Are you an organised and proactive communicator with a keen interest in politics and social justice? Join Shelter as our Public Affairs Assistant and play a key role in helping to influence housing policy and drive change to end the housing emergency.
About the role
As Public Affairs Assistant, you will have responsibility for organising and delivering events in support of the team’s and Shelter’s strategic objectives. It will also see you maintain and find creative improvements to stakeholder management processes across the division, look after stakeholder contact data and keep records updated. Monitoring political developments and activities will be important too, as will gathering and recording intelligence and delivering your insights by providing political monitoring updates for the rest of the organisation. Helping to draft internal briefings and develop and execute campaigns, carrying out research and analysis and overseeing diary management for the team – all are aspects of this interesting and varied role.
Role specifics
We’re looking for an organised and proactive team player with a strong interest in politics and a passion for social justice to join Shelter as a Public Affairs Assistant. You’ll support the delivery of impactful public affairs activity, helping to influence decision makers and drive change to end the housing emergency. This is a varied role where you’ll help organise events, manage stakeholder relationships, monitor political developments and produce clear, compelling briefings and campaign materials. You’ll work closely with colleagues across the organisation, supporting campaigning strategies and building relationships with political stakeholders. With excellent communication skills, strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities, you’ll bring enthusiasm, initiative and a willingness to learn and grow in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.
Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.
We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.
About the team
The Public Affairs team sits within CPC. We are responsible for achieving political change and building relationships across the political and policy world to help Shelter achieve its goals. There are currently five members of the team.
About Shelter
Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.
We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.
We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.
Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.
Safeguarding statement
Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.
Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Lloyds Bank Foundation
Head of Public Affairs (Maternity Cover)
Starting Salary: £64,936 per annum (London-based)
Contract: Full-time, fixed-term contract (we are open to conversations about different ways of working - so please ask)
Location: London-based role with expectation of hybrid working from our London office
About Lloyds Bank Foundation
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales is an independent charitable foundation, backed by Lloyds Banking Group and the people within it. We want everyone to be in a good place - personally, in a home that’s a good place to live, and in a community that’s a good place to belong.
We play our role by connecting and catalysing community-led change, providing the money, time, tools and connections that build organisations’ capacity and capability, to make people’s lives better and their communities stronger.
We back people and communities across England and Wales, to make that happen, because when you back brilliant people, brilliant things happen. Our communities are full of ambitious, energetic and determined people stepping up to make their neighbours’ lives better and their communities grow stronger. Day in, day out.
About the Role
This is an exciting leadership opportunity to shape and lead the Foundation’s national public affairs and influencing work during a period of maternity cover, maintaining momentum and driving meaningful change in policy and practice.
As Head of Public Affairs, you will set direction for influencing activity across England and Wales, ensuring it is aligned to organisational priorities and continues to deliver impact. You will lead engagement with senior policymakers and political processes, acting as a credible and visible representative of the Foundation.
Working closely with colleagues, you will ensure that influencing activity remains informed by local insight and translated into clear national priorities. You will also contribute to organisational leadership, supporting strategic direction while leading a high-performing public affairs team through this period.
About You
We’re looking for an experienced and credible leader with a strong background in public affairs, policy, or influencing. You will bring a track record of delivering impact at national or regional level, alongside a strong understanding of the UK political landscape.
You will combine strategic thinking with practical delivery, with excellent relationship-building skills and experience of engaging senior stakeholders. You will be confident providing leadership and continuity in a fixed-term role. A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is essential.
How to Apply
Please click ‘Apply’ to be redirected to our website, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and find details of how to apply.
For an informal conversation about the role and application process, please contact our recruitment partner, Atkinson HR via the information in the candidate pack.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We hold Disability Confident Employer status (Level 2) and are working towards full status by 2027. This means that if you're a disabled applicant and your CV and application answers clearly demonstrate that you meet the essential criteria for the role, we will invite you to interview.
More broadly, we are committed to building a diverse team that reflects the communities and people we work with. We believe that diversity of background, experience and perspective makes us stronger and helps us make better decisions. We actively welcome applications from people who are under-represented in the charity sector, including people from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities, disabled people, and those with experience of the issues our funded charities work to address.
Key Dates
Closing Date: Thursday 7th May 2026
Optional Q&A Session: Wednesday 6th May 2026 at 09:00-10:00
First Interview: Monday 18th May 2026
Second Interview: Monday 1st June 2026
We support small, local and specialist charities across England and Wales.


We are currently recruiting a passionate and hard-working individual to help make a positive difference and provide first-class support to our Alzheimer's Society staff. Our Employee Support Assistant is part of our People Operations team and the first point of contact for Alzheimer’s Society employees requiring support with systems and processes that are part of working for the society, from joining to leaving.
We provide advice and guidance on policies and processes, making things easier and clearer for everyone as we deliver our work for people affected by dementia.
This role ensures that we are safeguarding our employees, volunteers, those who engage with our services and the organisation through a strong emphasis on compliance.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Process and monitor Criminal Record Checks for our employees and contractors.
- Process employee changes, following relevant procedures.
- Update and enter information on various systems, ensuring a high level of data quality is maintained.
- Monitor data reports and ensure compliance with key processes.
- Work collaboratively with our wider teams, including our Talent Acquisition, People Partnering, IT, and Payroll.
- Signposting employees and managers to relevant policies and information.
- Comply with data protection regulations.
- Undertake other duties or projects commensurate with the nature and grade of this post as required.
About you:
- Be able to always deliver first-class customer service, understanding that Alzheimer’s Society employees are the customers of our team.
- Have a keen eye for detail with previous experience in an administration role.
- Be comfortable working in a collaborative team, looking to share ideas and ways to improve our processes.
- Be comfortable using Microsoft Office software such as Word and Excel, as well as other bespoke IT packages.
- Understand the sensitive nature of data that we deal with and, as such, adhere to a strict level of confidentiality.
- Be organised and able to structure your workload according to deadline requirements.
- Be comfortable working within a culture of inclusion and collaboration.
Interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place WC 11th May 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.