Policy and programme manager jobs

Join us in expanding the Young Carers in Schools (YCiS) programme across England as part of the Fair Futures for Young Carers initiative. We're increasing our outreach and closely tracking outcomes to drive continuous improvement and innovation in how young carers are identified and supported.

We're looking for a Programme Officer with a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring the programme reaches underrepresented groups and champions these values in every activity.

As the postholder you will:

· Build strong relationships with delivery partners, local authorities and education networks.

· Represent the programme at national and regional levels, helping to increase its visibility and impact.

· Boost outreach, training and support to schools and stakeholders

Please download the attached recruitment pack to find out more. 

We are pleased to be recruiting a Programme Administrator to support the new Fair Futures for Young Carers programme across Scotland, Wales and England.

This is a hybrid role, anchored to either the London, Glasgow or Cardiff Carers Trust office 1-2 days a week.

This role is key to ensuring the programme runs smoothly and consistently by coordinating schedules, preparing meeting packs, maintaining trackers and supporting monitoring activity. The postholder will provide the structure that enables the wider team to deliver excellent support to young carers.

As the postholder you will:

· Liaise with local carer organisations and education stakeholders to coordinate support offers and events.

· Maintain up‑to‑date records, trackers and reports for the Programme Lead and Programme Officers.

· Help ensure communication, timelines and resources are aligned across all three sites.

Please download the attached recruitment pack to find out mor

ABOUT SAFETY4SISTERS

Safety4Sisters (S4S) is a specialist Black and minoritised by and for women’s organisation based in Manchester. Our aim is to promote the human rights of migrant women experiencing a spectrum of gendered violence by providing a trauma informed, specialist, holistic and integrative programme of support to Black and minoritised survivors with NRPF. Support is underpinned by the following strands of services and activities; culturally competent advocacy, welfare and destitution support, a specialist refuge dedicated to migrant women with NRPF, therapeutic activities, groups and training, social activities, a helpline for both professionals and women, grassroots campaigning, and strategic advocacy. 

JOB PURPOSE

To support the development and delivery of Safety4Sisters’ policy, campaigning, and influencing work to advance the rights, safety, and wellbeing of Black, minoritised and migrant women and children experiencing violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The post holder will contribute to influencing local, regional, and national policy and decision-making on VAWG, honour-based abuse, harmful practices, immigration and asylum policy, and no recourse to public funds (NRPF). This work will be rooted in survivor voice, frontline practice, and Safety4Sisters’ feminist and anti-racist values.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

1.To contribute to the planning and delivery of Safety4Sisters’ policy, campaigning, and influencing work in line with the organisation’s strategic priorities.

2.To undertake policy research and analysis on issues affecting Black, minoritised and migrant women experiencing VAWG, including immigration, asylum, and NRPF.

3.To draft policy briefings, consultation responses, reports, statements, and other written submissions to influence decision-makers and statutory bodies.

4.To work closely with frontline staff, partners, and where appropriate victim-survivors, to ensure that policy and campaigning work is informed by lived experience and practice-based evidence.

5.To support parliamentary, local authority, and regional influencing activity, including engagement with MPs, councillors, civil servants, and statutory agencies.

6.To assist in organising and delivering policy events, roundtables, seminars, conferences, and briefings for external stakeholders.

7.To represent Safety4Sisters at external meetings, networks, events, and forums as required, promoting the organisation’s policy positions and values.

8.To contribute to raising public and professional awareness of VAWG, honour-based abuse, and the specific barriers faced by migrant women, including institutional racism and hostile immigration policies.

9.To manage Safety4Sisters’ social media platforms, ensuring content supports the organisation’s policy, campaigning and advocacy work and reflects S4S values and safeguarding principles.

10. To support Safety4Sisters’ partners and stakeholders to engage with policy advocacy, communications, and campaigning activity, including providing guidance and resources where appropriate.

11. To contribute to training, learning, and community engagement activities delivered by Safety4Sisters, including sessions for professionals and community organisations.

12. To maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, policy developments, research, and sector best practice.

13. To contribute to monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning activities, ensuring accurate records and data collection for policy and campaigning work.

14. To assist in developing strong links with key partners and networks at local, regional, and national levels to strengthen Safety4Sisters’ influencing work.

15. To undertake campaigning and influencing activity arising from frontline services and policy priorities, which may include occasional evening or weekend work.

16. To undertake any additional duties that contribute to the effective delivery of Safety4Sisters’ services, projects and campaigns.

GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1.To contribute to the smooth running of Safety4Sisters’ services, projects and organisational activities.

2.To assist in maintaining high standards in all aspects of the organisation’s work, including conduct with colleagues, external agencies and partners.

3.To comply with and promote issues of confidentiality, safeguarding, equality, diversity and other Safety4Sisters policies and procedures.

4.To attend supervision, appraisal, training, staff, management and team meetings as required.

5.To promote equality and diversity in all aspects of Safety4Sisters’ work.

6.To maintain clear and accurate records and provide information for monitoring, evaluation, policy, research and funding purposes.

HEALTH AND SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES

1.To be fully compliant with all Health and Safety legislation and Safety4Sisters’ Health and Safety policies.

2.To ensure that work is carried out safely and that no risk is posed to self, colleagues, service users or visitors.

FLEXIBILITY CLAUSE

In order to deliver services effectively, a degree of flexibility is required and the post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above. Such duties will fall within the scope of the post at the appropriate grade.

This job description will be reviewed with the post holder to ensure it accurately reflects the duties and range of the post and supports the delivery of high-quality services for Black and minoritised women.

When necessary, the post holder may be expected to work evenings and weekends. This time can be claimed back as Time Off In Lieu (TOIL).

THIS POST IS:

·Subject to Enhanced DBS Disclosure

·Subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A disclosure will be required from the Disclosure and Barring Service regarding any previous convictions.

·Open to women only* (exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1).

PersonSpecifications:ImportantInformationforApplicants 

Your application needs to demonstrate clearly and concisely how you meet each of the criteria. If you do not address the criteria fully, you will not be shortlisted. Please give specific examples wherever possible.

CRITERIA

ESSENTIAL/DESIRABLE

Knowledge/Qualifications

Knowledge and understanding of issues affecting Black, minoritised and migrant women, particularly in relation to violence against women and girls, immigration, asylum, NRPF and institutional racism.

Essential

Understanding of honour-based abuse, harmful practices and other forms of gendered violence.

Essential

Understanding of policy influencing, campaigning and advocacy as tools for social and systemic change.

Essential

Relevant qualification or equivalent experience in policy, research, campaigning or a related field.

Essential

Experience

Experience of working in a policy, research or campaigning role, or demonstrable transferable experience.

Essential

Experience of producing written policy outputs such as briefings, reports, consultation responses or submissions.

Essential

Experience of working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders, partners or teams.

Essential

Experience of managing organisational social media accounts. 

Desirable

Experience of engaging with statutory bodies, local authorities or government. 

Desirable 

Skills and Abilities

Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and persuasively.

Essential

Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.

Essential

Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team.

Essential

Ability to prioritise workload, manage competing demands and meet deadlines.

Essential

Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, values-driven environment.

Essential

Personal Attitude and Commitment

Commitment to Safety4Sisters’ Black feminist, anti-racist values and survivor-led approach.

Essential

Commitment to equality, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice.

Essential

Willingness to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Essential

Commitment to ongoing learning, reflection and professional development.

Essential 

Circa £49,000 per annum

Temporary – Ealy Moments Leave Cover until March 2027

Part home/Part office (London) based

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is an exciting opportunity to join The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as a Senior Policy Adviser leading our work on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), reporting to the Head of UK Policy and working closely with colleagues in London and our office in Edinburgh.

As Senior Policy Adviser (UNCRC) you will lead our foundational advocacy work to embed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child across the four nations of the UK and Crown dependencies. Sitting within the Advocacy Department, you will be ensuring that child rights are embedded in all UNICEF UK’s work, playing a critical role in our influencing work.  

We are seeking candidates committed to children and their rights and motivated to work towards achieving a world that is fit for every child. You will bring demonstrable experience of advising, negotiating with and building relationships with senior stakeholders across governments, public sector and civil society grounded in in-depth knowledge of the UNCRC and its status in legislation and policy.

Act now and visit the website via the apply button to apply online.

Closing date: 9am, Thursday 26 February 2026.

Interview date: Wednesday 11 March & Thursday 12 March 2026 (Stage One) & Wednesday 25th March 2026 (Stage Two) via Microsoft Teams.

In return, we offer:

· excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)

· outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role

· impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

· an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.

· the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

Our application process: We use a system called "Applied" that anonymises your responses and focuses on your skills that are relevant to this role. This benefits you by giving you a greater chance of expressing your skills in this objective selection process.

We are gradually moving back to our offices on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and we anticipate most colleagues will work one or two days a week in the office and the rest of the time from home.  We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights.

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact the Supporter Care line during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)

Key Information

Location: Kennington, office-based

Salary: from £34,000

Contract: Full-Time, Maternity Cover (9-12months)

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 5.30pm with some out-of-hours work needed for events such as our Spear Celebrations

Closing date: Monday 23rd February (We are interviewing on a rolling basis and might close the application early if we find the right candidate)

Assessment Day: Thursday 5th March

For more information please read through our Work With Us Information Pack and Job Specification.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Role Responsibilities

Strategy, vision and impact

• Be at the forefront of leading our ‘big picture’ vision of a transformed society, empowering churches to transform young lives 
• Build and implement a strategy for developing relationships with local referral agencies to ensure effective recruitment of young people onto the Spear programme 
• Oversee the reporting of the Centre outcomes and ensure the Spear Programme is delivered in line with agreed targets 

Leadership, line management and training

• Lead your team with confidence; spurring them on our mission; invest in a team culture of excellence, belonging and fun 
• Manage and develop the Lead Coach and Assistant Coach, using a coaching approach to invest in their growth and development. This includes weekly 1:1s, performance reviews and regular feedback
• Equip your team to drive change through a data informed approach, and keep them accountable to agreed targets for the Spear Programme

Relationship management

• Manage great relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including referrers, local businesses, donors, and your Board of Trustees 
• Embed into your local church; working closely with your Spear Trustees and congregation, and actively participating in their mission and events
• Partner with the Spear Trustees and assist in implementing their funding strategy by helping to build corporate
• and donor relationships. For example, by hosting prospective donors in the Training Room

Delivery of the Spear Programme

• Support group and 1-1 coaching with numerous 16-24-year-olds: equipping them with practical work-ready skills and resilient mindsets 
• Provide guidance to the Lead Coach in the training room when dealing with behavioural and safeguarding situations and upskill coaches with consistent coaching feedback
• Use a coaching approach to engage young people in challenging conversations that will enable them to take responsibility and over significant barriers to employment 

Operations 

• Liaise with relevant staff regarding site operations and work to resolve any issues as soon as possible, ensuring the office and training room are safe and tidy working spaces in line with health and safety policies

Person Specification

• You are an active Christian, passionate about your work being a lived expression of your faith 
• You want to help others reach their full potential, and enable young people to overcome significant barriers to employment 
• You have demonstrable experience in coaching, teaching or training and development, as well as being keen to develop these skills further
• You are an experienced and mature leader/line manager, or have great leadership potential, and are eager to bring out the best in your team
• You are confident building relationships with a variety of stakeholders, with effective written and verbal communication skills 
• You are looking for a varied, hands-on role, where you won't be tied to a desk 

Join us in shaping the new Fair Futures for Young Carers programme in Scotland, as we build a national schools‑focused initiative and lay the foundations for sustainable young carer support across the country.

Carers' Trust are looking for a Programme Officer with a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring young carers are at the heart of programme design and development.

As the postholder you will:

· Build strong partnerships with schools, carer services and young carers.

· Lead programme promotion, training and events and represent the Fair Futures programme across Scotland.

· Gather insights and data to support ongoing development, evaluation and wider systems‑change.

In Gateshead, Spear is partnering with Alive Church – Spear Gateshead is a part of Alive Church’s mission to change the culture of the city by bringing hope to unemployed young people.

Whilst the North-East is an amazing place to live, there are still challenges, with large disparities between Gateshead’s wealthier and poorer areas, and 23,600 people live in areas described as having deep deprivation. With this comes all the associated issues that poverty causes, including 1 in 4 children growing up in poverty and one of the worst levels of social mobility in the country.

Alive Church is a diverse community gathered from across Gateshead, Newcastle and the North East with a vision to see individuals, the church and communities across our region Come Alive in Jesus name. Together they are playing their part in the re-evangelisation of the nation, the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society.

Key Information

Salary: £27,000, pro rata

Hours: 9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday –Thursday, Part-time (with some flexibility and occasional evening or weekend work for events such as Spear Celebrations)

Contract: Maternity Cover

Location: Alive Church Gateshead

Closing date: Monday 23rd February (We are interviewing on a rolling basis and might close the application early if we find the right candidate)

Please feel free to let us know if you may require any reasonable adjustments to participate fully in our recruitment process.

For more information please read through our Work With Us Information Pack and Job Specification.

Role Responsibilities

Oversight of the Spear Programme

• As a confident communicator, you will lead group sessions of around 10 young people each, using coaching skills to transform attitudes to their own ability and the workplace, and to raise their awareness and maximise potential in stepping into the world of work.
• Prepare and coach group and 1-1 sessions with the Spear Coach.
• Ensure the programme is delivered in line with agreed targets, and report KPIs on recruitment, retention and completion of Spear Trainees, as well as their ongoing progress and sustainment of work or education.

Partnership Liaison and Relationship Management

• Establish the primary local referral agencies and steward relationships with these, overseeing and building a strategy to ensure recruitment of young people onto the Spear programme is effective.
• Maintain and develop relationships with local partners to form a strong referral network.

Line Management and Training

• Manage the Spear Coach, using a coaching approach to invest in their growth and development.
• Work alongside the Programme Manager to analyse Spear Programme performance and ongoing operations of the centre, and report back on KPIs.

Church Community

• The Spear Centre Manager is directly employed by Alive Church, meaning you are part of a vibrant church staff team and submerged in an exciting faith community.
• You will be required to establish strong relationships with key people at the church to ensure the engagement and backing of church members and help the Spear Coach to establish a strong presence at the church to build a network of supporters for the Spear programme.
• Ensure the Spear programme is a key missional feature of the work of the church; this may involve attending church events and speaking at services.

Site Management

• Work with the Church to coordinate the training room and any infrastructure needs for the Spear Centre.
• Liaise with relevant staff locally on-site issues and work to resolve them as soon as possible, ensuring the office and training room are safe and tidy working spaces in line with health and safety policies.

Person Specification

• An active Christian, able to personally represent the values and beliefs of Spear and Alive Church, and a commitment to grow and learn spiritually and as a Christian leader.
• A dynamic and engaging coach with an enthusiasm for and direct experience of coaching and training techniques.
• Passion for social justice and for working as part of the church to transform communities, especially supporting young people in employment or education.
• An entrepreneurial and ambitious individual who enjoys starting new projects, works well under pressure and can translate ideas into practice with creativity.
• Self-motivated with strong leadership, management and organisational skills with the ability to exercise initiative and prioritise workload.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a confidence in group facilitation, high emotional intelligence, and a sense of fun!

The Strategic Member Programme Manager is responsible for the development and delivery of member programmes, training, and engagement activity, including leading the end-to-end development and delivery of the annual SOLT & UK Theatre Conference programme. The role translates member insights and organisational priorities into compelling, relevant programmes that support the continued professional development of workforce skills, industry insight, and the networking needs of SOLT & UK Theatre members. The postholder will work closely with the Director of Membership & External Affairs and the wider Membership, Advocacy, Employment Relations, and Events teams to deliver highquality, strategically aligned programming that meets member needs, and supports SOLT & UK Theatre’s Business Plan objectives. 

For full details of the role, please see the job pack. 

Be part of a life-changing programme helping young people from underrepresented backgrounds take their next step into meaningful employment.
Join 20/20 Levels as a Programme Co-ordinator and play a key role in delivering our flagship I AM CHANGE career development journey.

This is a hands-on, people-focused role supporting the smooth delivery of workshops, mentoring and cohort experiences. You’ll work closely with participants, facilitators and the Programme Manager to ensure every session runs brilliantly and every young person feels supported, confident and work-ready. If you’re passionate about social mobility, youth empowerment and creating real opportunity, this is an exciting chance to make a tangible impact.

Job Title: Policy and Advocacy Manager

Position Type: Maternity Cover

Reports to: Founder/Chief Executive

Based at: School Food Matters, Blackfriars Settlement 9 Rushworth Street SE1 0RB

Salary: £40,500

Working Hours: 9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension: School Food Matters pays pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday: 31 days including bank holidays

School Food Matters is closed between Christmas and New Year

Job Purpose

· To lead and shape School Food Matters’ policy and advocacy strategy, ensuring our voice influences national and local decision-making on school food and food education

· To design and deliver campaigns that support and advance SFM’s mission

· To line manage the Policy and Communications Assistant and Press and Communications Officer

Key Tasks

· Lead and provide strategic input to campaigns, convene groups and partnerships

· Represent SFM at external meetings and coalitions such as the School Food Review

· Monitor, analyse and interpret relevant research, policy developments and news, identifying implications or opportunities for SFM

· Oversee the strategic direction of SFM’s external affairs and communications, ensuring all policy, campaigns, and public messaging align with the charity’s mission and priorities

· Provide policy research and analysis to support the activities of the School Food Review

· Oversee meetings and governance for the School Food Alliance

· Provide policy and communications expertise for the Food Education Network workstreams

· Represent SFM at relevant policy consultations, meetings and conferences to influence and inform policy discussions, and deliver presentations as required

· Lead drafting of responses to government consultations

· Working closely with the Press and Communications Officer, provide insights to inform timely media responses to policy developments

· Ensure colleagues are regularly briefed on policy activities, priorities and messages, and run internal workshops to keep them up to date with the school food sector

· Provide strategic input to meeting content for the School Food Review, and support the Policy and Communications Assistant to organise meetings for workstreams

· Oversee the development web content, articles, blogs and newsletter content by the Press and Communications Officer and the Policy and Communications Assistant

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

· Maintain the ethos of the charity and positively promote our work at all times

· The Policy and Advocacy Manager will also undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may arise from time to time.  Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and positive mindset is essential!

Person Specification

Essential

· Experience of research and analysis, ideally in a policy environment

· General knowledge of issues around school food, children’s health and food education

· Comprehensive understanding of the UK’s political system

· Experience of coordinating policy/research-based projects

· Experience designing, coordinating and delivering campaigns

· Experience of working in coalitions

· Strong interpersonal skills and ability to maintain relationships with a range of individuals and organisations

· Confident and competent IT skills across Office suite of programmes

· Exceptional oral and written communication skills in fluent spoken and written English, with strong attention to detail and the ability to translate complex data and policies into accessible language and engaging stories and communication materials

· Strong understanding media landscape and social media platforms to oversee the communications activity of the organisation

· Ability to work independently, with high levels of self-motivation

· Good project management, time management and organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines

· Energy, enthusiasm, creativity and tenacity

Desirable

· Strong knowledge of the public health, food and education policy landscape

· Experience managing others

· Experience managing projects

· Experience managing meetings

· Experience of working with Drupal CMS

· Experience of working within a network or coalition of campaigning organisations

· Established contacts with media outlets/journalists/bloggers

· Digital campaigning and social networking skills

· Experience writing news articles and blog posts with clear structure, purpose and an engaging narrative

· Experience managing or supervising team members to deliver communications projects effectively

The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

Leading national policy strategy

As Head of Policy and Public Affairs, you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan.  Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall. 

You will hold relationships with the Department for Education and Ofsted and advise on policy priorities ahead, such as:

• Widening the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services

• Reducing perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits

• Expectations for multi-academy trusts in capturing and analysing data on lost learning, including how it disproportionately affects different groups

• Improving local alternative provision eco-systems, to improve outcomes for young people

• National standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level

• Professional development standards for school inclusion

Developing implementation expertise in the middle tier

In your first six months, you will advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders.  You will support the Programme team in its design, to plan strategically for the recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and you will plan the research and influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Building the evidence base

In your second six months, you will work with the CEO to build out our research function. Your influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates; alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

Raising your voice

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to inclusive policy change. The Difference has always punched above our weight in national and sector press reach. In post,  you will publish blogs and comment pieces, disseminating our shared ideas.  You will be a prominent voice on inclusion.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being highly autonomous, reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

The Role
This is an exciting time to join The Difference as we increase our impact, reach more schools, and develop our influencing strategy. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs you will: 

Design and execute an impactful influencing plan 

• Design an influencing plan - Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones. 

• Execute an influencing plan - Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.

• Relationship building - Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks. 

• Leadership - Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

Build policy capacity and credibility across the organisation

• Policy positions and solutions- Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives. 

• Thought leadership - Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert. 

• Generating income - Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability. 

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy, surrounding this policy topic. 

• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in identifying policy windows and designing activities that lead to meaningful national policy change. 

• Excellent relationship builder, who brings with them their own network of influential stakeholders and has a plan for building new relationships. Adept at navigating tricky situations and explaining complex, sometimes difficult, messages.

• Expert convener with a strong knowledge of the education sector, including which schools, trusts and local authorities are influential and experience in bringing a variety of perspectives together to generate consensus. 

• Persuasive and clear writing style for publication, including reports, press, blogs and ghost writing for members of the senior leadership team, often based on consensus positions, and designed to communicate key messages for impact. 

• Confidence and credibility in communicating nuanced messages in a contentious landscape, in writing, verbally and in public (e.g. on panels), to raise the profile of The Difference. 

• Strong project manager who can design systems and processes to keep self, team and other stakeholders on task and on time. Experience of designing programmes of work and monitoring their effectiveness. Flexible project management style that can adapt to a changing environment. Confidence in managing a variety of stakeholders and supporting them to deliver on time. 

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following: 

• Familiarity with The Difference’s programmatic work, theory and practice. 

• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people (e.g. those with experience of the care system, mental ill health, special educational needs, exclusion, and racism).

We know that some people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution, we warmly encourage you to apply. 
We actively welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are under-represented in the charity sector, including but not limited to: people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the case system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.

As Policy and Public Affairs Manager, you will help ensure London Youth is a credible, influential voice on issues affecting young people and the organisations that support them. Sitting within the Fundraising and Communications Directorate, you will work closely with the CEO, senior leadership, and youth participation, communciations, fundraising and delivery colleagues to deliver demonstrable external influence and impact. 

You will craft clear, evidence-based policy positions that shape debate and influence decision-making at London and national level, ensuring the policymakers understand and respond to the realities facing young people in London. Through effective internal engagement, you will also ensure colelagues and our members are well-informed and equipped to respond to key policy developments. 

You will successfully represent the voice of London Youth's members and the young people they support, helping to secure greater recognition, investment, and support for youth services. By building strong relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians, and sector partners working to address the issues affecting young people inthe capital, you will help position London Youth as a trusted and respected contributor to relevant policy discussions. 

At a time of significant change across the youth sector, you will play a central role in campaigning for systematic change and in building the profile of London Youth and the wider voluntary sector as the Government's 10-year National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters, is implemented. You will help ensure commitments translate into meaningful outcomes for young people, particularly in relation to youth services, enrichment opportunities, and support for young people not in education, employment, or training, and strengthen long-term investment in youth provision. 

What you will be doing 

You will lead the development and delivery of London Youth's policy and public affairs work, building a clear and consistent understanding of the London and national context for young people and youth organisations. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, including communications, fundraising, delivery, and MEL, you will help develop a clear and compelling case for support and influence. 

You will work in close partnership with the CEO and CEO's office, acting as a trusted policy adviser, supporting the CEO's external policy engagements, positioning, and relationships with senior policymakers and influencers. 

You will monitor emerging political and policy developments and relevant funding announcements, providing insight and analysis to identify opportunities for engagement. You will draft swift organisational responses to key policy announcements, in collaboration with the CEO and communications team, and ensure relevant intelligence and opportunties inform the work of the fundraising team. 

You will develop, maintain, and communicate evidence-based policy positions, insights, and priorities, convening our members regularly to inform clear policy asks and advocacy. You will shape briefings and consultation responses that reflect the needs of London Youth's members and the young people they support. You will shape policy positions and provide high-quality briefings ahead of key senior-level engagements. 

You will oversee and track our policy influencing activity, identifying emerging policy developments, coordinating internal input, engaging stakeholders and representing London Youth in external policy and public affairs forums, and reporting on the impact of our policy work. 

You will strengthen policy work through insight and engagement, analysig relevant data and research from our membership and working with the Learning and Impact Lead to ensure insights from London Youth's network inform policy development. You will also identify opportunities for members and young people from our Youth Board to engage in policy work, including through consultations, networks, and events. 

You will build and maintain strong relationships with key London and national stakeholders, identifying opportunities for partnership working with other organisations and ensuring London Youth has a visible, credible voice in debates affecting young people. 

You will contribute to London Youth's communications, campaigns, and profile, working with colleagues to shape policy activity across digital channels, produce engaging written content including articles and speeches, craft organisational messaging, support youth-led engagement, and contribute to London Youth's thematic networks, influencing events and media opportunities. 

What you bring to the role 

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Strong understanding of how policy is developed in the London and national context, and experience of engaging with political agendas on behalf of a charitable or membership organisation. 
• Experience in developing robust policy positions, responses, and solutions, and influencing politicians and decision-makers. 
• Up-to-date, proven experience in public affairs, parliamentary engagement or a related policy-influencing role, with a clear track record of driving meaningful change. 
• Good understanding of UK parliamentary and government processes, and of current policy areas impacting young people in London and across the UK. 
• Experience of producing a range of briefings and written materials, including research findings, public statements, consultation responses, and briefings for senior colelagues. 
• Proven ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with opinion-formers and other key stakeholders. 

Attributes and Behaviours: 

• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, especially when it comes to policy partners. 
• Demonstrate confidence to engage and build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including those at senior level. 
• A confidence verbal communicator and presenter able to represent London Youth within policy forums, consortia, and networking events. 
• Demonstrate ability to work on your own initiative and as part of a team, with proven ability to innovate and deliver change. 
• Demonstrate ability to analyse, summarise, and present evidence to different audiences. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to ensuring young people have prominent platforms to voice their views directly on the issues that affect them. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to strengthening London's Youth sector. 
• Be willing to work some evenings and the occasional weekend. 
• Understanding and supporting the vision, mission, and aims of London Youth. 

Demonstrate living our values of being: 

• Ambitious
• Collaborative 
• Inclusive 
• Accountable 

Why work at London Youth 

• Generous holiday allowance - 39 days paid holiday each year (including bank holidays and closure days). Pro-rata if you work part time. 
• Employer 4% pension contribution
• Additional leave granted to support voluntary activity 
• Free Health Care Cash Plan 
• Free access for you and your family to the Employee Assistance Programme 
• Free access to the 'Headspace' app for you and your family
• Flexible working opportunities considered 
• You'll be working with a fantastic team of passionate colleagues across London Youth 
• You will be making a difference to the lives of young people

• Salary: London £50,331 gross per annum/Brussels €4.521,21 gross per month

• Location: Brussels or London

• Contract Type: Fixed Term

• Contract Duration: 18 months

• Hours: Full Time

• Closing Date: 25 February 2026

• First Interview Dates: Week beginning 9 March 2026

About the role

Are you a Project Manager who thrives in global, mission-driven environments? We are hiring a Project Manager to be based in either our London or Brussels office. This role exists to provide a clear project management framework, training, leadership, advice, facilitation, structure, and accountability across complex initiatives, helping the organisation maximise resources and achieve measurable results.

Meet your Manager

In this role, you will be managed by Pau Jimenez Ingles. Pau leads the organizational improvement project program, overseeing the planning, execution, and evaluation of initiatives aligned with the organization’s strategic goals. His role is to ensure that every project is meticulously coordinated, meets established deadlines, and delivers the intended impact. Pau joined ClientEarth in 2020, following a career managing events and projects across Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Prior to his current role, he has managed projects at The Scout Association, where he also worked as an educational programme designer. His diverse professional background also includes experience as a registered nurse, providing him with a unique perspective on crisis management and operational care. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the Universitat de Barcelona and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from City St George's, University of London. He has further enhanced his project management expertise with professional certifications in Facilitation, Lean Six Sigma, and PRINCE2.

Main Duties

• Manage stakeholder relationships, ensuring effective communication and collaboration across internal teams and external partners
• Identify project risks and issues, developing mitigation plans and ensuring timely resolution. 
• Support acting Project Managersto follow project management best practice as established in the Organisational Project Management Framework.
• Support and monitor organisational programme performance, preparing regular progress reports, risk assessments, and recommendations for senior leadership. 

See the job description (below) for a full list of duties for this role.

Role requirements

• Project Management qualification (essential)
• Significant experience of delivering projects from inception to completion, involving IT systems and change management initiatives (essential)
• Experience responding to competing deadlines and managing multiple tasks and priorities within a working environment (essential)
• Experience of managing a portfolio of projects or programme within a medium to large organisation. (essential)

See the job description (below) for a full list of requirements for this role.

Note to candidates: We know that long lists of criteria can be daunting and that some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they are 100% qualified. If you feel you meet at least some of the essential criteria, we still encourage you to apply.

Further Information

Have a question about this job? Please visit our Careers site for advice on applying, FAQs, and more.

Flexible working:  We are proud to be a Flexa accredited Employer. Visit our Flexa Employer page for more information on our approach to flexible working. Our flexible working policy allows our people the choice to decide to work from home/another location in the country where their contract of employment is issued for 80% of their month, with the other 20% of their month being office-based  See our Benefits page for more as well as our flexible working FAQ.

ClientEarth values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We aim to appoint the most suitable candidate at all times and welcome applications from people from all different backgrounds. See our equity, diversity and inclusion journey page for more.

Please note that ClientEarth is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in Belgium or the UK.

ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.

Longer working lives and ongoing economic transitions are reshaping careers: how we start them, and how we move through them. But too many people remain paid in low-paid, low-quality work – with damaging consequences for them personally, and our economy as a whole. We’re seeking a senior, policy-oriented research leader to help us and our partners generate insights that enable more people to move into and progress through better work.

You’ll have a proven track record in scoping and securing funding for research and influencing activity, with significant autonomy to lead your own programme at L&W. You’ll be supported by committed researchers and managers whom you will coach, lead, and develop—alongside a peer group of Deputy Directors working across other key pillars. We welcome quantitative expertise, but most important are the skills to design and deliver high-quality, impactful research programmes.

You’ll join an organisation with a national reputation for driving policy change—and a friendly, highly capable, delivery-focused team. 

Location: Hybrid working: 40-60% in an L&W office. Our offices for this role are currently in Leicester and London, but if you are based elsewhere, please contact us to talk about how the role could work for you.

Team:Research and Development

Salary:£64,450 -£77,880 per annum (pro rata), dependent on experience and location

Duration:Permanent

Working hours:0.8 to 1 FTE, with flexible working supported (e.g. condensed hours, flexible start and finish times)

Main Purpose

The Deputy Director, Policy and Research (Better Work and Progression) will have overall ownership of the ‘Better Work’ pillar of our strategic plan at L&W: overseeing all projects and activity in this area and generating new work (including developing project ideas and securing funding).

While there is significant scope to shape the ongoing programme of research and impact work, we anticipate that key areas of focus in this area going forward will be: understanding & better supporting career change; understanding and improving policy to increase employer investment in skills; high quality and fair access apprenticeships and technical education; understanding how to better support progression from low pay.

They will be a senior leader for the organization – helping to continuously shape our strategy and the plans we are implementing to deliver it.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and management

• Intellectual leadership of the Better Work pillar: developing and owning policy positions, messages, theory of change and research priorities, and supporting the wider team to feed into and understand them
• Line management of senior and mid-level staff
• Act as a senior leader at L&W – including taking on specific organization-level responsibilities where appropriate

Income

• Write and/or co-ordinate responses to reactive research and evaluation tenders in the areas of employment, better work and progression
• Develop pro-active proposals that will drive change in your area, and respond to the interests of funders and partners
• Build relationships with current and potential funders and research partners

Impact

• Act as an external expert on the issues of better work and progression: writing press quotes, articles and blogs;speaking on platforms
• Building relationships with practitioners, policymakers and partners to improve our insights, and get our recommendations implemented
• Develop appropriate means of tracking impact towards our better work goals, and monitor against them. 

Delivery

• Deputy Director/Project Director-level oversight of projects being delivered in your and related areas: supporting project team to shape research plans, deliver sharp insights and manage funder relationships
• Quality Assurance of research proposals and outputs
• Use your research skills and experience to support the wider development of the Learning and Work team

Person Specification

Experience

Experience of developing, overseeing and delivering programmes of policy-relevant research at a high level - Essential

Experience of business development in a policy/research context: developing ideas, writing bids and building relationships with funders- Essential

Experience of building senior-level relationships with external stakeholders for impact and influence -Essential

Track record of delivering national and/or local policy change - Essential

Experience of senior organisational leadership as part of a team - Desirable 

Experience of responding to tenders- Desirable 

Skills

Advanced research skills (qualitative of quantitative) -Essential

Quantitative skills: experience of using key national research and administrative data sets to generate insights into the labour market -Desirable 

Clear and direct written communication style - Essential

Knowledge

Knowledge of, and commitment to, L&W’s charitable aims and purpose.- Essential

Demonstrable knowledge of employment and/or skills policy in the UK - Essential

Demonstrable knowledge in the specific areas of Better Work and/or progression -Desirable 

Learning and Work Institute works across the UK. Our work in Wales is led by a Cardiff based team, but all staff are required to follow the guidance set out in our Welsh language scheme when working in Wales.