Principal policy advisor jobs

As Principal Policy Adviser (interim), you will collaborate with Uplift’s team and key partners to drive the design, development and delivery of work that generates influential policy and ideas addressing the challenges of a rapid and fair transition away from oil and gas production in the UK.

From proactively setting the agenda, to responding to policy announcements, to ensuring our team has a sound understanding of the future of the North Sea, this is a diverse role at the heart of our work pushing for a rapid and fair transition.

The successful candidate will have exceptional policy skills, an ability to think politically, and a keen interest in climate and energy-related policy and campaigns. A strong commitment to Uplift's mission and core values is also required.

This role is a 9 month long contract to cover a secondment within the team.

Core responsibilities will include:

• Policy: Lead Uplift’s policy work, spearhead the development and testing of innovative policy initiatives, and identify and work through knowledge gaps relevant to Uplift’s strategy.

• Coordination and Strategy Delivery: Work with teams to set and execute policy priorities, provide in-house policy support, contribute to the management of the Research Policy and LEgal Tea, and develop systems for quality assurance and knowledge management.

• Advocacy and Network Support: Build capacity amongst other Uplift teams to understand the intersection of their work with policy topics and represent Uplift to policymakers and partner organisations.

Please see the job description for the full core responsibilities.

About You

Our ideal candidate will have: 

• Experience in a similar or related role.

• Strong knowledge of UK climate and energy policy (direct expertise in just transition, fossil fuels or renewables would be a significant advantage).

• Excellent research and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesise complex information quickly and accurately and a demonstrable ability to provide compelling and novel analysis.

• Exceptional writing and communication skills, with strong attention to detail and political nous.

• Motivation, initiative, exceptionally high standards, a collaborative approach, and associated qualities are needed to work in a dynamic organisation with an ambitious agenda.

• A strong commitment to Uplift’s mission and core values of equity and climate justice.

About Depaul International

Our vision is of a society in which everyone has a place to call home and a stake in their community. We aim to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it. Depaul International, made up internationally of eight member organisations, exists because we believe everyone deserves the dignity and security of a place to call home. We are committed to ending homelessness and improving the lives of the people affected by it.

Depaul International’s current six-year strategy is focussed on four key areas:

• Service: Developing evidence-based solutions to develop services to prevent and end homelessness on a local, national and global scale
• Reach: Empowering member organisations to lead services in their own countries, establishing partnerships and cross-sector working globally to strengthen capacity and scale.
• Voice: Advocating for local, national, and global responses to end homelessness
• Values: Working to strengthen client involvement and enabling our clients to influence decision making to ensure our services are welcoming, accessible and just.

The incoming Director of Finance will play a key role in delivering this strategy, providing the financial leadership needed to support international growth, strengthen resilience, and ensure sustainable impact worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead financial management across Depaul Group, supporting National Members, this includes consolidated reporting, budgeting, cashflow and audits.
• Develop and implement financial strategy, controls, policies and best practice across the charity
• Act as principal financial adviser to the CEO, Executive Team, Board and Committees.
• Provide insightful financial reporting, forecasting and risk analysis to support decision-making.
• Oversee governance, compliance, company secretarial duties and data protection.
• Lead group-wide internal audit processes and financial due diligence activities.
• Support and strengthen finance capacity across international member organisations.
• Manage key external relationships including auditors, bankers, legal advisers, investment portfolio managers, insurers and regulators.
• Pivotal member of the Executive Team, which leads the development of organisational strategy, performance and culture.
• Lead and develop the finance function.

About You

• You will be a qualified accountant (CCAB qualified or equivalent),
• You will have experience in senior leadership roles (Head of Finance, Director of Finance or similar) within the charity or wider non-profit sector
• You will have the ability to balance strategic leadership with operational delivery in a small, collaborative organisation
• You will be pragmatic and collaborative, and passionate about social justice and the work Depaul International undertakes to end homelessness.

We welcome applications from ambitious senior finance leaders who are ready to take their first step into a Director of Finance position and can demonstrate the strategic capability, leadership skills and values alignment required for the role.

Further Information

• Hybrid working of 3 days per week of central London based office
• This role will require occasional international travel to member organisation countries
• Interviews will be held w/c 13th July and w/c 20th July for first and second stage interviews respectively
• Ivy Rock Partners is working exclusively with Depaul International for this appointment.

Depaul International is a faith-inspired charity rooted in St Vincent de Paul's tradition of dignity and compassion. We welcome people of all backgrounds, faiths, beliefs and non-beliefs, working together towards a shared goal of ending homelessness and creating positive social change.

If you are looking for an opportunity to use your financial leadership skills to drive meaningful social impact on a global scale, we would love to hear from you.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Holly Arrowsmith at Ivy Rock Partners.

Help us tackle disadvantage and change lives

Salford Foundation is looking for an experienced, values-driven Head of Finance & Resources to join our Senior Management Team and play a key role in ensuring the organisation is financially sustainable, well governed and equipped to deliver lasting impact for local people.

This is a varied and hands-on leadership role combining strategic responsibility with operational delivery. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will lead our finance function while providing oversight of people, IT, facilities, data protection and organisational compliance.

You will be responsible for financial planning and reporting, budgeting, risk management and governance, while supporting colleagues across the organisation with the systems, processes and resources they need to succeed. You will also act as the Foundation's Data Protection Officer and lead officer to the Audit and Risk Committee.

About you

You will be a qualified accountant with strong financial management experience and the ability to communicate financial information clearly to a wide range of audiences. You will be comfortable operating both strategically and operationally, bringing a collaborative and solutions-focused approach to leadership.

You will have experience of supporting organisational decision-making, managing people and resources, and building effective relationships with colleagues, trustees and external partners.

Most importantly, you will share our commitment to tackling disadvantage, supporting communities and creating opportunities for people to thrive.

We offer

• Salary of £45,000 - £50,000 per annum
• Hybrid working
• Opportunity to influence the future direction of a respected local charity
• Supportive and values-led working environment
• The chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people across Salford

Join us and help ensure Salford Foundation has the resources, systems and leadership needed to continue tackling disadvantage and changing lives.

A job and person specification is attached along with our company benefits.

The AI Engineer is a hands-on role where you’ll work across the full development lifecycle, from shaping ideas and building prototypes through to deploying production-ready solutions. You’ll play a key role in applying AI and modern software engineering practices to real-world service challenges. 

As AI Engineer, you’ll be part of a small, collaborative team, working closely with product, user experience and operational colleagues to deliver impactful, user-focused solutions. 

This role is predominantly home-based with occasional attendance at our Birmingham Office (minimum of four days per year).  However, during probation more frequent office attendance will be required to ensure you receive full support.  

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Designing and building applications and tools using modern engineering practices 

• Developing integrations, APIs and automation to support key services 

• Translating business and user needs into working technical solutions 

• Exploring where AI and automation can add value to real workflows 

• Building and testing prototypes, then iterating based on feedback 

• Supporting deployment and early-stage live running of new solutions 

• Collaborating with non-technical stakeholders to shape and refine ideas 

What We’re Looking For 

Core Experience 

• Strong background in software or application development 

• Experience working with Python and/or Microsoft technologies 

• Experience building and integrating APIs and services 

• Ability to deliver solutions end-to-end (design through to deployment) 

• Confident communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences 

AI & Innovation 

• Good understanding of AI / Generative AI concepts and use cases 

• Interest in applying emerging technologies to solve real problems 

Nice to Have (but not essential) 

• Experience building AI-enabled features or tools 

• Knowledge of technologies such as RAG, vector databases or LLMs 

• Background in regulated, public sector or customer-focused environments 

• Experience working with CRM, contact centre or case management systems 

• Awareness of accessibility, data protection or service design principles 

What We Offer:   

We believe in taking care of our people, and we offer a great range of benefits, including:   

• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays   

• A contributory pension scheme   

• Flexible hybrid working arrangement   

• Generous Life Insurance   

• Wellbeing days to support your mental health   

• A healthcare cashback scheme   

• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme  

• Working outside the UK (up to 30 days in a 12-month period)  

• Free on-site gym    

• Enhanced maternity pay    

Recruitment Process  

*We will review all applications after the closing date and contact shortlisted applicants thereafter** 

• Stage 1: informal chat  

• Stage 2: interview 

Accessibility and Adjustments  

We want every candidate to feel confident and supported. If you need any adjustments or have specific preferences during the recruitment process, just let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.  

Important Information  

We will only use the data you supply to us for recruitment purposes, and it will be held for twelve months. For further details, please see our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants on our vacancies page.  

 Our Commitment to Inclusion  

 We take diversity seriously and are committed to creating a workplace that reflects the communities we serve. Our values: ‘We put people first, We support each other, We solve problems’ underpin our vision to be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We warmly welcome applications from all backgrounds.