Parliamentary and public affairs manager jobs

Position: Policy and Public Affairs Officer
Type: Full Time (35 hours a week) Permanent
Location: Office-based in Scotland with flexibility to work remotely  
Salary: £26,384* per annum plus excellent benefits
Salary Band and Job Family: Band 1, Charity

*you will start at our entry point salary of £26,384 per annum, increasing to £28,033 after 6 months service and satisfactory performance and to £29,682 after a further 6 months.

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and talented policy and public affairs professional to join our team. You should have experience of working to develop policy and have the ability to communicate our position to a wide range of audiences across Scotland.

In this exciting role you will work with the MS community to influence change in public policy, continuing to make the case for improvements in the treatment, care and support of people affected by MS.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who understands the political and policy environment in Scotland, who has experience in external facing influencing roles,  who is outcome-focused and delivers tangible results. The successful candidate will work closely with the MS community, the Scottish Policy and Communications team as well as key external partners such as MSPs and their teams.

Closing date for applications: 9:00 on Friday 30 May 2025

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.

JOB TITLE: Public Affairs Manager

REPORTS TO: Head of Social Impact

RESPONSIBLE FOR: n/a

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Permanent

HOURS OF WORK: Such hours as are necessary to fulfil the duties. This will involve a minimum of 35 hours per week and include work in evenings and weekends as required.

LOCATION: Hybrid of London office and home based.  ParalympicsGB Office: 101 New Cavendish Street, W1W 6XH. Travel may also be required in the UK and abroad as necessary.

JOB PURPOSE: The Public Affairs Manager will manage the implementation of ParalympicsGB’s policy & public affairs strategy, including managing a targeted contact programme with politicians, civil servants and stakeholder organisations. The role will also play a key role in supporting the organisation’s approach to influencing public policy in sport, disability and education and deliver Games’ time guest programmes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage the implementation of the public affairs strategy, with support from the Head of Social Impact and Director of Communications & Social Impact, reporting back to the Senior Leadership Group on the outcomes achieved.
• Work with the CEO, Director of Communications & Social Impact and Head of Social Impact to implement a stakeholder engagement plan building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholder such as politicians, Government departments, ParalympicsGB’s members, sport and disability organisations, and the education sector.
• Coordinate ParalympicsGB colleagues to execute a contact programme with relevant stakeholders including Government Ministers, MPs and Peers, Civil Servants and Stakeholder organisations from ParalympicsGB’s membership and the wider sport, education and disability sectors.
• Monitor and analyse upcoming relevant policy and legislative developments and activities and identify opportunities for influence including drafting responses to parliamentary, government and other consultations.
• Represent ParalympicsGB externally to raise awareness and strengthen our reputation with key policy makers, decision-makers, and relevant public affairs networks. Reporting back to colleagues on the content of meetings and arranging follow-ups as appropriate.
• Prepare high-quality briefing materials for political audiences and senior internal stakeholders to support influencing priorities.
• Organise and support delivery of a series of Westminster based events and activations to support our Public Affairs strategy, including events to raise awareness of ParalympicsGB’s relevant social impact programmes e.g. Equal Play and Community Sport initiatives.
• Contribute to stakeholder engagement around the promotion of Stoke Mandeville as the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement.
• Administer the Paralympic Games guest programme for Government Ministers, Royal Patron and key stakeholders linked to social impact and international relations.

Policy

• Lead the coordination of ParalympicsGB responses to relevant Government consultations and other stakeholder responses.
• Lead the research, manage consultation with key stakeholders, and draft policy papers with regards development of ParalympicsGB’s policy papers in line with the social impact strategy, particularly around education (Equal Play), community sport, and disability.

Social Impact

• Work with the Social Impact team on communicating public affairs opportunities to our athletes (as part of the ParalympicsGB Athlete Community) and connecting social impact programmes to political opportunities.

Correspondence, Planning and Databases

• Draft correspondence with key contacts on behalf of the organisation.
• Develop and manage parliamentary and stakeholder contact management database.
• Provide administrative support to the Communications team as required.

This job description is not to be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. It is intended as an outline indication of the areas of activity and may be amended from time to time in the light of the changing needs of the organisation through appropriate processes of consultation and the mutual agreement of both parties.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

QUALIFICATIONS

• A degree or similar-level qualification, or equivalent working experience

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Essential

· Experience influencing policy at a domestic or international level with Government, Parliament, and decision-makers.

· Experience of building effective relationships with senior stakeholders and representing the organisation in meetings and networking events.

· Experience managing stakeholder and political engagement programmes,

· Strong communication skills with the ability to write key messages and documents to a high level and tight timescale.

· Experience of research and policy development including developing policy recommendations.

· Experience of organising events.

· Experience of researching and undertaking consultation to develop policy papers.

Desirable

· An understanding of the national and international sport landscape.

· An understanding of the education sector.

· A knowledge of, and passion for, sport.

· An understanding of ParalympicsGB, its function and role and the environment in which it operates.

· Charity communications.

· General knowledge of disability sport and the disability sector.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES AND QUALITIES

Communication: Excellent communication skills with the ability to express message and impart information clearly, concisely, and convincingly to a wide variety of audiences and through a variety of mechanisms, including both verbal and written communication.

Creativity: The ability to understand a problem or issue, and the factors that influence it, and consider constructive inventive ways in which a solution can be found, and a positive work outcome achieved. The desire constantly to consider ways in which existing practices could be done better and more efficiently.

Organisational Skills: The ability to plan, organise and execute work programmes, working to tight deadlines and often in a reactive environment.

VALUES

ParalympicsGB is an organisation with a unique role and key responsibilities within the UK high performance system. Delivery of our ambitions very much relies on both working with, and through others, and by focussing on our two strategic priorities: taking the best prepared team to each summer and winter Games; and inspiring social change.

As an organisation we are committed to three values: excellence, respect, and integrity. Every ParalympicsGB employee is expected to adhere to: 

Excellence

Everything we do at ParalympicsGB reflects our ambition to be world leading. We care deeply about what we do and bring a flexible, positive, and progressive approach to our interactions with others. Like the athletes that we support, we will always challenge ourselves and others to do better. 

Respect

Our relationships with each other, our partners and the wider community are based on respect, trust, and a deep-seated belief in diversity, inclusion, and the value of our differences.

Integrity 

We demand the highest standards from ourselves and others, seeking always to do the right thing and to engage with openness and transparency in all that we do. 

The Talent Set is pleased to be partnering with a leading membership association to recruit an Interim Public Affairs Manager for a 13-month maternity cover contract.

This is an excellent opportunity to join an award-nominated public affairs team, playing a key role in shaping policy communications, stakeholder engagement, and leading impactful campaigns across the UK.

Key Responsibilities:

Government & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with MPs, government departments, special advisers, and other stakeholders.
• Promote the association’s work and sector influence at national and local government levels.
• Lead lobbying efforts on behalf of members, addressing both opportunities and policy threats.
• Represent the association at events including APPGs, conferences, workshops, and private meetings.
• Deliver flagship events such as the Annual Parliamentary Reception and party conference activities.
• Oversee the work of the external Public Affairs Consultancy.

Policy Communications & Campaigns

• Collaborate with policy colleagues to craft clear, consistent messaging across transport and related policy areas.
• Produce engaging materials including briefings, videos, podcasts, infographics, and consultation responses.
• Support internal reporting and updates to members via quarterly presentations and newsletters.
• Coordinate member-led Campaigns Working Group and contribute to a UK-wide campaign programme in Summer 2025.

About You:

• Proven public affairs experience, ideally within a political party, Civil Service, Parliament, consultancy, or membership body.
• Strong understanding of UK political and policy processes, with experience in sectors like transport, energy, or business.
• Confident in navigating complex issues and translating them into compelling narratives.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, with the ability to influence a range of audiences.
• Skilled in campaign planning, stakeholder mapping, and policy research.
• Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities independently.

What’s on Offer:

• Salary circa £50,000 per annum.
• 13-month maternity cover with a respected, purpose-driven organisation.
• Hybrid working model: two days per week in their Buckinghamshire office.
• A chance to lead high-impact political and policy activity during a pivotal campaign period.

Please note: This role requires availability from July until mid-October due to the timing of major political events and campaigns.

To be considered for this position please apply with your CV as soon as possible, regrettably please note we may not be able to reply to each and every application.

We are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practises that ensure equal opportunity for everyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age or gender. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and will happily make reasonable adjustments to always ensure a fair process.

Job details 

A full time Public Affairs Intern is required for the public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) for a set period of 6 months. 

ASH is a public health charity that works to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco. Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in the UK and accounts for half the difference in life expectancy between the richest and poorest in society. 

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A strong academic record and relevant university degree/equivalent work experience 

• An interest in health policy

• A good understanding of the UK politics

• Strong written and verbal communication skills 

• Strong administrative and IT skills with a good attention to detail

Please see the job description for further detail on the duties of the role and skills required. 

We welcome applications from postgraduate students. EU and non-EU nationals must have the right to work in UK for a period of 2 years minimum. ASH is unable to sponsor working visas. 

Closing Date: 23:30 Sunday 18th May  

Interview/Start Dates 

A written task will be sent to a shortlist of candidates to be completed in a set time limit at home in the week commencing 19th May.  
 
For candidates that are then selected for interview these will be held at our office in Vauxhall on Wednesday 28th May. If cost is a barrier to attending a London-based interview, please let us know and we can help with booking your travel. Please let us know if you require any additional support or reasonable adjustments for the application or interview. We really want our process to feel accessible. 

The selected candidate will start as soon as possible. 

At ASH we are committed to ensuring our staff are representative of the diverse world around us and therefore we encourage candidates with a range of lived and professional experiences to apply. We particularly welcome applications from people of colour, LGBTQ+ people and disabled people. We will use positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to appoint from these underrepresented groups if two candidates are equally qualified.

Application Details

Please submit your CV and a covering letter via Charity Jobs. 

The British Psychological Society is the membership and representative body for psychologists and the wider psychological professions.  We're a forward-facing voice that speaks up for psychology and psychologists.  Our work, and the work of our members, helps to influence and develop a psychological approach to policy-making that puts people first.

We now have a vacancy for a Senior Policy & Public Affairs Adviser to join our friendly Policy & Public Affairs team. This is a great opportunity to support the BPS’ advocacy and policy objectives, working across our member networks, political and government stakeholders to identify priorities, and influence policy positions where the BPS should have a strong and effective voice. 

This role is key to driving forward our engagement strategy.  Your responsibilities will include:

Monitoring activity across Westminster, Whitehall and other administrations as appropriate in relation to the BPS’s policy and engagement priorities 

• Driving policy development, building relationships with stakeholders, developing policy positions and producing briefing materials 
• Managing the consultation process and producing consultation responses in collaboration with our members and other colleagues 
• Representing the BPS on cross-sector policy groups and in external meetings with politicians and other senior stakeholders
• Building and maintaining relationships across the BPS membership, utilising member expertise and identifying opportunities for members to engage with stakeholders.

We are looking for someone with proven experience in a policy, public affairs or political capacity, who can demonstrate success in designing, leading and implementing engagement campaigns to achieve wider organisational goals.  It goes without saying that you should have a keen interest in the field of psychology and its impact upon society. Oral and written communication must be your strength, with the ability to influence, engage and build relationships with different audiences and stakeholders.

We offer a friendly, values led working culture with an excellent benefits package which includes:

• Agile & flexible working 
• Generous leave entitlement 
• Occupational pension scheme 
• Cycle to work scheme / free eye care vouchers / Winter flu vaccinations 
• Tailored learning & development 
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life Assurance Scheme 
• Discounts scheme with national organisations 

How to apply 

To apply, please send your CV and a covering letter detailing how you meet the criteria in the job profile by 09:00 on Monday 19th May 2025. Interviews will be held on-line w/c 2nd June. 

For further information about the role, including the full job description, please see full details on our website under jobs at the BPS.

The British Psychological Society is committed to a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of your background or circumstances. We are unable to sponsor people requiring a work visa and are therefore only able to accept applications that can demonstrate a right to work in the UK. 

If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion. 

Join us on this exciting journey and help shape the future of allergy care! As a Policy and Influencing Officer. You will work closely with internal and external partners to increase the charity's profile, influence key opinion leaders, and drive policy changes that improve the lives of those with allergies. Your responsibilities will include:

• Contributing to the planning and delivery of influencing, engagement, and campaigning activities.
• Monitoring and horizon-scanning the external policy and public affairs environment.
• Supporting the National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG) by providing secretariat services.
• Engaging with politicians, government departments, and external agencies to galvanise support for allergy-related initiatives.
• Drafting accessible communications on policy issues for various audiences.
• Representing Allergy UK at external meetings and events.
• Coordinating engagement with the allergic community and volunteers to ensure advocacy activities are informed by their priorities and experiences.

About Us:
Allergy UK is the leading national charity dedicated to supporting the millions of people in the UK living with allergic conditions. We are passionate about raising awareness, providing trusted advice, and advocating for better healthcare and support. As we embark on our 2025-2030 strategy, we are looking for a dynamic and dedicated Policy and Influencing Officer to join our team and help drive meaningful change.

What We Are Looking For:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar role with a proven track record of influencing public affairs and policy change.
• Strong understanding of local, regional, and national government policy-making processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage a varied workload.
• Passionate about making a difference for people living with allergies.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and annual leave entitlement.
• Pension contributions.
• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid working.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing resources.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.

JRF works to speed up and support the transition to a more equitable and just future, free from poverty, in which people and planet can flourish. We are a UK-wide foundation, with a focus on all four nations.

From 2025, we are embarking on an exciting new strategy aimed at securing bold, stretching policy goals across six key areas: housing, energy/climate, social security, communities & place, work and families & care.

We are looking for two talented, energetic and passionate campaigners to lead our influencing work in support of these goals, playing an instrumental role in JRF’s success.

About the role

Our Senior Campaigns and Public Affairs Managers play three important roles. Firstly, they collaborate closely with their equivalents in our policy and analytical teams to ensure that our major policy ideas are designed from the outset to attract the highest possible levels of public and political support.

Second, they are responsible for identifying the best fit influencing strategies and tactics (ranging from insider approaches to more overt campaigning) for securing tangible progress towards these policy objectives and developing powerful narratives to build support from key stakeholders.

Thirdly, they are responsible for securing (on an ongoing basis) the resources the strategies need, mobilising colleagues, partner organisations and external contractors to put them into effect, growing a powerful network of influential external supporters and ensuring that plans respond effectively to the ever-evolving external context.

About you

As our Senior Campaigns & Public Affairs Manager, we’d like you to have an in-depth understanding of the ways in which UK public policies are formed and reformed, of the challenges associated with delivering policy in the real world and of how civil society organisations like JRF can successfully influence policy change.

You will have an understanding of the structural nature of poverty and how policy may alleviate structural harms and substantial experience of working at progressively senior levels at the intersection of policy development, politics and strategic communications/ campaigns. 

You’ll have substantial experience of working in multidisciplinary teams using a range of insider and outsider tactics and compelling examples of developing and implementing influencing strategies that have demonstrably affected the climate of opinion around an issue and ideally, achieved concrete change.

With a proven track record of successfully building relationships with decision makers and influencing their thinking, you’ll have clear examples of writing effectively for a wide range of audiences and of commissioning, understanding and using public attitudinal insights to inform your influencing strategies and/or narrative development.

How to apply

If you share our passion and this role sounds like you, then we’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Please submit your CV and supporting information via our online application platform.

The closing date for applications is 29th May 2025.

Interviews will take place week commencing 16th June 2025.

Additional Information

Applications are welcome from all, regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status or socioeconomic background.

We positively encourage applications from people from marginalised backgrounds, including but not limited to those with experience of living in poverty.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and operate an anonymised recruitment process so that bias is eliminated from the shortlisting process.

In support of our approach to flexible working, we are happy to receive applications from those seeking full-time employment, as well as those who may want to share the role on a part-time basis. When making your application, please state whether you want to be considered for either full or part-time work and, if part-time, the number of hours per week you would be looking for.

At JRF we’re at our best when we’re continually building on trust, showing we care and making a difference – and hope others will do the same. So, for those roles which allow it, we’re developing a more blended approach to how and where you work. This means you can expect to work flexibly between the office and home (with an expectation of two days a week in your home office).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. This means that we are committed to the recruitment, progression and retention of disabled individuals. We shall also offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the job. If you have a disability, please tell us if you would like to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you have any additional needs and need reasonable adjustments to be made to the interview process, please let us know.