Policy and External Affairs Manager

Policy and External Affairs Manager
Location: Any CHAS site - hybrid with base in Edinburgh, Stepps (Glasgow), Robin House in Balloch or Rachel House in Kinross
Salary Band: £45,900 - £51,000 per annum, pro rata
Contract Type: Permanent, Full Time, 35 hours per week
Closing Date: 23/06/2025 23:59

Are you a strategic communicator with a passion for policy and public affairs? Do you want to make a real difference in the lives of children and families across Scotland?

Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) is seeking a dynamic and experienced Policy and External Affairs Manager to lead our national profile, strengthen our reputation, and drive forward our mission as leaders in children’s palliative care.

Purpose: You will play a pivotal role in strengthening CHAS’ national presence, growing trust and credibility, and positioning CHAS as a thought leader in children's palliative care. You will be responsible for managing all external affairs, with a focus on strategic communications aligned with CHAS’ mission and objectives. You will also oversee crisis communications, ensuring the organisation responds effectively and maintains public trust in challenging situations.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have skill and experience in all of the following areas:

• Policy development and influencing at devolved and national government level.
• Public affairs and stakeholder management
• Managing strategic partnerships
• Corporate communications
• Line management
• Crisis Communications management

You’ll also hold a driving licence and have access to transport.

It would be great in addition to the skills and experience above if you demonstrated your experience in the following areas:

• Expert advice to senior colleagues
• Horizon scanning
• Media relations
• Project management

About CHAS

At CHAS, we support families during the toughest of times offering unwavering care to children and families in the face of death. We have ambitions to reach every family in Scotland who is living with the heart-breaking prognosis that their child is dying. We know decisions from government, local councils and NHS boards have significant impact on the families we support and our policy and external affairs delivery is focused on ensuring CHAS offers its voice and influence where it is needed most.   

The Policy and External Affairs Manager is a key role in the Marketing and Communications team and reports into the Head of Marketing and Communications. This team manages marketing, fundraising communications, external affairs, policy development, public affairs and internal communications. CHAS Marketing and communications team sits within the Income Generation and Engagement directorate led by the director of Income Generation and Engagement. 

This pivotal role will support CHAS to strengthen our national presence, growing trust and credibility, and positioning CHAS as a thought leader in children's palliative care. Working across the charity this role is responsible for managing policy, public affairs, external affairs and managing communications with internal and external stakeholders including support for crisis management.

We offer

• Flexible Working: our teams work flexibly and in a hybrid manner with time split between at home and onsite in Edinburgh and Glasgow.  CHAS offers flexible and family friendly working. and are happy to discuss working arrangements that work for you
• Development Opportunities: exposure to professional development.
• Professional Growth: Work with industry leaders in a high-performing team where you will be encouraged and supported to excel and develop your skills.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Including generous annual leave and pension, incremental salary progression, access to Blue Light discounts, and health and wellbeing support.

Further Information and How to Apply

If this sounds like you, we would love you to apply! Click apply and you will be taken to our website where you can answer a couple of questions and upload your CV or complete our full application form.

Further information about the role and benefits of working for CHAS can be found in the attached documents.

Interview date July 1st 2025

This role will require travel across our sites in Scotland, not all of which are accessible by public transport therefore a full driving licence and access to a car, or an equivalent means of travel, would be required. 

This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG).