Policy and evidence manager jobs
How's your job search on our site?
The Communications Manager is a key role in the planning and delivering of high quality, integrated internal and external communications to increase awareness of and drive engagement with The Children’s Trust, as part of the Fundraising and Communications Directorate. Working alongside senior colleagues in marketing, media and digital, the role helps ensure our communications are well planned, effective, aligned and consistent, using insight and evaluation to demonstrate impact.
Consistency of Brand and Messaging, content and story gathering
- Build relationships with staff, volunteers and families, telling the stories of The Children’s Trust, to be delivered through a number of channels and who can, alongside celebrities, become ambassadors for the charity
- Drive consistent use of The Children’s Trust key messages across all communications channels
- Work alongside the Senior Marketing Manager to keep style guidelines updated and refreshed on a regular basis
- Work with the Senior Media and Communications Manager to ensure communications collateral is regularly updated, particularly where children and families feature, ensuring it is in line with the charity’s consent process
- Work with the creative team to ensure brand guidelines are refreshed and updated and that there are toolkits and templates available to wider staff
- Assist withthe creation and production of key reports e.g. Quality Report, Annual Report
External Communications
- Work with the Senior Media and Communications Manager to assist with The Children’s Trust press office function, including being part of an out-of-hours press office rota during key periods
- Support a programme of proactive public relations and communications campaigns across a range of media channels, driving awareness of the charity to target audiences
- Support the Head of Marketing and Communications with issues and reputation management
- Help to quickly develop appropriate strategies for responding to a wide range of issues and incidents, whilst liaising with other stakeholders to create and publish the required collateral
- Work with internal stakeholders to identify and create stories and content that supports internal and external marketing and communication activity
- Support the organisation’s approach to volunteer and alumni engagement
- Support the Digital Manager with creating content for and updating The Children’s Trust website and The Children's Trust school website
- Oversee the consent process for work with families ensuring that images and information on the children and young people we support is in line with The Children’s Trust policies and procedures.
Internal Communications
- Be part of a core team to plan and implement an internal communications programme across the charity
- Ensure messages and information is developed and shared appropriately across the organisation
- Monitor key issues and provide guidance and counsel on staff engagement and communications, external communications content in support of agreed projects and objectives
- Work with the Senior Media and Communications Manager and Head of Marketing and Communications to draft internal communications across the charity’s internal communications channels
- Work with wider directorate to evaluate success of existing internal communications and develop new ideas
- Oversee content planning and updating and supporting colleagues to manage their areas on our staff intranet The Loop
Marketing and Communications Management
- Work with fellow managers in the team (currently Senior Media and Communications Manager, Senior Marketing Manager and Digital Manager) to lead the development and implementation of marketing and communications strategies to support the delivery of The Children’s Trust’s strategic objectives
- Conduct monitoring and evaluation to demonstrate the impact of the team’s work
- Provide strong project management for communications projects and campaigns, ensuring work is delivered efficiently, collaboratively and to a consistently high standard
- Develop strong relationships, internally and externally, and role model this to wider members of the department and directorate
Fundraising Communications / Income Generation Communications
- Work with fundraising and retail colleagues within the directorate to plan, execute and evaluate communications campaigns which supports income generation, in line with the fundraising objectives of the charity
- Support the Digital Manager with creation and distribution of marketing emails and creation of reports
- Business Development – working with the team to support campaigns which support the business development objectives of the charity, to promote support the department with its stakeholder engagement to professionals and parents.
Interview date: w/c Monday 1st June 2026
Staff benefits include free staff parking, and more… read more below
About Us
The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with acquired brain injury, providing expert rehabilitation, education, therapy, and care at our national specialist centre in Tadworth, and to children and their families across the UK, via our Brain Injury Community Service.
Boasting a beautiful 24-acre site in Surrey, we are located just outside of London, close to the M25 (accessible via Junction 8, A217 to Tadworth) and easily accessible via National Rail, by way of: Clapham Junction, Sutton, and Epsom.
Staff Benefits
The work we do is highly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuable range of benefits on our staff flexible benefits platform, on-site nursery, free eye tests, enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay, time out days for those experiencing menopause symptoms and time off for gender reassignment.
We also offer additional annual leave days for those with long service, with entitlements ranging from 35 to 41 days (including bank holidays) depending on your length of service.
Other benefits include free on-site parking; a staff shuttle service from Epsom and Sutton train stations to Tadworth Court, subsidised cafeteria, on-site staff accommodation (subject to availability), the ability to retain your NHS pension (where applicable), Teacher’s pension (where applicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme, and the opportunity to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.
Rehabilitation of Offenders
Many roles at The Children’s Trust are exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020) and as such, are subject to an Enhanced DBS check. Successful applicants will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which will disclose all unspent convictions and adult cautions and any spent convictions or adult cautions that would not be protected. The exceptions to this are our retail roles within The Children’s Trust shops, which are subject to Basic DBS checks which will disclose unspent convictions or adult cautions.
Equal Opportunity Employer
To help us achieve our ambition to give children and young people with brain injury and neurodisability the opportunity to live the best life possible, we want to accurately reflect the UK’s diverse population. We want equity, diversity, and inclusion to be at the heart of everything we do, and our people, services, and culture to reflect the diverse needs of all. Through our diversity and inclusion strategy, we have made a commitment to increase the diversity of our charity and create an inclusive culture. We have networks across the organisation working to ensure that these aims are met - including an LGBTQIA2S+ group, Ethnic Diversity Group, and Spark – our broad EDI group. Read more about our EDI work here. We welcome applications from all who share our ambition regardless of background. We will strive to ensure that any reasonable adjustments are made in respect of interview and working arrangements.
Online Searches
In accordance with statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance, online searches will be conducted for shortlisted candidates before interview. The online searches will be conducted by a person who is independent of the interview and selection process and will focus on relevant information returned via searches of the candidate’s name (and variations thereof). Social media searches will be limited to professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Any concerns relating to suitability for work with children and young people will be forwarded to the interview panel, for discussion during the interview.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Senior Evidence & Evaluation Manager will sit within the Impact & Evidence directorate at the heart of Youth Futures Foundation.
Working with three Heads of Evaluation, the Deputy Director and the Director, you will help ensure our evaluations are designed to generate credible evidence of what works.
You will:
-
lead the design, commissioning and management of impact evaluations, including RCTs and QEDs. This will include feasibility or developmental work where interventions are not yet ready for full impact evaluation.
-
work closely with independent evaluators and delivery partners and colleagues in our Programmes & Grants and Policy & Communications directorates to assess the evaluability of interventions, and lead the design and delivery of large-scale, complex impact evaluations.
-
contribute to strengthening our ‘evaluation architecture’, leading projects that enhance data infrastructure and access to administrative datasets, and set standards for methodological rigour in the sector.
In addition, you will lead other aspects of the team’s commissioning. This may include developing policies and processes, supporting the Heads of Evaluation to strengthen commissioning practice.
This role can be based at our Birmingham, Leeds or London hub. We currently operate a hybrid model of two-days per week in the office and three-days from home.
For more information on this role, please download our job recruitment pack.
Due to receiving high volumes of interest in our opportunities, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it as soon as possible.
We are the national What Works Centre for youth employment, with a specific focus on marginalised young people.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good.
We work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse. We want what you would want for your best friend. We listen to survivors, putting their voices at the heart of our thinking. We look at the whole picture for each individual and family to get the right help at the right time to make families everywhere safe and well. And we challenge perpetrators to change, asking ‘why doesn’t he stop?’ rather than ‘why doesn’t she leave?’ This applies whatever the gender of the victim or perpetrator and whatever the nature of their relationship.
Last year alone, nearly 13,500 professionals received our training. Over 70,000 adults at risk of serious harm or murder and more than 85,000 children received support through dedicated multi-agency support designed by us and delivered with partners. In the last four years, over 2,000 perpetrators have been challenged and supported to change by interventions we created with partners, and that’s just the start.
Together we can end domestic abuse. Forever. For everyone.
This is a broad and varied role across Policy, Public Affairs and Communications, with a specific focus on the Drive Project:
The Drive Project is the Drive Partnership’s flagship intervention for high-risk, high-harm and serial perpetrators of domestic abuse. The core mission of the Drive Project is to stop the cycle of domestic abuse and increase the immediate and long-term safety of adult and child victim-survivors. The Drive Project does this by partnering with agencies and local perpetrator services to disrupt, challenge, and change the behaviour of high-risk, high-harm and serial perpetrators, and working closely with IDVAs and victim-survivor services to always centre the safety and needs of victim-survivors, in line with the Respect Standard.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Communications
- Support the Drive Partnership’s communications and stakeholder engagement regarding the Drive Project.
- Lead central support on communications for Drive Project partners and build strong working relationships across network, ensuring both policy and communications expertise and input flows both ways.
- Work closely with internal and external partner colleagues to support the safe and effective roll-out of the Drive Project across England and Wales.
- Support the delivery of the Drive Partnership’s communications plan, including website content, social media, newsletters, and events.
- Develop and maintain communications and branding guidelines and support the Drive Partnership team and network of partners to use correctly.
- Support the Policy, Public Affairs and Communications Manager in developing media relations, including media enquiries, drafting press releases and responses.
- Ensure the website is fit for purpose and up to date with relevant information and news.
- Ensure victim-survivor voice guides our communications thinking and output - engaging in a compassionate, considerate and effective way with victim-survivors through Pioneer interaction, colleagues and any other interaction we have in our daily work.
- Ensure service user (perpetrator) input is collated and utilised in a responsible and safe way – always centring victim-survivors and considering their safety within this work.
- Project and promote our values – through considered language, inclusivity and equality in Drive Partnership communications.
Policy and Public Affairs
- Support the Policy, Public Affairs and Communications Manager to develop and promote policy positions, drawing on the expertise of the partnership.
- Lead and coordinate policy input into the Government’s strategic approach to perpetrators, particularly through influencing on the Drive Partnership’s key recommendations within its Call for Further Action.
- Identify and act on policy opportunities to promote best practice in perpetrator interventions – including both risk management and behaviour change, such as select committee enquiries, consultations, Bills, news developments.
- Build relationships with politicians, voluntary sector, civil servants and professional bodies, deputising for the Policy, Public Affairs and Communications Manager in key meetings where required.
- Support the coordination of sector and stakeholder forums to enhance collaboration towards a more strategic approach to perpetrators of domestic abuse.
Internal
- Play a role in the development of the team, nurturing and drawing on the talents of others.
- Maintain an accurate and secure audit trail of all relevant communication and ensure that all work is compliant with data protection law.
- Engage in a compassionate, considerate and effective way with all victim-survivors through Pioneer interaction, colleagues and any other interaction we have in our daily work.
- Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required.
Person Specification
Experience
Experience of communications planning and delivery:
- Digital communication and website management (E)
- Using data and evidence in communications (E)
- Experience in reactive and crisis communications (D)
- Experience of working with the media and journalists (D)
- Experience of developing a communications plan (D)
- Creative and innovative approach to presenting information across different formats and channels, for a range of audiences (D)
Experience of working with a range of internal and external stakeholders to influence policy:
- Experience of working in coalitions or partnerships (E)
- Experience of building and maintaining good relationships with a range of stakeholders (E)
- Experience working with policymakers/parliamentarians to influence policy (D)
- Experience of working with people with lived experience of the issue at hand (D)
Skills
- Creativity and fluency
- Organisational skills
Competencies
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Communication and relationship management
- Delivering quality
- Goal orientation
- Influence
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
About the role:
Porchlight is dedicated to supporting people facing homelessness, poor mental health, and poverty. Our donors are at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking for a strategic and visionary Supporter Development Manager to lead our individual giving and legacy programmes at a pivotal moment for the charity.
While you will be based at our Canterbury office (with a required attendance of every Tuesday to collaborate with the team), you will also benefit from our hybrid working policy.
You will lead on understanding our audiences and developing compelling donor journeys that build long-term, sustainable relationships. You will provide essential leadership, overseeing the individual giving budget and KPIs while line-managing the Senior Individual Giving Officer and Data Co-ordinator to ensure the highest standards of donor care. You will also play a vital role in planning and delivering bold, multi-channel campaigns that generate essential income, grow our donor base and bring our cause to life.
Working closely with the wider Fundraising and Communications teams, you will act as a spokesperson for our mission, turning data-driven insights into impactful action. Whether you are designing a new fundraising product, overseeing campaign performance reports, or ensuring our database management meets the highest regulatory standards, your work will directly empower our supporters to help us change lives.
The role requires:
- Managerial and Fundraising Expertise: You have a minimum of three years’ experience in a project management or direct line-management role, with a proven track record of meeting financial targets and KPIs.
- Administrative and Analytical Excellence: You are confident using digital tools (Word, Excel, Outlook) and CRM systems like Raiser’s Edge to manage complex data, track campaign activity, and ensure compliance with GDPR and Gift Aid regulations.
- Strategically-Minded and Creative: You have a strong understanding of donor journeys, digital marketing channels, and how to create products and messages that inspire long-term loyalty.
- Organised and Adaptable: You excel at managing multiple projects simultaneously and are willing to work flexibly, including occasional unsocial hours, to support fundraising initiatives and events.
- Impact Reporting: Using the Raiser’s Edge database to track progress against KPIs, manage donor data hygiene, and ensure every supporter is thanked personally.
Role details:
Working pattern: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday with some flexibility required.
Location type: On-site / hybrid working.
Contract type: Permanent, 37.5 hours per week
Interview date: 8th June 2026
A safe home, better life and fairer future for everyone.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Policy and Public Affairs Manager (England)
Reporting to: Head of Policy and Public Affairs
Line Management: 1 Policy and Public Affairs Officer England
Location of work: Remote but role holder will ideally be London-based to be able to frequently commute for meetings/ events at Westminster. The role may involve also some infrequent travel across the UK.
Contract type: Full-time, 35 hours per week, although flexible/ compressed hours will be considered. The role will require occasional evening and weekend work.
Contract Length: Permanent
Salary: £42,000
BACKGROUND
Magic Breakfast is the UK’s leading school breakfast charity and makes a difference to over 350,000 children and young people every day by offering breakfasts and expert advice to tackle child morning hunger in schools across England and Scotland.
This is an exciting time for Magic Breakfast as the benefits of school breakfast provision are increasingly recognised by policymakers, educators and the public. The Policy and Public Affairs (PPA) Team is central to this work. And through our new organisational strategy, Nourishing Futures, the work of the PPA Team is growing to meet our advocacy ambition to expand school breakfast provision and deliver our vision which would see every child in the UK nourished, empowered and thriving.
JOB PURPOSE
The role of the Policy and Public Affairs Manager is a high-impact role, central to designing and delivering Magic Breakfast’s national policy and public affairs strategy in England. The role holder will lead the development of evidence-based policy positions and work collaboratively to drive forward strategic, integrated and impactful advocacy campaigns to successfully influence decision-makers, policy change, and funding frameworks aligned with our key objectives. Specifically, you will also lead the design and implementation of our new workstream to expand school breakfast provision to secondary schools and early years settings, alongside our work to ensure the effective implementation of the Free Breakfast Club Programme.
More broadly, you will keep abreast of political developments relevant to Magic Breakfast - proactively identifying opportunities to respond, influence and shape the debate across the school food system and provide strategic, analytical and timely advice to the Senior Leadership Team.
Using your excellent communication skills, you will be able to translate complex policy into tailored and effective communications, policy briefings, positions and submissions, and will play a lead role in confidently engaging external stakeholders including UK Government Ministers, Parliamentarians, special advisers, officials and sector partners.
We are looking for someone who enjoys collaboration, who shares our passion for driving systematic change, and who can use their experience to navigate, respond to, and influence the fast-moving political environment to deliver lasting and meaningful change. You’ll be part of a collaborative and ambitious organisation, working at the intersection of policy, practice and impact – putting children and young people at the heart of everything we do and helping to ensure every child starts their day nourished, empowered and ready to thrive.
KEY RESPONSOBILITIES
- Lead the policy development process in consultation with cross-organisational teams and external organisations to develop clear, evidence-based policy recommendations and positions.
-
Build and maintain strong relationships with UK Government Ministers, Parliamentarians, Special Advisers, officials and sector organisations, including conducting stakeholder mapping and power analysis to identify key routes to influence.
-
Design, lead and implement integrated advocacy campaigns to deliver maximum impact in collaboration with cross-organisational teams.
-
Work closely with colleagues to share expertise and intelligence, inform and shape research areas, support campaign activities aligned with advocacy objectives, and respond proactively to live developments across the organisation.
-
Line manage and support the development of the Public Affairs Officer.
-
Strong ability to translate complex policy into clear, persuasive communications tailored to specific audiences to deliver maximum impact.
Please read the full job description attached below.
WHAT WE OFFER
At Magic Breakfast we value our employees and work hard to develop offer a supportive, respectful culture which enables everyone to thrive.
Please see our job pack below
Please see our website
APPLICATION PROCCESS
Should you wish to discuss the role before applying please email our People and Culture Team, HR @ magicbreakfast .com
Shortlisting: w/c 25th and 26th May
Interview 1: w/c 1st and 2nd June
Interview 2: w/c 8th and 11th June
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately, once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
For over 60 years the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) has been building a better childhood for all.
Research and Policy Manager
Contract: Fixed-term, 24-months
Work Pattern: Full Time, 35 hours per week (1.0 FTE) (We are open to flexible hours and working patterns, including accommodating part-time and compressed hours (0.8 FTE) where possible).
Salary: £40,855 per annum
Location: Northern Ireland. (NCB promotes a hybrid, flexible way of working with 2 days working in the Belfast BT15 office).
The Vacancy
We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Research and Policy Manager to make a significant contribution to the design, delivery and management of research and evidence projects at NCB, and to ensure that this evidence is used to influence national policy development and decision making.
The postholder will work across a range of projects, bring research and policy development and influencing together on topics including social care and the transition to adulthood; education; mental health & wellbeing; child poverty; youth violence and early years.
About NCB
For more than 60 years, the National Children’s Bureau has championed the rights and amplified the voice of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence, blending in lived and learnt experience to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families.
Bringing people and organisations together is fundamental to how we improve the systems that babies, children, young people and their families rely on to thrive. We push boundaries, even looking beyond childhood itself to consider transitions into adulthood and the impact of childhood issues on an entire lifespan. We are united for better childhoods and brighter futures.
The Benefits
- 30 Days Annual Leave
- Generous Pension Scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Flexible Working
- Winter Holiday Closure & Break
- Employee Assistance Programme
Closing date: 08:00am, Wednesday 10th June 2026.
Assessment and interviews to be conducted on 23rd and 24th June 2026.
Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
We are actively seeking to broaden the diversity of our staff group and warmly welcome applications from candidates underrepresented in the charity sector, including those from Black and Global Majority communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with lived experience of the issues NCB works on.
No agencies please.
About us
We’re Breast Cancer Now, the research and support charity. We’re the place to turn to for anything and everything to do with breast cancer. However you’re experiencing breast cancer, we’re here.
The brightest minds in breast cancer research are here. Making life-saving research happen in labs across the UK and Ireland. Support services, trustworthy breast cancer information and specialist nurses are here. Ready to support you whenever you need it. Dedicated campaigners are here. Fighting for the best possible treatment, services and care for anyone affected by breast cancer.
About the role
This is an exciting opportunity to work within our policy, evidence and influencing team to deliver change for people with breast cancer in Wales.
You’ll play a key role leading the development and delivery of our policy and public affairs work in Wales. You’ll develop evidence-based policy positions, and design and deliver influencing plans in line with our new strategy. Over the coming year this will include our engagement following the Senedd election and with the new Welsh Government. You’ll also support the roll out of campaigning activity in Wales and act as a key spokesperson for the charity in Wales, representing us in the media as well as with campaigners and senior stakeholders.
About you
You’ll have experience of working in relevant policy or public affairs roles developing policy positions and materials, and a proven ability to build strong external contacts.
Along with strong analytical and communication skills, you’ll have the ability to work well independently while managing a varied workload, and the capability to lead projects and work with teams across the UK.
You’ll have a good understanding of the current health policy landscape in Wales or the UK as well as knowledge of Welsh or UK parliamentary processes and legislative systems.
Job description and benefits
Please download the job description and our attractive benefits package.
Location and hybrid working
This role is primarily based in our Cardiff office. Our hybrid working model allows you to work up to 3 days per week at home.
When applying
We hope you choose to apply for this role. To support your application, you’ll be asked to submit your anonymised CV and a supporting statement online. Please refer to the essential criteria on the person specification and clearly provide as much information as you can with examples, to demonstrate how and where you meet the criteria.
Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
We’re committed to promoting equity, valuing diversity and creating an inclusive environment – for everyone who works for us, works with us, supports us and who we support.
Closing date: Tuesday 26 May 2026 at 09.00am
Interview date: Thursday 4 and Friday 5 June 2026
We reserve the right to close this advert early. Therefore, to avoid disappointment please submit your application as soon as possible, if you’re interested in this opportunity.
Caritas Social Action Network
Policy and Public Affairs Officer (maternity leave)
Location: office in London, with mostly working from home, regular travel in England and Wales, and rare travel overseas.
Contract: full-time, to cover a team member’s maternity leave
Salary: £30,00
Closing date: Tuesday 26 May at 12 noon
Interview date: Thursday 11 June in person, in London
CSAN is the official agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice affecting people who live in England and Wales. We’re facing a steep rise in poverty and significant pressures on social, economic and church resources. Currently, the Church is called to raise a prophetic voice against poverty and the rhetoric of division and work for the building of a more just society.
Over the last 20 years, CSAN has built up a network of 50 diocesan and direct service charities with a combined annual spend on social mission estimated at £400m, excluding the work of schools and religious congregations. Our members build up local community life in diverse ways, and many of them support individuals in difficulty, including with housing, prison and detention, social isolation, ill-health, violence, disability, employment, care, therapeutic and welfare support.
The key responsibilities of the post are:
1. To scan the social policy environment to capture developments in legislation, consultation papers and Bills relevant to the Caritas network for the purpose of comprehensive tracking and briefing.
2. To deliver an effective programme of Catholic advocacy and political campaigns that contributes to the common good, with particular attention to the priorities of the dignity of workers, child poverty, social care and end of life; supporting and connecting well with the team’s other activities, and where possible with the CSAN membership’s priorities,
3. To draft campaign and advocacy materials for the range of media channels used by CSAN and support the CEO in engaging with the press and approaches from campaigning organisations including contributing to CSAN’s social media networks.
4. To provide admin support and contribute to CSAN’s Alliances as required, especially the Advocacy Alliance and the Criminal Justice Alliance with information and education on policy and legislation.
5. To ensure that our advocacy is consistent with the Bishops’ understanding of the Church’s role in society and supports the priorities of the Bishops’ Conference, especially the Department for Social Justice.
6. To act as a conduit of information and communication between the Bishops’ Conference and the CSAN members, under the guidance of the CEO, assisting CBCEW where possible in gathering information and the lived experience of poverty.
7. To develop and contribute to practice materials for the network, especially in the areas of campaigning, advocacy, social policy and formation for mission.
8. To oversee monitoring of the Catholic press and relevant wider networks for relevant articles, developments and campaigns.
9. To support the general work of CSAN as required by the CEO, including leading in the development and organisation of the charity in specific areas subject to skills and experience.
The work of the small national team requires a high level of integrity and teamwork, respect for and capacity to navigate complex civil and church contexts at pace, and a stable commitment to personal formation and training. Our Policy and Public Affairs Officer (maternity leave) will bring a professional track record of relevant research and analysis, production of compelling communications, and diligent administration. A satisfactory basic DBS check and references are required.
CSAN is a member of Caritas Internationalis, one of the largest humanitarian networks in the world, with national agencies in over 160 countries, and among the most successful examples of organised Catholic social action in modern times.
Salary: £48,000 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: UK (minimum 2 days per week in the London office)
Work Pattern: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week with the opportunity for flexible working hours
Reporting To : Associate Director Advocacy & Campaigns
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit an anonymised CV and covering letter (please remove any identifying details such as name, address, or photos) by 23:00 on Monday 25 May via Workable.
In your covering letter, please demonstrate your motivations for applying for the role, how the position aligns with your career plans, and the experience (professional, voluntary, or lived) that makes you a strong fit for the role in line with our values and the criteria outlined in the job description.
We encourage candidates to ensure their responses reflect their own skills, experiences, and personal voice. If AI tools are used, candidates will be asked to explain how and why they used them. Please see our Using AI - Guidance for Job Applicants for further assistance.
INTERVIEW STAGES
The selection process will consist of three stages (dates will be confirmed with shortlisted candidates):
- First-round interview w/c 1 June 2026
- Second-round interview w/c 15 June 2026
Candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation (10 minutes maximum) on a policy and campaigning topic. Candidates should allocate no more than 3 hours to prepare this task.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Mission 44 exists to drive change and build a fairer, more inclusive future for young people around the world. As our work continues to expand, so does our ambition to influence policy, shift power, and drive systemic change by addressing the barriers young people face and advancing evidence-based solutions.
The Senior Manager, Policy & Campaigns will be central to this mission, leading the development of policy positions and research that strengthens Mission 44’s ability to influence decision-makers and shape public discourse.
Mission 44’s impact model brings together strategic investment (through grantmaking) and targeted influence to drive systemic change. The Senior Manager will work closely with grantmaking teams to ensure that insight from funded work is embedded in policy and research, while also feeding learning and evidence back into funding strategies to strengthen decision-making and maximise impact.
The role will lead and manage Mission 44’s policy and research agenda, acting as a key point of contact for partners and building trusted relationships across government, the education and youth sectors, and civil society. The role will lead the development of policy recommendations, commission and translate research into clear, actionable outputs, and collaborate with internal teams and partners to align policy priorities with wider organisational objectives and maximise influence.
The role also plays a critical role in advocacy and external engagement, ensuring Mission 44’s voice is present in key policy moments, supporting strategic campaigns, and connecting research and insight to high-impact opportunities that drive political attention and sustained change at a national and global level.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
POLICY
- Lead the development and delivery of Mission 44’s policy strategy, aligned to organisational priorities and focused on driving systemic change for young people
- Develop clear, evidence-based policy positions and recommendations that influence government, civil society, the education sector and key decision-makers
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with policymakers, advisors, think tanks, academics, and sector leaders to strengthen Mission 44’s influence
- Identify and shape opportunities to influence policy agendas, consultations and legislative processes at national and global levels
- Work cross-functionally to align policy priorities with external engagement and advocacy activity
- Monitor and analyse political and policy developments across relevant landscapes, leading on timely evidence-led responses and providing strategic insight and recommendations
- Track and evaluate the impact of policy and advocacy activity, using insights to refine strategy and approach
- Account manage Mission 44’s external policy and research partners and consultants, ensuring high-quality delivery and value for money
CAMPAIGNS
- Support the design and delivery of integrated advocacy campaigns that connect policy, research and storytelling to drive political attention and action
- Work closely with partners and young people to co-create campaigns, ensuring their voices and experiences shape campaign priorities, policy recommendations and delivery approaches
- Work cross-functionally with communications and partnerships teams to maximise influence
- Identify and leverage key moments, partnerships and platforms to elevate Mission 44’s voice and policy agenda
- Contribute to campaign messaging and narratives that translate policy positions into compelling calls to action for target audiences
RESEARCH
- Commission and oversee high-quality research, ensuring outputs are rigorous, relevant, and actionable
- Translate complex research and data into compelling policy briefs, reports, and insight-driven narratives to support advocacy and influence
- Ensure all policy and research outputs are accessible, inclusive and reflect the lived experiences of young people
ABOUT YOU: SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL
- Strong experience in policy development with a track record of influencing decision-makers
- Experience shaping or contributing to successful community-led movements, advocacy campaigns or policy change initiatives
- Deep understanding of political and policy-making processes, ideally in education, employment, social justice, or youth-focused areas
- Experience in participatory and youth-centred research approaches, including co-creation with young people and gathering insight through polling, perception studies and stakeholder engagement - alongside more traditional research methods
- Ability to translate complex research and evidence into clear, persuasive policy recommendations and narratives
- Proven experience building and managing senior stakeholder relationships across government, civil society, education, employment and/or youth sectors
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including producing high-quality briefings, reports and consultation responses
- Experience leading projects and managing external partners
- Strategic thinking skills, with the ability to identify and act on opportunities to influence policy agendas
DESIRABLE
- Experience working in or with government, think tanks, charities or advocacy organisations
- Experience in working with young people to create campaigns or advocacy initiatives
- Knowledge of UK and/or international policy landscapes relevant to Mission 44’s focus areas
- Familiarity with youth engagement approaches and/or incorporating lived experience into policy development
- Experience working with high-profile stakeholders
- Understanding of media and communications as a tool for policy influence
PERSONAL QUALITIES
- Passionate about creating a fairer, more inclusive future for young people around the world
- Highly motivated, proactive, and able to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment
- Strong relationship builder
- Collaborative mindset, with the ability to work cross-functionally and bring others with you
- Confident and persuasive, with the ability to engage and influence senior audiences
- Analytical and curious, with a strong attention to detail
- Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to manage competing priorities and ambiguity
- Works flexibly and proactively without close supervision
Benefits
- Enjoy 28 days annual leave, plus a day for your birthday
- Use our cycle-to-work scheme and free gym access
- Save for retirement with our generous pension package
- We finish every Friday at noon in August
- Optional health insurance and acccess to an EAP
- Professional development budget of £1k
- Unlimited volunteering leave, as agreed with your manager
- Wellbeing allowance to spend in whatever way works for you
- Competitive parental leave package
Mission 44 is a charity launched by Lewis Hamilton to drive change so that every young person can thrive in school and access great careers in STEM.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
The Senior Fundraising Manager is responsible for delivering Brightside’s fundraising activity with a core focus on grants from trusts and foundations, and major donors. Reporting to and working closely with the CEO, the postholder will forge new relationships with major donors and manage our grant applications to support Brightside to achieve its fundraising targets. The postholder will deliver high quality stewardship across our major donor relationships and act as the key point of contact for all grant activity, working closely with the delivery teams to support funder relationship management and reporting.
The postholder will work closely with colleagues across the organisation to develop clear cases for support for potential funding projects, as well as managing our approach to individual giving and increasing regular donations. The role will involve working closely with the CEO and the trustees, who will provide warm introductions to their networks of potential major donors and support in their stewardship.
Please review the job description attachment at the end of the advert for full roles and responsibilities, application instructions, the essential criteria and further information on salary and benefits.
Responsible for:
Trusts and foundations:
- Identify and research trusts and foundations that would support our organisational priorities and funding needs
- Develop high quality, compelling grant applications and cases for support
- Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of funding opportunities
- Lead funder relationship management and deliver high-quality stewardship
- Lead on grant reporting, including monitoring, accountability and opportunities for reapplication
- Working closely with technology and delivery teams to build evidence-based cases for support for key projects
- Ensure clear and effective handover of successful grants to delivery teams, including reporting requirements and timelines
- Attending external events and meetings to support our fundraising strategy and learning
Major donors:
- Identify and research potential major donors whose interests and capacity align with our mission
- Cultivate new donor relationships through targeted outreach, contact mapping, networking and events
- Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of potential major donors
- Develop tailored engagement and stewardship plans approaches for each donor
- Create meaningful opportunities for donors to share insight, experience or sector knowledge and ensure this expertise is valued and acknowledged
- Lead major gift conversations and negotiations, including face-to-face meetings
- Provide high quality, personalised stewardship to major donors
- Identify opportunities to grow or repeat giving through deeper donor engagement
- Deliver exceptional stewardship to major donors
Individual giving
- Maintaining regular contact with donors and potential donors (including our volunteers and alumni) to generate donations
- Maintaining and monitoring our individual giving platforms
- Ensure all donations and supporter interactions are accurately recorded and that donors receive timely acknowledgements
Application instructions
- Submit your CV and one-page cover letter via CharityJob
- Your cover letter should be no more than 1-2 pages and must explain how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with a focus on the items tested in application and clear examples (see job description for the essential criteria)
- You must answer the screening question on the application page
- Applications without a cover letter or screening question will not be considered
- Applications due: 23:30 Wednesday 27 May
- First round interviews (online): 4/5 June 2026
- Final interviews (online or in person) 10/11 June 2026
Our mission is to help young people make confident and informed decisions about their future

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Be part of something extraordinary at Epilepsy Society. We are seeking a values driven Policy & Public Affairs Manager to join a charity that provides world leading support for people with epilepsy through Care, Research and Advocacy.
About the role
Epilepsy Society is a dynamic charity with ambitious plans to revolutionise the lives of people through advocacy, research and care.
We are looking for someone to join our award-winning campaigns team and help us to progress change through political engagement at both national and local level. We have an impressive track record of working with government, locally elected politicians, professional organisations, patient stakeholder groups and other charities in the sector on a range of issues which affect people with epilepsy.
Our recent work includes our successful Zach’s Law campaign. This role is an exciting opportunity to help bring about further change that will make a real difference to the lives of people with epilepsy.
The postholder will develop an effective programme of policy and public affairs work across the UK to have maximum impact for people with epilepsy and to raise the public profile of epilepsy.
We seek someone with a degree or relevant experience in political or public affairs, extensive experience of influencing, organising campaigns and major events and negotiating at a senior level. You will be required to have a detailed level of understanding of government politics and the charity sector and an empathy to the cause.
Please download the recruitment pack attached to view the full job description and essential criteria.
The post holders should demonstrate our people values of CAIRO (Caring, Accountable, Improving, Respectful and Open.
Some information about us
The Epilepsy Society’s Vision is a full life for everyone affected by epilepsy. We want everyone affected by epilepsy to have the best opportunity for a full life - as free from seizures as possible. We set out to make a difference to every person affected by epilepsy whatever their background, however seriously it impacts on their life, and whether they have the condition themselves or are close to someone with epilepsy.
What we can offer
• 27 days annual leave + bank holidays, with the ability to buy and sell annual leave
• A generous Employee Referral Scheme (refer a friend and earn up to £150)
• Length of service awards
• Access to shopping discounts and cashback with thousands of retailers through Purple Rewards
• Staff recognition scheme
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Group Pension
• Life Assurance (2x your annual salary)
• Confidential, supportive Employee Assistance Programme, accessible 24/7
• Salary Finance, offering you products linked to your salary and tailored to your individual circumstances. Providing services such as loans, advances, savings and financial education
If you have the right skills and experience and are inspired to apply, please do so by uploading your CV and covering letter explaining how you meet the specifications of this role.
A DBS (Disclosure & Barring) check will be required before appointment is confirmed.
We reserve the right to close the post early once we have received a sufficient number of applicants: please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Martingale Postgraduate Foundation (Martingale) exists to fund and support the next generation of talented researchers. We believe that family income should not be a barrier to the pursuit of excellence, and our mission is to enable and nurture talented individuals from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to thrive within world-leading postgraduate research.
Martingale’s flagship programme is the Martingale Postgraduate Scholarship, which supports students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue and excel in postgraduate degrees, by providing:
- A fully-funded Living Wage Scholarship to pursue a one-year Masters degree or a four-year PhD.
- All tuition fees and research expenses, including a tax-free stipend for living costs.
- Tailored support to apply for Martingale courses at our partner universities.
- Access to Martingale programmes, including leadership training and connections with top academic and industry professionals.
- Membership of a pioneering community of talented researchers.
In the three years since Martingale launched, we have supported over 100 Scholars to undertake postgraduate degrees across our ten partner universities and have committed over £7.7m in Scholarships. We are continuing to expand our offer, bringing on new partners each year.
As Operations Manager, you would ensure the smooth running of day-to-day operations and to lead special projects that tackle big organisational questions. Working closely with the Director of Operations, you will support the development and improvement of Martingale’s systems and processes. You will also have the opportunity to lead standalone projects that require structured problem-solving and strong judgement including preparing Martingale for spin out. You will bring clarity and traction across multiple workstreams, working closely with senior colleagues and external partners.
We are looking for a strategic thinker with a proactive approach to their work, who can identify and help resolve issues, and recognise opportunities. You will bring excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail, a proactive mindset, and a strong alignment with Martingale’s mission. We welcome applicants from a range of career paths who are excited to be part of a growing, fast-paced charity delivering meaningful impact.
Martingale Foundation is incubated by Purposeful Ventures who provide operational and strategic support. The Operations Manager will be employed by Purposeful Ventures.
About Purposeful Ventures
Purposeful Ventures partners with social entrepreneurs and philanthropists to improve the education and well-being of young people from their earliest years.
We define and diagnose the issues affecting children and young people, analyse evidence and explore the most promising solutions. We then select, accelerate and, where we find a gap, incubate organisations which tackle those issues. We offer more than just funding to our charitable organisations. Our expertise, operational experience and networks enable us to deliver tailored, hands-on support with a relentless commitment to system change.
We are working with a wide range of organisations across the following portfolio areas to build and strengthen outstanding organisations that deliver systemic impact.
Key Responsibilities:
Special Projects
A significant and distinctive part of this role involves leading standalone analytical and operational projects that tackle substantive, open-ended questions. These will vary over time and will require intellectual curiosity, the ability to work with ambiguity, and the capacity to produce clear, high-quality outputs such as reports or proposals. Current and anticipated examples include:
- Designing a model for calculating discounts or adjusted contribution rates for funders committing significant multi-year funding, balancing financial sustainability with funder relationship management.
- Preparing for spin-out: contributing to Martingale’s readiness for independence from Purposeful Ventures by scoping and delivering specific workstreams across governance, operations, finance, legal, and data.
- Leading other ad-hoc analytical or operational projects as they arise, including research into sector practice, policy analysis, or internal process design.
Operational infrastructure and continuous improvement
Liaise with colleagues across the organisation to understand business needs and issues, and develop and implement appropriate solutions to drive efficiency and impact, including:
- Strengthening systems and processes: leading a structured review of Martingale’s operational infrastructure – including CRM, finance systems, HR processes, and information management – and implementing improvements that will support a larger, more complex organisation.
- Identify and codify operational processes and ways of working and proactively propose improvements where relevant, including ensuring that individual roles and responsibilities are clear.
- Manage cross-functional initiatives that require coordination across our departments.
- Identify and implement tools, technologies, and processes that can improve our ways of working.
- Lead exploratory projects, such as assessing how AI can be integrated into our work to enhance impact and efficiency.
- Provide project management support across different teams to drive key organisational goals.
- Manage the rollout of new processes and tools, supporting colleagues to adopt changes effectively.
Generalist Support and Cross-Functional Contribution
The Operations Manager will be a flexible and collaborative colleague, capable of contributing across different parts of the organisation’s work where needed:
- Provide high-quality analytical and operational support to the Director of Operations and CEO on a range of organisational questions.
- Contribute to the preparation of materials for the Advisory Board, governance bodies, and key external stakeholders, including papers, briefings, and data summaries.
- Support the Programme and External Relations departments on operational aspects of delivery, including events logistics, supplier management, and cross-team coordination.
- Represent the organisation professionally in communications with external stakeholders, including partner universities, suppliers, and service providers.
- Support Director of Operations with financial processes including preparing management accounts, building and refining financial forecasts and for growth, and onwards grants.
- With Director of Operations, liaise with outsourced providers including Purposeful Ventures to ensure effective working relationships and back-office support.
Other
- As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder.
- The post holder will carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the role as requested by the line manager
Key Requirements:
Essential Criteria
- Right to work in the UK
Experience and skills
Essential
- Strong operations and project delivery experience in a fast-paced environment (e.g., charity, start-up, university, public sector, or professional services).
- Demonstrable experience leading projects end-to-end, including creating plans, managing stakeholders, and delivering outcomes.
- Experience leading or making a significant contribution to complex, standalone projects or pieces of analysis, including analysing ambiguous problems and turning them into clear outputs (e.g. reports, presentations) and actionable recommendations.
- Experience improving systems/processes (e.g., designing workflows, implementing tools, documenting processes, driving adoption).
- Experience of contracting, invoicing, and other operational finance processes, as well as procurement and supplier management.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to produce clear documentation for internal and external audiences (experience drafting papers, briefings, or analytical reports is desirable).
- Experience working with CRM systems, project management tools, or other operational platforms, and a track record of improving or implementing systems and processes
Desirable
- Experience working with universities (partnerships, funding arrangements, research administration, or related).
- Experience supporting governance processes (papers, decision logs, approvals) or preparing materials for senior stakeholders.
- Experience working in a start-up, scale-up, or fast-growing charity.
Personal Characteristics
- Highly organised, proactive, and able to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent interpersonal skills: able to build rapport and trusting relationships, able to work co-operatively in a multidisciplinary setting.
- Strong judgement, discretion and professionalism, including ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
- A commitment to Martingale’s mission to support postgraduate students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Comfortable working in a rapidly growing and changing organisation with a degree of ambiguity – confident to create processes and ways forward where they might not yet exist.
- Intellectually curious and analytical – someone who enjoys getting into the detail of a complex question and working out a clear, defensible answer.
- Proactive and self-starting: able to identify what needs doing and take ownership without needing to be directed at every step.
- Resourceful, able to act on initiative, hardworking, detail-oriented, and systematic.
Our mission is to enable and nurture talented individuals from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to become a new generation of STEM leaders.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
The role
We are seeking an experienced Manager of Philanthropic Giving with a strong track record in securing major gifts. The ideal candidate will excel at building trusted, long-term relationships with donors and feel confident leading conversations that result in significant philanthropic support. This role will also contribute to the development and delivery of a trusts and foundations strategy, helping to grow and strengthen our portfolio.
Working closely with the CEO, senior leadership and trustees, you will develop compelling funding propositions, steward donors and funders through excellent reporting and engagement, and represent myaware at meetings, events and networking opportunities. You will also maintain accurate records through our CRM system, track performance against targets, and contribute to income planning and reporting. This is a strategic and hands-on role with real impact for people affected by myasthenia.
The Manager of Philanthropic Giving will be predominantly home based within the UK (with occasional working and meetings at Derby HQ) and will work in co-operation with the fundraising team and all myaware colleagues to deliver agreed fundraising targets and campaigns. Own transport is essential for this role as occasional travel throughout the UK will be required to attend donor meetings, events and networking opportunities, as well as the ability to travel to the Derby office. There may be the need to occasionally work during weekends and evenings and therefore there is a need to work flexibly when required.
Who We Are Looking For
We are looking for an experienced and motivated fundraising professional with a strong track record in major donor fundraising along with experience in Trusts and Foundations fundraising. You will have experience in personal communication in asking for high level funds, and experience of stewarding high net worth individuals to maintain high levels of engagement over a significant period. You will have experience of Trusts and Foundations fundraising including pipeline management and stewardship, writing compelling funding applications and impact reports.
You will be a strategic thinker with excellent interpersonal, research and organisational skills, confident managing a complex pipeline and working collaboratively across teams. You will be comfortable working independently, using CRM systems, and engaging senior stakeholders, including trustees and high-level donors. Most importantly, you will share myaware’s values, demonstrate empathy with our cause, and be committed to making a meaningful difference through philanthropy.
If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.
Who are we?
Myaware is the only charity in the UK dedicated solely to the care and support of people affected by myasthenia.
We are working hard to raise awareness of myasthenia, as it is a little-known condition. We provide support for people with myasthenia and their families, whilst offering advice and tips for living with the condition.
We also fund the research that brings us closer to finding a cure as well as funding specialists nurses and advisors.
Members of myaware have full access to a wide range of support services and events including our specialist benefits and welfare advisor.
Myaware supports people with myasthenia and their families. We campaign for better medical services for people with myasthenia and work to inform medical professionals.
The myasthenias are a group of neuromuscular conditions. They are rare but also manageable and can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or nationality. Myasthenia gravis, ocular myasthenia and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome are autoimmune conditions whereas congenital myasthenic syndrome is caused by an inherited genetic fault. It is thought that there are approximately 20,000 people currently living with myasthenia in the UK.
Benefits
- Generous holiday allowance
- Perkbox account (global benefits and rewards platform)
- Group Life Assurance after 6 months of service
- NEST workplace pension scheme
- Free inhouse staff benefits and welfare advice
- Investment in your personal and professional development
- Annual salary review
Application instructions
Candidates should submit their CV and tailored covering letter by: 11:30pm on Monday 25th May 2026.
Provisional interview date will be week commencing: 01.06.2026
Interviews will be held over Microsoft Teams.
Applications submitted without a tailored cover letter will not be considered.
This post, due to its nature, duties and responsibilities, will be subject to an enhanced check by the DBS. This is funded by Myaware.
This organisation supports anonymous recruitment. That means hiding your personal identifying information, removing bias from the hiring process.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
- Directorate: Innovation, Policy & Systems Change
- Reporting into: Associate Director of Research, Learning and Systems Change
- Colleagues reporting into role: No direct reports at present. However, coaching and managing of volunteers and/or consultants is expected.
- Location: You can be home-based anywhere in the UK, with travel for meetings. You can also choose to work from our Bristol or London offices.
- Closing date: Monday 8 June at 12 midday
- Interview dates: Monday 15 June and Tuesday 16 June (please tell us in your application if you cannot attend interview on one of these days)
Change lives in a life-changing career
When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.
The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. And that impact can be felt by entire family. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer.
We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise well-being. And we stop at nothing to make their voices heard and their unique needs understood, so they can get the right care and support at the right time.
About the role
We’re looking for a Head of Research & Evidence to join our ambitious Research, Learning & Systems Change Team.
Young Lives vs Cancer has a strong and growing commitment to changing the system for children and young people with cancer, and their loved ones. Our North Star vision and Time is Now Strategy focus on influencing how the wider system works – from services and policy to practice on the ground – so that families get the support they need.
The Head of Research and Evidence sits in the Research, Learning & Systems Change team, within our Innovation, Policy & Systems Change Directorate. The role is responsible for ensuring our work is grounded in strong, credible and useful evidence, and that learning is actively used to shape decisions, practice and change across the system.
This is a leadership role within a small but ambitious team. You will set direction and provide thought leadership, but you will also be hands on – designing, commissioning, managing and using research alongside colleagues and partners.
Building trusted relationships and using evidence to influence thinking and action are central. You will work with colleagues, children and young people, families, and partner organisations (such as the North Star Cancer Collective) to learn, strengthen credibility and create change.
This role is subject to a Criminal Record Check. In the event of a successful application, a Basic Criminal Record Check will be completed. A previous conviction is not necessarily a barrier to employment. We encourage qualified applicants to apply, and we will consider each case individually.
What will I be doing?
No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. You’ll work as part of a strong internal team, collaborating closely with colleagues across the organisation and with key external partners to generate, use and apply evidence that supports learning, influence and system change. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in the job description and pack:
-
You’ll be setting the direction for research and learning, leading a clear and purposeful research programme focused on the psychosocial experiences of children and young people with cancer. You’ll ensure research is high‑quality, ethical and impactful, including commissioning work with partners and contributing to research funding bids.
-
You’ll be understanding needs and experiences to grow a strong, credible evidence base, building and using robust evidence on need, inequality, impact and progress to inform strategy, services, policy and system change. You’ll ensure children, young people and families meaningfully shape research and that insight is shared in clear, practical ways.
-
You’ll be providing system insight and leadership, analysing how the system works, identifying trends and pressures, and using evidence to guide where change is most needed. You’ll build trusted relationships across the voluntary sector, NHS and research community, sharing learning and strengthening our credibility and influence.
-
You’ll be turning learning into action and influence, helping teams apply research to real‑world practice and supporting testing, learning and improvement over time. You’ll put feedback and learning loops in place and assess how research‑informed change is affecting practice and outcomes.
What do I need?
Diverse perspectives and unique skill sets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.
The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:
-
Experience leading and delivering research, including setting direction, choosing methods, commissioning or carrying out research, analysing data, and ensuring high quality and ethical practice.
-
Strong research and analytical skills, with confidence working with both qualitative and quantitative data and evidence, and turning insight into practical action.
-
Experience using evidence to support change, such as shaping strategy, influencing policy, improving services or supporting system change.
-
Experience working across organisations, building trusted relationships with colleagues, partners, and where appropriate, children, young people and families.
-
Ability to communicate complex research clearly and accessibly to different audiences, in writing and in conversation.
-
A collaborative way of working, with strong people skills, curiosity and a learning mindset, and a clear commitment to equity, inclusion and anti‑oppressive practice.
What will I gain?
For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:
- Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
- Well-being, Thinking & Growth Days: four days a year to to step back from the day-to-day and focus on your own learning and development
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Great family/caring leave entitlements
- Enhanced pension
- Access to our employee savings scheme
To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.
We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.
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 AI 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 tell us about your skills and experiences in your own voice.
Accessibility
We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.
To hear more about this role, please sign up to one of our informal drop in sessions taking place at 12:30pm on Tuesday 26th May and 17:30pm on Monday 01st June.
#ShowTheSalary #NonGraduatesWelcome
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Are you a strategic, purpose-driven leader? Ready to shape policy, influence public discourse, and make a real impact? If this sounds exciting, then this could be the role and organisation for you! Day One is on an exciting journey of growth and expansion as we increase our impact and reach more people affected by serious and life changing injury. We are looking to recruit an experienced Head of Policy and Public Affairs to join our team who can shape and help lead the charity’s external positioning, policy engagement and thought leadership activity across the UK. You will work closely with the CEO, other Directors and Heads of Service to develop and execute a three-year plan to develop our voice, influence and reach.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to supporting the charity in its next phase of growth. Day One has always punched above its weight as a start-up charity, and now, into its fifth year of operation as a national charity, our voice is becoming more important than ever.
Day One’s development has been fast-paced, roles broad, and the culture has fostered autonomy and flexibility in senior roles. As the needs of the organisation evolve, this remains important but it is also now essential that we build a team with the capability and capacity to carry out robust, longer term scoping and planning in order to implement our new strategy and to create further opportunity for influence around the impact, care and support needs of people affected by serious and life-changing injury.
More About You
You’ll be an ambitious, dynamic, politically astute changemaker with:
Senior experience in public affairs, policy, or government relations. A strong record of delivering successful, outcome-driven campaigns. Excellent communication skills with a flair for impactful messaging. A collaborative, tenacious attitude and drive to make a difference. An established network and the credibility to influence. Willingness to travel as part of your role.
What You Will Bring
You might come from a charity, public sector or values-led organisation, or from a commercial role where people and purpose have been at the heart of your work. You may already have experience marketing services, campaigns or causes, or be ready for a step up with more ownership and responsibility. What matters most is your ability to work with empathy, bring ideas to life, and help people find, trust and access support when they need it most.
In your first six months, you will develop key relationships, scope the workplan and, in conjunction with colleagues, begin to build the evidence base needed for delivery of the ‘Voice’ element of our new strategy.
You will use our flagship annual campaign - Major Trauma Awareness week (MTAW) as a platform for expansion of our voice and influence work. You will work closely with the Head of Lived Experienced and Social Research to ensure that we are able to develop a sound evidence base from which to grow our influence and reach.
Beyond the first 6 months you will:
-
Design and begin to implement an impactful influencing plan, identifying horizon scanning opportunities to influence and raise our profile.
-
Utilise own assets and organisational assets, including the CEO, SLT and Heads of Service, to deliver this element of the new strategy.
-
You will build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders. This will include policy makers in national and local government officials, politicians, the health and social care sector, clinicians specifically the trauma care and rehabilitation space, as well as other third sector organisations, think tanks and commercial organisations connected to recovery after serious and life-changing injury.
-
Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational brand.
-
Work closely with others in the SLT and ELT on developing our thought leadership and translating this into published blogs and comment pieces yourself and for others - disseminating our shared ideas, evidence base and compelling stories of impact and recovery.
-
Working closely with the Director of Income and Engagement, you will support their team’s expertise and credibility, helping them to generate income though speaking engagements, campaigns and key storytelling pieces.
How to apply
Please upload your CV and supporting cover letter to Charity Jobs outlining why you’re interested in the role. Please take your time to explain how your experience is relevant to this post.
For more information, please refer to the attached recruitment pack.
Closing date: 15th May 2026
Interviews:
First stage virtual: w/c 25th May 2026
Second stage in-person (Leeds): w/c 1st June 2026
Inspired ‘by patients for patients’ our vision is that no one has to piece life back together on their own after catastrophic injury.





