Lead worker jobs

The National Youth Agency is looking for a new Policy and Public Affairs Manager to join our Policy, Insights and External Affairs Team.
 
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £37,000 - £42,000 per annum, depending on experience
Remote: This role is homebased with travel for meetings, events and conferences and staff residentials.
 
What we do
 
As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
 
We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work
 
About the Role
 
This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of youth work in England. As Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the National Youth Agency (NYA), you’ll play a central role in influencing national policy and driving change that impacts young people’s lives.
 
We’re looking for a dynamic and strategic individual to join our Policy, Insights and External Affairs Directorate. You’ll work closely with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, line manage the Policy and Public Affairs Officer, and collaborate with colleagues and sector partners to deliver a bold and proactive policy agenda that champions youth work in policy making. Your work will ensure the voice of the NYA and the youth sector is placed at the heart of national policy and funding decisions.
 
This role is central to driving NYA’s policy impact: you will lead high-profile policy projects, build strong relationships with political and policy stakeholders, produce influential written outputs, curate strategic events, and represent the organisation at key external engagements. You’ll also be at the forefront of monitoring and interpreting developments across Westminster - from government consultations to parliamentary debates - using these insights to shape our influencing and advocacy efforts.
 
This is an exciting time to join the NYA. Your work will directly contribute to meaningful change for young people, helping to secure the recognition, investment and support that youth work deserves.
 
Key responsibilities for this role will include:
 

• Work with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Policy and Public Affairs Officer, and key internal and external stakeholders to help design, manage and deliver a cutting-edge policy agenda and stakeholder outreach programme
• Line manage the Policy and Public Affairs Officer, delegating work effectively and supporting their professional development
• Identify and build positive relationships with key political and policy stakeholders who are critical to advancing our mission and amplifying the voice of the youth work.
• Manage policy projects, including drafting project plans, timelines and budgets, in collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders
• Monitor the shifting national policy and political landscape, including parliamentary inquiries, consultations, political briefings and government announcements, and advise internal and external stakeholders on opportunities and risks
• Provide the secretariat for the National Youth Sector Advisory Board (NYSAB), convening the youth sector with government departments
• Build strong relationships with peer organisations and stakeholders and identify opportunities for collaborative working to further NYA’s mission
• Organise high-quality events and policy seminars to raise the profile of the organisation
• Manage the creation of a range of high-quality written outputs for various audiences, including policy briefings, blogs and consultation responses
• Work closely with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs and Local Policy and Partnerships Manager to connect and align our national and local policy influencing and work
• Represent the NYA at external meetings and events
• Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.

 
Why Work for NYA?
 

• NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

How to Apply:
 
To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Sunday 14th September 2025:

• A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
• A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section.
• We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.

 
Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.
 
The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
 
At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.
 
We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.
 
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