Programme and policy manager jobs

We’re currently recruiting two full-time qualified Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) to work directly with young people in our Mental Health Support Team (MHST). For this post you need to have successfully completed the Education Mental Health Practitioner Post Graduate Diploma. We are also looking for people with an open and flexible attitude; excellent engagement skills and a passion for working with children and young people around mental health.

Responsibilities include offering CBT based self-guided mental health interventions to primary and secondary aged children and young people and their families. This involves individual and group-based support as well as supporting schools to implement a whole school approach. The posts have scope and opportunity for developing new initiatives and ways of working to support young people’s mental health across South London.

All posts are based on-site (office/school) and may require flexibility to work across different service areas and interventions. Some evening and/or weekend work may be necessary to meet the needs of young people. 

Please read the full Job Description and Person Specification for this role, attached to the advert. 

Applying for the Posts 

To be considered for the position, the Application Form and the Equality & Diversity Monitoring Form need to be completed and return to the email address on the Applicationby Sunday 5th July 2026.

We understand some candidates may want to use AI tools when applying. Whilst we welcome the use of technology to support clear communication and structure, we also want to learn more about the authentic you, so please ensure that your application reflects your own skills, knowledge and experiences wherever possible. In the spirit of transparency - we also ask that you indicate if you have used AI in your application.

Decisions about who to invite for interview will be based on how well someone demonstrates that they meet the person specification for the specific post, so please make sure you complete the application form fully and accurately, giving evidence of how you meet each point in the person specification and indicating your relevant knowledge, skills and experience. Please note that CVs will not be considered.We are currently not considering applications from Children Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs) for this role.

Email applicants will receive a confirmation of receipt and shortlisted candidates will be contacted as soon as possible after the closing date.    

About The Role
Would you like to play a key part in influencing national decisionmakers across Wales, England and Northern Ireland to drive major, positive change in the dementia policy space? Then this could be the role for you. 
Sitting within Alzheimer’s Society’s National Influencing team, as our new National Influencing Officer you would be instrumental in delivering innovative, engaging, collaborative, and evidence-based influencing work. You’d be ensuring that political and health system stakeholders are acting on the biggest issues affecting people living with dementia, working closely with other teams to drive work that is integrated locally and nationally. 
While this role is predominantly focused on delivering national influencing activity in Wales, you’ll also be part of a fluid and flexible team that operates across boundaries and supports with our political work in England and Northern Ireland. 
This is an exciting time for dementia policy in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We have the chance to ensure that governments are prioritising dementia and the needs of all those affected by the condition. Our National Influencing Officer will be at the forefront of taking on this vitally important challenge. 
About the role 
Every day, people affected by dementia tell us what matters most to them. We listen, learn, and use what they share, alongside evidence and research, to influence real change. 
What would it take to make sure those voices are truly heard by the people making decisions? 
As our National Influencing Officer, you will help make sure those voices are heard by the people making decisions. Working across Wales and as part of a three nations team, you will build relationships with politicians, decision makers and health leaders to help improve support and services for people affected by dementia.  
In this role, you will: 

- Lead or support political engagement across Wales and potentially other UK nations, using your knowledge of parliamentary structures and influencing routes to drive change. 
- Provide oversight and coordination of political monitoring and stakeholder engagement activity. 
- Plan and deliver impactful public affairs (or similar) events, including parliamentary receptions, breakfast meetings, roundtables, and party conference activity. 
- Translate evidence-based policy positions into compelling and effective influencing strategies that achieve real-world impact. 
- Build delivery plans focused on meaningful outcomes and measure their success through evaluation and learning. 
- Produce high-quality, accessible content to inform and engage stakeholders, using strong presentational and communication skills. 

About you 
You care about improving the lives of people affected by dementia. You are curious, proactive and enjoy working with others to make things happen. 
What motivates you to turn complex issues into clear action that leads to change? 
You may already have experience in public affairs, policy, advocacy or a related field. Or your experience may come from a different route, such as community work, lived experience, or another role where you have influenced change. 
You will bring: 

- Excellent knowledge of the political and health system and how to influence national decisionmakers. 
- A strong understanding of the external political environment and a proven track record in political or similar stakeholder management at a national level. 
- Experience engaging proactively with national politicians and decisionmakers, acting as the first point of contact for their teams. 
- Confidence and credibility in working with both internal and external stakeholders, with the ability to influence across geographical and organisational boundaries. 
- A proven ability to operate and thrive in fast-paced, multi-dimensional environments, and to adapt well to change and ambiguity. 
- Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex data into accessible, impactful content and recommendations. 
- Experience working across multiple UK nations in complex influencing environments. 
- A commitment to involving people with lived experience – such as those with dementia or long-term health conditions – in your work. 

We welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences. You do not need to meet every requirement to apply. If this role excites you and you want to make a difference, we would love to hear from you. 
Welsh language is not essential for this role, but we welcome applications from Welsh language speakers. 
Interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place on the 10th July via MS Teams.

About Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.

Director UK Resilience

 Location: UK Wide, Flexible (Hybrid)

Salary: £83,116 - £116,838 per annum, dependent on experience 
Hours: 35 per week
Contract: Permanent

Are you ready to lead the British Red Cross’s crisis resilience across the UK - helping to prevent suffering, save lives and uphold dignity when it matters most?

This is a rarely advertised, high‑impact leadership opportunity to play a defining role in how the British Red Cross delivers its humanitarian mission across the UK. As Director of UK Resilience, you will lead at the moments when people are most vulnerable - shaping how communities prepare for crises, respond in emergencies, and recover with strength and dignity.

 You will set the strategic direction for a coordinated, UK‑wide approach to emergency response, recovery, preparedness and community education, working in close partnership with government, emergency services, local authorities and the voluntary sector. Your leadership will ensure the British Red Cross is ready to act swiftly and effectively in an increasingly complex and unpredictable crisis landscape.

 Embedded within UK Operations, you will provide national strategic leadership at scale, enabling the organisation to mobilise staff, volunteers and partners rapidly and with confidence. Operating within a complex matrix environment, you will bring together multidisciplinary teams and senior leaders, harnessing the depth of expertise across our workforce and volunteer network to deliver trusted, well‑coordinated humanitarian responses.

 With the reach, credibility and experience of the Red Cross Movement behind you, you will help deliver large‑scale, integrated responses alongside statutory responders - meeting immediate humanitarian need while strengthening long‑term community resilience. Representing the organisation nationally, you will build influential partnerships, support delivery of our 2030 Strategy, and help ensure our crisis response continues to evolve in line with our Fundamental Principles.

 At the heart of this role is a deep commitment to humanity. If you are motivated by purpose, ready to lead at national level, and driven to make a tangible difference in people’s lives when they need it most, this is your opportunity to help lead the Red Cross mission in the UK.

What will a day in the life of a UK Director of UK Resilience involve?

• Providing overall national strategic leadership for the British Red Cross’s UK resilience mission, shaping how we prepare for, respond to and recover from crises across the UK.
• Setting the direction and ensuring delivery of a nationally coherent, evidence‑based UK Resilience offer, aligned to the organisation’s 2030 Strategy and humanitarian mission.
• Leading a large, multidisciplinary directorate across Strategy & Performance, Product, Business Services and Operations, creating clarity of accountability and empowering teams to deliver at scale.
• Acting as the organisation’s professional authority on humanitarian resilience, ensuring British Red Cross expertise informs national policy, standards and practice.
• Building and sustaining strategic partnerships with government (including devolved administrations), statutory responders, civil contingencies partners and the voluntary and community sector.
• Ensuring resilience activity across the UK is effective, consistent, financially sustainable and grounded in operational delivery, with a clear focus on communities most exposed to risk.
• Working closely with operational leaders and volunteer teams to maintain readiness and the ability to scale quickly during crises.

To be a successful UK Director of UK Resilience, what will you need?

• Knowledge of national resilience systems, including preparedness, response and recovery arrangements operating across the UK.
• Senior-level experience of leading or influencing complex, multi-agency and multi-stakeholder environments, with the ability to work effectively across sectors.
• Experience of developing and delivering strategy at national or system level, including translating strategic intent into priorities and outcomes.
• Experience of building and sustaining strategic partnerships with government, emergency responders and voluntary and community sector organisations.
• Experience of operating with senior stakeholders, including producing high-quality strategic documents and Board-level papers.
• Understanding and experience of how risk, vulnerability and impact from crises differ across communities, and how this shapes effective resilience planning and delivery.

We understand that no candidate will meet every requirement. If your experience looks a little different but you feel you can bring value to this role, we would strongly encourage you to apply.

Interested? Apply now!
Please submit your application via the British Red Cross website. You’ll need an up-to-date CV and supporting statement as part of your application.

The closing date for applications is 23.59 on the 5th July 2026.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation and we value different experiences and the perspectives that lived experience brings. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in leadership.

In return for your commitment and expertise, you’ll get:

• Flexible working: Remote and hybrid working, flexitime, compressed hours, and job sharing.
• Holidays: 36 days annual leave (including bank holidays) + option to buy 5 extra days.
• Pension scheme: Up to 6% contributory pension.
• Learning & Development: A wide range of career and learning opportunities.
• Discounts: Blue Light Discount Card, Tickets For Good & employee benefits platform.
• Wellbeing Support: Peer Supporters, CiC (EAP) & Headspace App.
• Cycle2Work: Lease a bicycle through the scheme.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident & Carer Confident employer.

We are dedicated to building an inclusive, equitable and wellbeing‑focused culture where everyone feels safe, valued and can thrive. Guided by our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Strategy, we foster belonging, psychological and physical wellbeing, and work to remove barriers to fair opportunities. Grounded in compassion and anti‑racist practice, we listen to diverse voices, value lived experience and create environments where staff and volunteers can succeed.

Together, we are the world’s emergency responders.