives
Registered Charity
11 - 20
We are a national charity dedicated to supporting people affected by mesothelioma through expert care, information, and advocacy.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.