Policy research jobs

Do you have a good understanding of a range of qualitative research methods? Do you have a demonstrable understanding of, and interest in, health and social care policy in the UK? Are you a strong critical thinker, with good oral and written communication skills and an enthusiasm for further developing these skills?

The Nuffield Trust is looking for a Researcher to contribute directly to our mission by delivering high-quality research, evaluation, and policy analysis. You will work across a diverse range of projects and topic areas and have the opportunity to learn from colleagues who are experts in both content and methods.

In this role, you will work as part of project teams, undertaking research and policy analysis tasks to contribute to the successful delivery of our work. Supported by peers and more senior team members, you will contribute to writing and presenting work, disseminating findings and achieving meaningful impact.

We’d love to hear from you if you can bring:

• Skills consistent with experience of working in government, think tanks, or applied academic research – some of which may have been gained via a university-level qualification.
• Experience of qualitative research, evaluation, or policy analysis within health or social care.
• Strong analytical ability to synthesise evidence and turn complex information into clear, persuasive arguments.
• Proven reliability in meeting deadlines, producing high-quality outputs, and managing your time effectively.

Review the Application and Selection process in the attached Candidate Brief (page 11) for details on what your application should include.

A permanent position has arisen in our friendly and fast-moving Public Affairs and Campaigns team. The role will support Alzheimer’s Research UK to seize opportunities for improving the political environment for dementia research, treatment and prevention and increase our impact with government and in parliament.

The role will work closely with colleagues in policy and campaigns to develop opportunities for influencing decision-makers and make breakthroughs possible by promoting our key policy asks. You will engage with stakeholders across parliament, government and the wider sector to support the growth of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s influence and ultimately address the harm and heartbreak caused by dementia.

This is a creative directorate, and our Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns teams are focused on developing solutions to critical and complex issues. You will have opportunities to work on projects and initiatives that take the charity in exciting new directions. The role is likely to include regular work in Westminster, Whitehall and elsewhere in the UK.

Key Responsibilities:

 Public Affairs:

· Develop and deliver influencing plans to secure our key policy asks on dementia research, treatment and prevention.

· Work with colleagues to develop and deliver proactive and reactive parliamentary activity to grow ARUK’s network of engaged, informed and supportive political stakeholders.

· Work across the policy and public affairs team to assist in developing tailored briefings and materials to further ARUK’s policy and public affairs ambitions.

· Keep abreast of the dementia research and political environments and use political intelligence and insight to help inform the team’s work and direction.

· Provide analysis and insight on relevant legislation and policy guidance to help further and inform ARUK’s policy and public affairs work.

· Prepare parliamentary briefings, develop submissions for parliamentary questions and other opportunities presented through the parliamentary system.

· Lead on gathering information to measure our public affairs impact and report regularly, including across the organisation and up to Directors.

Campaigns and awareness raising

· Work with the policy, public affairs, campaigns, research and communications teams to help deliver public affairs campaigns and campaign messaging focused on ARUK policy objectives and help shape these messages for a political audience.

· Work with the communications and digital teams to help develop digital public affairs opportunities.

Event and meeting management

· Planning and coordinating parliamentary events focused around ARUK key policy and public affairs objectives.

· Represent ARUK at parliamentary and other events and conferences, including national party conferences.

· Co-ordinate and attend meetings with parliamentarians and stakeholders alongside senior staff and to provide briefings for staff and take follow-up actions.

· Liaise with colleagues, scientists, supporters and stakeholders at all levels.

What we are looking for:

· Educated to degree level or equivalent level of experience

· Experience of working with parliamentarians

· Knowledge of the UK political system and an interest in politics, public affairs and campaigning

· Experience of building positive relationships with decision-makers, influencers or supporters

· Excellent personal communication skills with the ability to communicate persuasively with people at all levels

· Ability to write professionally and adapt communications for different audiences

· Ability to work with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail

· Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workload

· IT literate with knowledge of Microsoft Office

· Commitment to ARUK’s vision, mission and values

· Professional and hard-working team player

· Ability to use own initiative with a proactive and problem-solving attitude

Willingness to work outside of regular office hours and overtime during busy spells

Additional Information:

Ways of working:

Agile - 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 30th November 2025, 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.

About us

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) is a UK-wide charity that exists to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation. We’re here for everyone who needs us. We protect children by working with people who pose a risk and diverting them from causing harm. We support individuals and families who have been affected by abuse. And we help professionals who work with families to create safer environments for children through delivering risk assessments, interventions, training and consultancy.

About the role and you

We are recruiting for a Policy Officer within the Advocacy and Communications Team. You will report to the Director of Advocacy and Communications and work closely with all others in the team.

The purpose of this role is to strengthen LFF’s policy and advocacy efforts. You will be crucial in helping to develop strategic engagement, influence change and strengthen LFF’s impact on public policy, and in doing so, make a significant contribution to the prevention of child sexual abuse.

Bringing together your knowledge and experience engaging with various stakeholders, you will effect change by identifying opportunities to influence decision-making, analyse data to develop policy positions for the organisation, contribute to consultation submissions and provide advice on various policy matters.

Advocacy is one of three guiding principles in our 2025-2030 organisational strategy. It underpins all of our work – we advocate for a greater focus on preventing abuse before it happens, not just within the halls of parliament but through all aspects of our work from frontline practice to influencing national policy.

This role sits within the wider Advocacy and Communications Team which supports the promotion of all areas of our work across various channels: websites, social media, press and PR, marketing and digital advertising. Working with the wider team, we are striving to better showcase our advocacy work both internally and externally.

Our ideal candidate will have a strong track record of policy development, an understanding of the UK legislative process and a commitment to our mission to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation.

For a more detailed job description, please request a job pack.

What you’ll get from us

We offer the following benefits:

• Hybrid working (with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week; we ask for 3 days in the office per week for the first month)
• NEST pension
• 33 days’ annual leave rising to 38 days (inclusive of statutory bank holidays following qualifying period)
• Up to 5 days’ learning and development per year
• Flu jabs & eye tests
• Season ticket loans
• Charity discounts
• Employee assistance programme
• Option of private healthcare with Benenden

How to apply

We really welcome informal conversations with prospective candidates about the role and the charity in advance of the deadline.

To apply, please download the job pack and return your completed documents by Monday 24th November. Stage 1 interviews are scheduled to take place on Wednesday 3rd December and stage 2 interviews are scheduled to take place on Wednesday 10th December for shortlisted candidates.

If you have not been contacted within 2 weeks of the closing date you have been unsuccessful with your application. Please note the successful candidate will be required to undergo a DBS check for this position.

#policy #advocacy #communications #engagement

The Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager will play a key role in positioning Action for pulmonary Fibrosis as the leading voice in improving PF care. The postholder will take a leadership role within the Policy and Public Affairs team, providing strategic direction on our key policy priorities. Working with the Director of Policy, Research and Involvement, you will lead the development and implementation of policy initiatives that align with the organisation’s strategic priorities including OneVoiceILD, our movement to bring transformational systems change to how NHS services are delivered across the UK.

This is a highly visible position, working in collaboration with healthcare and allied health professionals, commissioners, researchers, voluntary sector partners and within the wider respiratory community. As a member of APF’s Organisation Leadership Group, the PPA Manager will collaborate to drive operational delivery of strategic priorities, coordinating cross-team activity, support organisational communication and culture, and review risks, procedures and operational performance.

Key Areas of the Role:

OneVoiceILD: Lead an effective OneVoiceILD movement, our vehicle for transformational systems change in the NHS.
Policy: Provide leadership on our policy priorities across all four nations of the UK.
Public affairs and influencing: Lead a strong programme that brings our policy and influencing priorities to life through targeted engagement with key stakeholders.

The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a purpose to advance social well-being through research. Our Strategy and Engagement team is responsible for ensuring this research has impact and influence, and we are now recruiting to the new role of Communications, Policy and Public Affairs Coordinator to support our communications, policy and public affairs activities.

The Communications, Policy and Public Affairs Coordinator will work with colleagues across the teams to support a breadth of activities. Acting as the owner of the Foundation’s engagement planning tools, you will ensure our communications policy and public affairs activity is forward planned, well organised and up-to-date. You will assist in the co-ordination and delivery of events, support the production and publication of content, and help with copywriting and curating a wide range of materials for internal and external audiences.

You will work with policy, public affairs and communications colleagues with preparing letters, policy briefings and stakeholder mapping, and keeping stakeholder lists up to date on Salesforce. This role will also support the communications and public affairs teams with proactive monitoring of the external policy, political and media landscape (at both a national and local level) and disseminate round-ups and relevant information to colleagues across the Foundation.

You will already have experience of working in an administrative and/or team coordination function, ideally in a communications, or policy and public affairs role. You will be a strong communicator (both in person and in your written outputs), able to work across a varied range of internal and external stakeholders, and manage competing priorities. You will have a collaborative and inclusive approach to working, with the ability to work well in a team and also independently. Some knowledge of social policy issues will be advantageous, and you will be committed to the Foundation’s mission.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone early in their career looking to build their skills and experience across the breadth of our communication and engagement functions.
 

About us

The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social well-being.

We achieve this by funding and undertaking rigorous research, encouraging innovation, and supporting the use of sound evidence to improve people’s lives. We tackle pressing, complex questions. Our aim is to open up opportunities and to improve lives for individuals, families and communities, within a just and inclusive society. Our work addresses the inequalities, disadvantage, discrimination and vulnerabilities that people face, and considers the social and ethical implications of scientific and technological advances.

We are the founder and co-funder of Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and the Ada Lovelace Institute.

We value diversity in background, skills, perspectives and life experiences.
 

Further information and how to apply

For further information about the role, please click through to the vacancy listing on our website. The closing date for applications is 09:30am (GMT) on Monday 8th December 2025. Interviews will take place on the 7th, 8th and/or 9th January 2026.

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to:

• As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the essential criteria for the job.
• making any reasonable adjustments – for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc
• reimbursing reasonable travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required.

Our benefits package includes:

• Genuine flexibility - we are open to requests for part-time hours, compressed working weeks, or job shares.
• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays, with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days (prorated for part time staff).
• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.
• Life assurance scheme.
• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay.
• Cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets.
• Regular opportunities for learning and development – including coaching, mentoring, and dedicated reading days for personal development and reflection.
• Support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing including an employee assistance provider, a private GP service, personal health reviews with Bupa, a will and funeral planning service and a staff network of trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• A warm and welcoming workplace culture, with active peer groups and social networks to help you connect and belong.

Research Coordinator

Location: London. Hybrid

Hours: Full time/ 35 hours per week

Contract type: Fixed term – 6 months

Salary: £27,000 - £30,000 per annum

Annual leave: 25 days per year + bank holidays

Tommy’s Research Team is small but has a big impact on the delivery of the charity’s strategic ambitions. We need a highly organised and proactive individual to support the administrative functions of our team.

The Research Coordinator will pay a key role in ensuring the smooth running of our research funding activities, through maintaining accurate records, coordinating meetings and communications, supporting the expert peer review process, and assisting with governance and reporting requirements. The post holder will have strong organisational, time management and interpersonal skills, and confidence in managing multiple priorities and multi-tasking.

If you have experience providing administrative support in a fast-paced professional environment and would like to play a key role in the funding of groundbreaking research in the field of pregnancy and maternal health, apply now.

Candidates should apply via Charity Job and include a CV and cover letter (max 2 sides) explaining your motivations for applying to the role and skills that you would bring to it.

Closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 7th December and interviews will be held online w/c 15 December.

Our client, a well-known anti-poverty charity is looking to recruit a Director of Policy & Engagement on a maternity contract of up to 12 months. This great charity provides front-line advice, advocacy and campaigning and policy work on behalf of people in London beneath pension age, who are experiencing issues around benefit payments, disability and housing or who are at risk of homelessness. The services they provide have become even more essential during the current cost of living crisis.

The role:
As Director of Policy & Engagement, you will lead the organisation’s policy, public affairs, and campaigns function, shaping and delivering local and national influencing to drive change on social security and housing issues. You will ensure the voices of people with lived experience are central to all of the organisation’s work, embedding meaningful participation across the organisation, in governance, services, policy and campaigns.

You will also oversee strategic external communications to support the organisation’s influencing, brand and fundraising objectives and will direct all fundraising for your department including managing funder relationships, identifying opportunities and leading on bid writing and reporting.
 
This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for influencing policy and practice locally and nationally and representing the charity as a spokesperson in the media, with government ministers, MPs, and other senior stakeholders. 
 
You will manage a small multidisciplinary team of four, ensuring integrated effective delivery across the organisation. 
 
The role will cover strategic leadership, policy, public affairs & campaigns, stakeholder & media engagement, external communications, embedding participation, fundraising leadership, team leadership and cross-organisational Integration.

The person:
The successful candidate will be a strategic, politically astute leader with experience of leading policy, public affairs and campaigns at a senior level. They will have experience of integrating research campaigns, participation, external communications and fundraising to deliver impact locally and nationally. They will have excellent media stakeholder and political engagement skills, with experience of acting as a spokesperson for an organisation. This person will value and embed lived experience in all aspects of their work and will have a strong understanding of social security and housing policy. 

This person will also have substantial experience of leading on research for social policy influencing purposes in addition to having developed and shaped policy  for an organisation in a charity which works towards combatting poverty and other social justice issues. Having managed political and media engagement and external influencing activities in the past, this person will be an effective relationship manager both internally and externally, in addition to having provided knowledge based leadership to small teams in the charity sector. In addition to being a highly effective project manager, this person will be a very strong communicator both verbally and in writing, and will be fully committed to the aims and objectives of this anti-poverty charity.
​​​​​​​
This organisation is an equal opportunity employer. People with lived experience of poverty, from global majority backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ individuals and disabled people are strongly encouraged to apply. We welcome evidence of experience from both work and non-work settings such as volunteering and personal life. 
 

We're looking for an enthusiastic Research and Engagement Officer to plan and deliver engagement and research for our core and project work. This role involves listening and reaching out into communities to understand the experiences and concerns of local people using health and social care services and presenting this feedback to those planning and running services.

An ideal candidate is someone who walks into a room full of strangers and comes out with contacts, stories and having built a trusting connection. This role will include going out to geographical and communities of interest with an aim of making sure that we hear from all of the diverse communities of Wakefield District.

We recognise that research can be a term that puts people off, but we want to make research accessible and manageable for everyone. So, put simply, our research projects are always focussed on hearing from a specific community and we use different methods to reach them effectively and to capture their comments in ways that resonate and have impact. 

Purpose

To plan and deliver engagement and research for Healthwatch Wakefield’s core and project work. To understand the experiences and concerns of people using health and social care services in Wakefield District and represent this feedback to service providers and commissioners. The role involves some analysis of data and intelligence to influence change and improve services.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

This is a dynamic role with lots of opportunity to make it your own. We have a small team of Research and Engagement Officers, and each works slightly differently to achieve the shared goal of reaching out and exploring ways to capture and interpret the experiences of people who use local services. The main functions are:

• Engagement
• Research and Project Management
• Data and Intelligence Analysis

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of engagement, particularly with seldom heard groups and communities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong teamwork skills.
• Capable of working independently and managing a varied workload.
• Experience of using various engagement methodologies, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, and community meetings.
• Experience working with, networking, and developing partnerships with a range of people, including project stakeholders, diverse community groups, and other organisations.
• Experience using various research and engagement methodologies, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, and community meetings.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint and Word.
• Commitment to the principles and values of Healthwatch.
• Demonstrates empathy, integrity, and a drive to influence positive change in health and social care.
• Willingness to travel within the Wakefield area.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in data analysis, both quantitative and qualitative.
• Experience producing impact-focused reports and summary documents.
• Familiarity with local services and community needs.
• Knowledge of the voluntary and community sector, especially in Wakefield District.
• Good understanding of health and social care sectors, especially within the Wakefield area.

This is a key role in fulfilling CEASE’s aim to drive legislative reform that strengthens accountability, scrutiny and regulation of all parts of the commercial sex industry and other vested commercial interests, which are driving sexual violence, abuse and exploitation. It is about holding the UK government accountable in its duty to protect citizens from high-harm industries, appealing to robust evidence, survivor testimony and a careful critical analysis of the ideological justifications that uphold it. 

The work crosses multiple different areas, from policing, online safety and child protection to violence against women and girls (VAWG). It involves close collaboration with experts and partner organisations through strategic partnerships and coalitions, and the building of trusted relationships with MPs, Peers, civil servants and other decision-makers.

This role sits within the Activism strand of CEASE’s strategy, alongside media outreach and commercial advocacy, and works closely with the Chief Executive and Strategic Director 

Main Duties and Responsibilities

A. Strategic Leadership

• Work closely and effectively with the Chief Executive, Strategic Director and Trustees to advise on priorities and opportunities within this space.

• Develop both short- and long-term political strategies to engage key stakeholders with CEASE’s policy solutions.

• Identify and formulate strategies for gathering robust evidence on key issues where needed.

• Shape policy recommendations in line with CEASE’s strategic priorities and emerging trends.

• Ensure all external engagement reflects CEASE’s values and core messaging.

• Contribute political intelligence and insight to CEASE’s wider strategic planning and organisational development.

B. Policy

Goal: To ensure CEASE’s policy recommendations are robust, evidence-based, survivor-informed and coherent.

• Gather and present evidence on commercial and cultural drivers of sexual abuse and exploitation, and on systemic failures in regulation and enforcement.

• Identify evidence gaps and devise effective means for CEASE or partners within our networks to fill them.

• Produce policy briefings and consultation responses for parliamentarians and civil servants, often in collaboration with allies.

• Monitor parliamentary business in Westminster, analysing legislation and proposing amendments grounded in evidence and framed for maximum impact.

• Develop CEASE’s positions on new and emerging issues and technologies in line with our mission.

• Prepare speeches and statements for the Chief Executive or Strategic Director to deliver to parliamentarians, committees and inquiries.

• Integrate survivor insight and lived experience into policy and advocacy materials wherever appropriate.

• Analyse, distil and present research findings to provide credible, compelling evidence for policymakers and stakeholders.

• Track engagement outcomes and evaluate the impact of CEASE’s policy work, sharing learning internally.

C. Public Affairs

Goal: To ensure CEASE’s policy recommendations are seen, heard and acted upon.

• Create opportunities to promote CEASE’s policy solutions in Westminster through roundtables, drop-ins and parliamentary events.

• Engage directly with decision-makers, building trusted relationships across parties and with key officials.

• Identify and support parliamentarians who can champion CEASE’s issues through speeches, strategic questions, debate briefings and Private Members’ Bills.

• Build and maintain relationships with MPs, Peers, civil servants and officials in relevant government departments (Home Office, DCMS, DfE, etc.); participate in select committees and APPGs.

• Monitor the political landscape to identify alignment between CEASE’s goals and current government priorities, debates and legislative timetables.

• Collaborate with colleagues to nurture relationships with key stakeholders such as charities, public bodies, academic institutions, industry figures and experts.

• Lead or contribute to policy-focused coalitions and alliances aimed at influencing government and legislative reform.

• Support wider campaigns that leverage coalition backing (e.g. petitions, iParls or media initiatives), aligning messaging across CEASE’s team to amplify impact.

• Track and evaluate the reach and influence of CEASE’s public affairs activities to inform ongoing strategy.

D. Research

• Maintain awareness of political and legal developments in other countries and international bodies such as the UN.

• Commission or collaborate on research that strengthens CEASE’s evidence base and credibility.

• Distil complex research and policy information into accessible formats for internal and external audiences, in collaboration with the Chief Executive and Strategic Director.

• Work with the wider CEASE team to “demystify” the political process and support civic and grassroots engagement.

E. Fundraising

• Identify potential donors and funding opportunities through policy networks.

• Contribute to the development of compelling funding cases linked to CEASE’s policy impact and advocacy outcomes.

General Responsibilities

• Represent CEASE externally to promote its work and values.

• Uphold CEASE’s ethical and professional standards at all times.

• Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the Chief Executive.

Please see Job Description for full details.

We are seeking our first Head of Fundraising to join our Senior Leadership Team, build the function and leave a legacy.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will lead on developing and delivering our fundraising strategy, with primary focus on trusts and foundations and corporate partnerships, with the potential to grow individual philanthropy in the future.

You will be a key ambassador for the organisation, building and managing strong, long-term relationships with funders who share our mission. You’ll bring vision, strategic clarity and emotional intelligence to developing compelling cases for support, always ensuring alignment with organisational goals and understanding that for us, income is a vehicle to impact.

You’ll manage and develop one Senior Officer initially, with the possibility that we may be able to expand the team as income grows. The Senior Officer post is currently empty, so we hope that you’ll be able to be involved in the recruitment of this post enabling you to shape your own team. You’ll also play a wider role in shaping the organisation’s strategy and culture as part of a collaborative and ambitious leadership team.

Key responsibilities:

Strategy and Leadership

• Lead development and execution of a fundraising strategy focused on trusts,foundations and corporates (with a possible addition of individual philanthropy further down the line).
• Act as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to organisational strategy, planning and culture, and supporting the Chief Executive to report to the board on fundraising.
• Manage, develop and grow the Senior Officer role; build a high-performing team.

Fundraising and Relationship Management

• Create and manage a pipeline of funding opportunities, securing multi-year grants and strategic partnerships that support our research, policy and delivery ambitions, and reflect our values.
• Lead the development of major funding bids - including drafting proposals and coordinating input from SLT colleagues and other relevant team members.
• Cultivate, steward and deepen relationships with existing and prospective funders, acting as a confident and credible ambassador.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues to develop strong proposals, cases for support and pitch materials, including engaging in depth with some of the complex research that we seek to fund.
• Represent the organisation externally — in meetings, networks and events.

Innovation, Growth and Sustainability

• Develop and test models to diversify income to enable impact – building on our current strategy, but bringing an open mind to exploring new activities.
• Embed fundraising monitoring, evaluation and performance reporting into the organisation; ensure transparency with senior leadership and trustees.
• Maintain close alignment between fundraising strategy and organisational strategy, ensuring funder relationships are ethical, values-aligned and sustainable.

About you: 

We’re seeking someone who is ambitious, driven and emotionally intelligent — a relationship-builder ready to step into a senior leadership role and leave a legacy.

Essential

• A proven track record of securing significant income from trusts, foundations and/or corporate partners.
• Experience in managing complex relationships with funders, with excellent stewardship and retention skills.
• Experience of running reliable due diligence processes to assess funding opportunities.
• Able to translate research, policy or innovation-led programmes into compelling funding propositions.
• Excellent project management skills, including the capacity to coordinate colleagues in developing complex fundraising bids.
• Some experience of line management, team development or mentoring.
• Excellent written, verbal and influencing skills, able to engage funders, senior leaders and colleagues.
• Strategic mindset, with capacity to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.
• A genuine passion for the mission of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, and the empathy to engage with lived experience perspectives.
• Alignment with our collaborative and flexible working culture — able to work in a high-trust environment, collaborate openly with colleagues across multiple teams and contribute positively to team wellbeing and culture.

Desirable

• Experience of major donor fundraising, or exploring new income streams.
• Experience of reporting to a board, including of producing high level board papers and working with high profile stakeholders.
• Knowledge or networks within the essential services, health, research, policy or grant-giving sectors.

Terms:

• Reporting to: Chief Executive
• Staff supervised: One team member, who we hope you will be able to be involved in recruiting
• Annual Gross Salary: £64,800 (employees who are not London-based receive the same salary, including London weighting, but cover their own travel costs to the office, typically twice a month)
• Location: Either London-based, with two days per week in Money and Mental Health’s East London office, or home-based with the ability to travel to London at least twice per month. The role will also require some travel for meetings.
• Hours: Both full-time and part-time applicants considered, at a minimum of four days per week. Job shares, consolidated hours and other flexible working arrangements will be considered. Please indicate your preferred working hours on application.
• Contract type: Permanent
• Holidays: 28 days per year (including 3 days between Christmas and New Year when the office is closed), plus bank holidays
• Pension: Opportunity to be enrolled in the workplace pension scheme (subject to meeting standard auto-enrolment qualifying criteria). After enrolment, the charity contributes the equivalent of 5.5% of monthly gross salary, subject to an employee contribution of at least 2.5%.
• Other benefits:
  • Every team member has a personal training budget, with many internal training opportunities.
  • Cycle to Work and season ticket loan schemes.
  • Enhanced maternity/paternity/parental leave terms, offered at an equal rate: employees eligible for statutory maternity/paternity/shared parental pay receive 90% of earnings for up to 12 weeks.
  • Rental deposit loan scheme.
  • A flexible working culture: core working hours are 10am–3pm, with flexibility outside these times (agreed with management) for employees to distribute working hours across the week.

About us

The Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading race equality think tank. We generate research to challenge racial inequality in Britain.

For more than 50 years, we have worked tirelessly to build a Britain in which we all belong. Proudly independent, we speak truth to power on race and racism without fear or favour. We are not swayed by political agenda, profit or popular opinion. We are authentic, led by an ethnically diverse team, and we draw from our lived experience and that of our wide and inclusive community and partnership networks.

The Role

We are seeking a talented and motivated Researcher to join our growing team. This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-impact research that shapes public understanding and policy on race and inequalities in the UK.

You will lead and support a range of research projects from inception to delivery, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to generate rigorous, accessible and influential outputs. Working closely with colleagues across research, policy and communications, as well as external partners and funders, you will play a key role in ensuring that Runnymede’s work remains at the forefront of the national conversation on race and social justice.

This position is ideal for someone with strong analytical and project management skills, a deep curiosity about racial and social inequalities, and a passion for producing evidence that drives systemic change.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll be the right person for this role if you’re passionate about using research to tackle racial and social inequalities. You will bring experience in both qualitative and quantitative research, strong project coordination skills, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and accessibly.

You’ll thrive in a fast-paced environment where priorities shift and collaboration is key. With an eye for detail and a commitment to quality, you’ll ensure that every piece of research you deliver is robust, ethical, and impactful.

If you’re ready to contribute to research that informs and inspires action towards racial justice, we’d love to hear from you.

How to apply

To apply please click the apply button below. 

This will take you to our online recruitment platform, BeApplied, which is a platform that aims to facilitate an unbiased and inclusive hiring process.

On BeApplied you will be asked to upload your CV and answer some skill-based application questions instead of a traditional covering letter.

Runnymede Trust is committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are  under-represented in research and policy making and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this. We are particularly keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; people with disabilities; people who identify as being LGTBQIA; people who have a mental health condition; and people who identify as working class now or in the past.

We are also aware that many highly capable prospective candidates nonetheless rule themselves out of work in think tanks because they underestimate their own ability to do the role. With this in mind, we strongly encourage applications from anyone who is prepared to learn and grow on the job and would like to stress that past experience of working in think tanks is not required.

Interview Schedule

Candidates will hear back about their application status on 26th November, and interviews for shortlisted candidates will be conducted on 2nd and 4th December.

Join an amazing charity that makes a difference for the 110,000 adults and children in the UK with a muscle-wasting condition. This is a role where you can really make a difference.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented groups including people from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with lived experience of conditions we represent. We believe that diversity strengthens our work and helps us better support our beneficiaries.

This is an exciting time to join Muscular Dystrophy UK. We recently launched our new 10 year strategy to transform the lives of people living with muscle wasting conditions. Our vision is clear, a world without limits for people with 
muscle wasting conditions, and we won’t stop until we achieve it.

Main purpose of role:
This is a unique opportunity to lead Muscular Dystrophy UK’s policy work to improve access to treatment and shape life science policy for people living with muscle wasting conditions.

With exciting progress in treatment development but challenges with NHS system readiness, you’ll be at the forefront of efforts to ensure everyone in the UK can access the best available therapies—quickly and equitably. 

You’ll build strong relationships with governments, regulators, charities, and industry, lead our technology appraisal work, and grow our influence in life sciences policy, particularly around clinical trials and the implementation of the UK Life Sciences plan, drawing on Muscular Dystrophy UK’s rich history in medical research.

Working collaboratively across teams—including Policy and Campaigns, Research, Marketing and Communications, and our devolved nation leads in Services and Support—you’ll help deliver key strategic objectives. 

Reporting to the Director of Policy and Campaigns and working within a matrix structure with the Director of Research and Innovation, you’ll play a vital role in driving change and improving lives.

Benefits:

We appreciate the range of skills and experience our staff have to offer. In return for your enthusiasm and commitment we commit to actively developing and supporting you. We also offer a range of benefits including pension, life assurance, cycle scheme, health cash plan, financial wellbeing and an employee assistance programme.

Cover Letter Guidance for Applicants
When submitting your application, please ensure your cover letter provides clear evidence of the following:
• Experience in research, policy, public affairs, or a closely related field
• Proven ability to influence government, decision makers, or public policy — ideally within the health, life sciences, or disability sectors
• Strong understanding of NHS structures, regulatory frameworks, and health technology assessment (HTA) policies and processes
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly to diverse audiences
•  Robust research and analytical skills, including the ability to gather, interpret, and present information persuasively

Your cover letter should demonstrate how your background aligns with these criteria, using specific examples where possible

Location: Head Office, London, SE1 (with flexibility for homeworking with regular travel to Westminster)
Closing date: Sunday 23rd November 
Interview dates Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December 2025

Please download the job description to see full role responsibilities​

The Nuffield Foundation is a charitable trust tackling the UK’s biggest social challenges by funding research, generating evidence, and guiding decision-makers to implement solutions that improve people’s lives.​ We are now recruiting to the new role of Senior Policy Officer in order to increase the impact and influence of the research that we fund.

Working within our Policy and Public Affairs team, the Senior Policy Officer will work across the Nuffield Foundation family to enable evidence-based influence among a broad range of stakeholders including Government, parliamentarians, other policymakers at national and regional level and the third sector.

You will contribute to thinking and development of prioritised policy areas with within our strategic review, produce external policy outputs (including reports, briefings, consultation responses, letters and web content) as well as internal briefings on key policy issues for senior colleagues, and teams across the organisation.

The Senior Policy Officer will also horizon scan and monitor forthcoming legislation and policy agendas as well as monitoring parliamentary activity and support our parliamentary engagement strategies to promote Nuffield-funded research.

You will already have some experience of working in a policy or public affairs role, with an excellent understanding of the political climate and mechanisms of the UK political system.

You will have knowledge of social policy issue and be comfortable working with academic research and be able to identify opportunities where the Foundation can achieve real impact with its work.

You will be a strong communicator (both in person and in your written outputs) and be able to work across a wide and varied policy portfolio and engage with a range of policy makers and other stakeholders.

You should have a creative, collaborative, open and inclusive approach to working, with the ability to work well in a team and also independently.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to further develop their policy skills at a time of great shift in the social policy landscape.

About us  

The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable foundation with a founding purpose to advance social well-being.

We achieve this by funding and undertaking rigorous research, encouraging innovation, and supporting the use of sound evidence to improve people’s lives. We tackle pressing, complex questions. Our aim is to open up opportunities and to improve lives for individuals, families and communities, within a just and inclusive society. Our work addresses the inequalities, disadvantage, discrimination and vulnerabilities that people face, and considers the social and ethical implications of scientific and technological advances.

We are the founder and co-funder of Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and the Ada Lovelace Institute.

We value diversity in background, skills, perspectives and life experiences.