Policy and public affairs manager jobs in ireland

Do you want to shape public thinking, influence national conversations, and help ensure people’s voices are heard at every level of decision-making?

Do you have experience in public affairs, policy engagement, or communications, and a passion for equity, voice, and inclusion?

Are you looking for a role where you can lead strategic engagement and influence change?

We’re recruiting for a new Public Affairs & External Engagement Lead, a role designed to shape our public profile, strengthen relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers, and ensure our values are reflected in the systems that shape people’s lives.

You’ll be part of our growing External Influence team, working in close collaboration with the Media and PR Lead. The role is home-based with occasional travel to meet stakeholders or attend events.

About us 

VoiceAbility is an independent charity and one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. We deliver a wide range of service contracts funded by local authorities, health trusts and other voluntary and private sector organisations. 

We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions about their health, care, and wellbeing for over 40 years. We make sure people are heard when it matters most.  For more information on what Advocacy is and the services offered then please visit our website. 

About you

You’ll bring a strong track record in public affairs, stakeholder engagement and networking, or strategic communications, ideally within a public, policy, or values-led environment.

You’re confident navigating complex systems and building credibility with stakeholders such as local and national government, public sector leaders, charities, and think tanks.

You understand how influence works, and you’re excited by the opportunity to help shape conversations..

Experience in the health, social care, equalities, or advocacy sector would be valuable, but what matters most is your ability to listen, connect, and translate complexity into influence.

How will you make a difference?

You’ll lead VoiceAbility’s work to strengthen relationships and reputation with people who shape policy, services, and public discourse.

You’ll help position the organisation as a respected thought leader, using insight, data, and storytelling to drive awareness of the issues people face and how things can change.

Working closely with colleagues in Media, Marketing and Business Development, you’ll identify opportunities to contribute to debates, lead engagement with key public and sector stakeholders, and ensure VoiceAbility’s voice is present and consistent in the places that matter.

Benefits 

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time colleagues) rising to 30 days upon 5 years’ service 

5% employer pension & minimum 3% employee contribution 

Salary sacrifices pension scheme 

Separate Life Assurance Cover (equivalent of two times your annual salary) 

Staff discount scheme including retail discounts, entertainment, holidays, gym membership etc 

24/7 Employee Assistance programme 

Access to remote counselling service 

Paid Disability Leave 

Paid compassionate Leave 

Home Working Allowance  

Support with continuous professional development 

Access to Clifton Strengths Coaching for development  

Personal Development Plans 

How are staff supported to work remotely? 

VoiceAbility has a small number of offices. Employees including Team Leaders are homebased for Administration and meetings will be held online as well as in person in the relevant community. 

When you need to travel for work, expenses will be paid (mileage or public transport costs).

VoiceAbility offers the usual regular manager one to ones, Staff forums and communities of practice depending on role. Team meetings with a mix of virtual and in person approach. 

Equality and Diversity

VoiceAbility believes in fostering an inclusive workplace which welcomes, values and celebrates the diversity of its staff and partners, treats all on a basis of equality and encourages all to meet their maximum potential.

VoiceAbility are a Disability Confident employer, any applicant that identifies themselves as having a disability and can demonstrate that they meet all the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. If you need to apply in a different way, please contact us for further options.

How to apply

To apply for this role please sign up for a recruitment account by clicking the apply button on this page. Follow the instructions to create your account, upload your CV, and complete our short application form. 

Important Dates:

Closing date for applications; Midnight on 10 October 2025, however, VoiceAbility reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy before this date. 

Don’t forget to read the person specification so you can tell us about yourself and how your skills, abilities and experiences match the criteria outlined in the person specification. 

Hint: you can use work, personal and/or voluntary experiences, and examples to tell us why you should be our next Public Affairs expert. 

Job Title: Policy and Impact Officer

Location: Home working with some travel 

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Salary: £24,000pa 

DBS/PVG: Not required

Job Family: 3

Line Manager: Head of Policy and Impact

Closing Date:  30th September 2025 We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications

Start Date: asap

Interview Dates: 23 October 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications

Who we are

At Volunteering Matters, we believe people have the power to create change. Whether through volunteering by helping others and giving time, or through social action such as speaking up, campaigning, or leading change, everyone can make a difference. We bring people together to build stronger communities across England, Scotland and Wales, making sure everyone has the chance to get involved and create real change.

What we do

We help people of all ages and backgrounds get involved in volunteering and social action. We focus on making sure that everyone, no matter their situation, has the chance to take part. 

How we do this

We support people to share their time and skills to help others and tackle big challenges in their communities.

• We remove barriers to volunteering and social action, making it easier for people who don’t always get the chance to take part.

• We listen to and amplify voices that aren’t always heard, helping volunteers and communities influence change.

• We help volunteers beyond their first experience, offering training, support, and pathways to new opportunities.

• We connect businesses with communities, creating meaningful employee volunteering projects.

• We show the impact of volunteering and social action, proving how it changes lives for the better.

Our promise to volunteers

We are always looking for new ways for volunteers to make a difference. We bring people together across generations and backgrounds to learn from each other and create change. At the same time, we make sure that all our volunteers are trained, supported, and valued, so they feel confident in what they do.

Role Purpose

The Policy and Impact Team sits at the heart of Volunteering Matters. We play a vital role in demonstrating the impact of our work connecting data, qualitative insight, and lived experience to the policy agendas shaping communities across the UK. Through storytelling, analysis, and evidence, we make sure volunteering is recognised as a driving force for social change.

We are a small, hands-on team. You will be involved in every aspect of our work from desk-based research and writing briefings to organising external meetings and working directly in communities alongside our volunteers. This variety allows you to connect national policy with local realities and help volunteers share their voices where it matters most.

 You will help bring our five-year strategy to life by linking project outcomes to broader societal developments and showcasing the impact of volunteers and communities.

Key Duties Responsibilities

· Support the Head of Policy and Impact to coordinate Volunteering Matters’ policy and public affairs work.

· Support people involved with our volunteering projects to engage with local politicians, e.g. by organising visits to projects or meetings with volunteers. 

· Monitor and respond to opportunities (e.g. relevant government consultations, All-Party Parliamentary Group inquiries or Select Committee inquiries) that are relevant to Volunteering Matters’ priorities.

· Support mapping and research exercises to inform our policy positioning. Writing summary reports as needed.

· Collaborate with the National Volunteer Engagement Manager to support the inclusion of volunteer and community voices in our policy and public affairs work.

· Assist with collecting impact and activity data from across the charity and work with the Data Analyst to undertake analysis.

· Support with routine collection of quarterly data from projects - ensuring responses are timely and accurate, providing guidance to project managers as needed.

· Work with project staff to help create impactful and engaging reports.

· Represent Volunteering Matters at charity and volunteering policy-related groups. 

 Essential Skills

· Understanding of UK political systems and policy-making processes across national, devolved, and local levels.

· Understanding of policy, public affairs, or influencing, ideally within the voluntary or community sector.

· Confident communicator, able to engage with policymakers, sector partners, and community representatives.

· Familiarity with both qualitative and quantitative data analysis to inform narrative reporting and strategic insight.

· Excellent writing skills, with the ability to craft clear, persuasive documents based on data and lived experience.

· Alignment with Volunteering Matters’ values and a commitment to amplifying community voice.

· Must adhere to the organisation’s Code of Conduct and uphold its values at all times.

· Proficient in Microsoft 365, particularly Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel, with the ability to manage email communications and collaborate digitally.

· Able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, managing time and priorities in a busy environment.

· For remote roles, candidates must be self-starters who can work with minimal supervision, stay organised, and remain motivated to meet deadlines and deliver quality outcomes.

· Attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving and information sharing.

Experience Required

No specific experience is required.

Qualifications

Relevant skills and values alignment is more important for this role than specific qualifications.

Our Values & Way of Working

In all that we do we are guided by our values: Empowering, Inclusive, Compassionate, Positive & Straightforward.

Disability Confident & Reasonable Adjustments

We guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role. Please provide evidence in your application, which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required in the Job Description under skill and experience. To be considered for a guaranteed interview or to discuss any reasonable adjustments during the process, please state this in your cover letter.

GDPR Statement

If you apply for a role with us, we will retain your contact details including your name, address, email address and phone number to help us manage your application for up to six months.  We will not use your personal data for any other purpose or share it with any third party. You can contact us at any point to update your personal information or ask us to delete it from our records.

Policy on AI-Generated Applications 

Applications are accepted on trust, and we expect all submissions to reflect the applicant’s own words, experiences, and motivations. While tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) may support the application process, applications should not be generated wholly by AI. 

To Apply

Please send an updated, complete CV and cover letter via the Charity Job Apply button above. In your application clearly state which role you are applying for. In the cover letter please demonstrate how you would fulfil the role requirements, what previous relevant achievements you have (both in life and at work), what skills & experience you can offer, and what you believe you can contribute to Volunteering Matters.

Please note that all applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to progress applications that don’t meet this requirement. 

If you have any questions about current vacancies, the recruitment process, or need support, our team is here to help. Whether you're a candidate looking for more information or with an HR query, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Working location: mostly remote work with some travel and overnight stays required

Working pattern: full-time 36.25 hours per week Monday-Friday

Reporting to: Corporate Partnerships Manager & Team Lead

Staff responsible for: None

Start date in role: 1st December 2025

Who we are: Brake is a renowned and respected road safety charity with a 30-year history dedicated to supporting people affected by road crashes and advocating for safer streets.

Why this role is important: Every 20 minutes, someone is killed or seriously injured on UK roads. For families affected, the emotional and practical challenges are immense. Brake provides trauma-informed care to individuals and families suffering from the sudden bereavement or life-altering injury of a loved one and campaigns tirelessly for positive change to prevent future collisions and save lives. This role will play a vital part in raising funding and the profile of our work effecting positive change for a safer future on our roads.

The role: Your ultimate purpose is to secure funding for the charity. Your main source of funding will be business development. You’ll promote various levels of partner packages to corporate businesses who are interested in supporting the charities vital work campaigning for change and supporting people bereaved and seriously injured by road crashes. You’ll prospect, pitch and close new business.

You’ll need to learn and understand the value of the partner packages, and how they can be best tailored to different potential partners.

You’ll also manage and maximise the accounts of our current partners, including the likes of BT, Autoglass and Royal Mail.

You’ll need corporate/B2B sales experience, along with the attentiveness and diligence required to manage longer term accounts.

What we offer:

- A generous 35 days of annual leave (including bank holidays and 3-day shutdown period between Christmas and New Year, pro-rata for part-time working patterns)

- Birthday day off

- Enhanced sick pay and compassionate leave

- Death in service benefit

- Pension

- Employee Assistance Programme

- Flexible working

- A rewarding role with purpose

- Be part of a skilled, friendly team with an engaged Board of Trustees 

Specifically seeking candidates with

• excellent comprehension and communication skills (analytical and numerical), reflected in your academic background and career
• a track record of applying these skills with a sense of ownership and focus on outcomes
• listening and negotiation skills. You forge respectful and positive relationships that drive towards communicated and shared goals, with steps that are mutually agreed
• an ability to strike agreements that have impact, fast and can demonstrate this (for example, through experience in leadership, business development, sales)
• an opportunistic, positive approach; you are able to spot a corporate lead or project opportunity that can be pragmatically pursued through partnership working
• a commercial approach. You understand that charities need to fundraise; and with more funds, we can do more good. You can confidently achieve funds through clear communication of the charity’s needs and the benefits of working with us
• a values-driven passion for our cause and the charity; and a sensitivity that enables you to work effectively with a range of people, including road victim volunteers. 

Equity, diversity & inclusion: Brake is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We welcome your application whatever your background or situation. We particularly welcome applications from those who are part of the global majority, the LGBTQIA+ community or disabled. We are proud to be a disability confident employer. We don’t want you to ‘fit’ our culture, we want you to enrich it.  So, if you have a passion for making a difference and share in our vision for a world where no one is killed on our roads, we would love to hear from you.

Not for traffic offenders: Due to the nature of our work we can't accept applications from traffic offenders. Candidates will be asked to disclose whether they have any unspent points on their licence at interview and driving licence checks are carried out prior to employment.

Apply now: If you're up for a new challenge and have the skills, apply now by sending your CV and cover letter. We'd like to get to know the real you through your application, not an AI version. If you do use AI to write your cover letter, please check it and make sure it reflects who you are. We encourage cover letters in alternative formats such as videos or presentations. These can be sent directly to our recruitment inbox.

Senior Media and Communications Officer

When registering to this job board you will be redirected to the online application form. Please ensure that this is completed in full in order that your application can be reviewed.

Senior Media and Communications Officer 

(UK Wide)

£32,145 per annum (pro rata for part time hours)

(Ref: 69REC)

Part Time: 22.5 hours per week – happy to talk flexible working

Base: Hybrid working from any UK wide Sustrans Hub

About the role

We have a new opportunity for a Senior Media and Communications Officer to join the Policy and Communications team. In this role, you will be responsible for establishing and maintaining strong media relations that drive positive media coverage, enhance brand awareness, attract new supporters, and uphold the charity’s reputation across all media platforms.

Working closely with colleagues across the charity, you will contribute to the development and delivery of impactful communications campaigns that effectively tell the story of our work, highlight our impact, and strengthen our brand.

We offer true hybrid working, a flexible mix of working from home and occasional travel to a nearest office hub.

About you

You will bring experience in managing media and communications projects designed to generate positive coverage, applying creative PR techniques across trade, local, and national media outlets.

You will have experience in developing and implementing communications campaigns that leverage media, digital channels, and events to raise awareness and engage support for a charity.

Skilled at building relationships across a wide range of people including journalists, commentators and bloggers. You will effectively manage reputational crisis communications and confidently support spokespeople and senior leaders in responding to challenging or negative media coverage.

You will have proven experience in translating complex issues for diverse audiences using plain language and accessible formats. 

You’ll be instrumental in providing communications support to teams across Sustrans including developing inspirational stories to showcase our work, creating content for publications and newsletters, preparing spokespeople with well-researched media briefings, pitching press releases and responding to media enquiries.

Sustrans has a long-term commitment to being a charity for everyone - reducing inequality, valuing diversity, enabling inclusion and ensuring all people are treated with dignity and respect. We aim to be a truly inclusive employer and welcome applications from people from all parts of the community, in particular from under-represented groups. 

What we offer

In return we can offer true hybrid working to suit individual circumstances and a flexible, supportive and rewarding working environment. 

Wellbeing

• 28 days’ leave per annum plus bank holidays for full-time working
• Ability to buy an extra week of annual leave (pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Staff volunteer days
• 24/7 free, impartial and confidential support service
• We are members of the Green Commute Initiative and Cycle Scheme who both offer cycle to work schemes

Financial

• Group Personal Pension scheme with a 6% or 7% of basic salary contribution being matched by Sustrans
• Bike, computer and season ticket loans
• Discount benefits
• London Weighting Allowance of £4,530 for all those living within a London Borough (32 local authority districts plus the City of London)
• Death in Service benefit – 3 x annual Salary

Family Friendly

• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Flexible Working practices (full time hours are 37.5 per week, Monday - Friday)

Additional information

• Closing date for the receipt of completed applications is 23:59, 28 September 2025
• Interviews will take place via MS Teams on the 9th or 10th October 2025
• We encourage early applications as the role may close ahead of schedule if we receive strong interest.

About Sustrans

At Sustrans you'll be part of a movement to make it easier for people to walk and cycle. 

We're all here to change things! You’ll be part of an incredible community of talented, passionate, creative, problem solvers all working together to change things for the better. We act locally and think big - we have a vision of a society where the way we travel creates healthier places and happier lives for everyone.

You'll be questioning the status quo and daring to imagine a different world. You'll work on exciting, impactful projects that will stretch and empower you and you'll be rewarded by seeing the difference you make to people, communities and the planet. 

 We believe including everyone is central to who we are and what we want to achieve, we welcome difference and pride ourselves on creating a culture where you can be yourself and where your wellness is supported. 

You'll be guaranteed to make friends for life and work with a team that is incredibly flexible, supportive, ethical and fun.

Call for expression of interest 

End-Term Evaluation Consultancy 

Project name: Strengthening Civil Society Representation of Women with Disabilities in Ghana 

Location: Ghana/Remote Global (at least 1-2 team members must be based in Ghana for data collection purposes) 

Length of consultancy: 8-9 months 

About the project 

The Strengthening Civil Society Representation of Women with Disabilities in Ghana project is a two-year project funded by the European Commission. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of two co-applicants (Women with Disability Development and Advocacy Organisation (WODAO) and the Alliance for Better Advocacy and Knowledge (ABAK) Foundation) in the areas of management, communication, fundraising, coordination, advocacy, gender, climate change, networking, and financial accountability.

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen both co-applicant organisations, their partners and their members to effectively participate in development and decision-making processes. 

About the consultancy 

The purpose of this end of term evaluation (ETE) is to assess performance of the project and to understand what specific learnings can be taken forward in future project design and implementation. It is also intended that the evaluation will contribute evidence and/or insight towards some of Sightsavers’ thematic learning questions. An external ETE, to be conducted by the end of the project, is also a requirement by the donor.  

The evaluation will also be designed to collect endline data for three project indicators, as specified in the project MEL plan. It is intended that the findings, learnings and recommendations from the evaluation will be used to inform the design and delivery of similar projects and programmes. 

The evaluation will employ a collaborative and participatory approach to ensure that the evaluation takes into account the complex nature of how capacity is strengthened. It will use a mixed methods approach, triangulating secondary project documentation and data with some qualitative primary data collection. This is likely to include key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with various project stakeholders. The appointed consultant will further define the methods and tools and may wish to consider elements of outcome harvesting if deemed appropriate.

Skills and Experience 

The evaluation will be contracted to an external independent consultant or consultancy company. It would be beneficial if the consultant or team is at least partly located in Ghana. The evaluation team members should have the following core competencies and experience: 

• Extensive experience in monitoring and evaluation for international development project/programmes, with strong skills in both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

• Thematic expertise in disability inclusion, Climate Action, advocacy, and/or capacity development of women’s organisations is essential. Comprehensive understanding of preferred practices/policy issues at global and national level is desirable. 

• Prior experience working in Ghana is essential, including data collection experience. A consultant or team with members located in Ghana is preferred. 

• Must have experience of carrying out evaluations of an appropriate scope and scale. 

• Ability to travel within Ghana is required. 

• Proven ability to produce concise, readable and analytical reports. 

• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken, in English. Fluency in other relevant local languages is highly desirable. 

• Proven ability to work independently, manage resources, and deliver work within agreed timeframes. 

In particular, the Team Leader (to be identified in the offer) is expected to possess a demonstrable senior evaluation expertise coherent with the requirements of this assignment and not provide less than 20 working days. 

This is a highly varied and involved consultancy position, and the above is not an exhaustive list of duties, required professional skills, project information, or expected scope of work. Please ensure you read the full Terms of Reference (ToR) for all details.  

Next Steps 

To apply for this exciting new opportunity, please complete an application via our recruitment portal. 

All applications must include: 

Budget Template (link here) – Please complete and upload this as part of your application 

CVs of all proposed consultants 

Completion of our online Expression of Interest from (EOI): Please ensure that Section 3 (Addressing the requirements) of the EoI form covers the following two points : 

1. Please describe your proposed design for the evaluation/learning exercise with particular reference to the key questions from the ToRs (Max 500 words). 

• Task conceptualisation

• Approach, framework 

• Methods, tools

• Etc.

1. Please describe your approach to addressing equity and inclusion, including gender, disability, marginalised communities etc. (Max 300 words) 

We anticipate that remote interviews will take place during the weeks of 6 October or 13 October 2025 and the evaluation process will include a 1 stage oral interview to be completed by shortlisted candidates.

Closing date: 28 September 2025 

As a global equal opportunities employer, Sightsavers is committed to embracing diversity throughout our workforce by creating an inclusive environment that reflects the many cultures and locations where we work. Our workforce will be truly representative of all sections of society and we will actively promote the inclusion of individuals with a disability. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.

Sightsavers is an employer that does not tolerate any form of harassment and has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. All potential candidates will be subjected to rigorous background checks and controls. 

Having adopted a new and ambitious strategy, and embarked on a period of transformational change, Two Saints are now looking to ensure they are in the strongest position to deliver their vision in what are difficult times. This vision is ‘to be a safety net for people in tough times and the springboard to a brighter future.’ The organisation delivers a full range of services to clients across Hampshire, Dorset, Berkshire and the Isle of Wight, and the role of the Two Saints Board is to guide, direct and challenge the plans and strategic decisions relating to these services.

So we’re looking for people who can help Two Saints deliver their vision, with  a background and experience in either:

• Asset management, perhaps with experience of the net-zero agenda
• Supported housing services or social care

We’re interested in hearing from talented people who may be looking for their first governance role, and you may have had lived experience.

If you’re interested in what Two Saints do and feel you can make a contribution, we’d like to hear from you so take a look at the candidate pack here https://bit.ly/45U1yDX.