Policy and public affairs officer jobs

Join us as a Public Affairs Officer to support the growth of our influencing and campaigning profile, helping to deliver high-impact content and campaigns that mobilise supporters, influence policy and raise awareness of issues that impact equine welfare in the UK and around the world.

About the role
As part of our Public Affairs team, you’ll lead on supporter content and digital communications, tailoring messages for different audiences to maximise reach and engagement. You’ll support research and report writing, monitor UK and EU policy developments, and track campaign performance to help shape future work. You’ll also play a key role in growing and engaging our supporter network—mobilising people to take action and strengthening our influence with decisionmakers.

This is a part-time role, working remotely for three days a week between 09:00 to 16:00. There is flexibility to discuss which days would suit you best, except for Wednesdays, which are required. You will be required to attend the charity’s head office located in Norfolk a minimum of 6 times per year and this will be at your own expense for travel and accommodation.

About you:

You’re a clear, confident communicator with experience writing for digital channels, using campaign technology and working collaboratively across teams. You build positive relationships with supporters and stakeholders and understand how campaigning can influence decision makers, supported by knowledge of UK and/or EU legislative frameworks. You’re organised and pro-active, able to manage multiple priorities and adapt quickly in a fast-moving environment. Analytical and research skills, an understanding of equines and the ability to speak another language are desirable.

What we offer:

• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contributions up to 8%, rising to 12% with length of service.
• Employee health cash plan to cover expenses such as dental, optical, physiotherapy, etc.
• Annual Leave entitlement of 20 days (increasing to 25 days with service), plus bank holidays, plus a Christmas allowance for mandatory shutdown.
• Paid employee sickness absence scheme and compassionate leave.
• Life assurance scheme of 4x annual salary.

World Horse Welfare is committed to championing equality and diversity in all aspects of employment and the services we provide. We actively encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities.

World Horse Welfare takes great pride in being realistic, compassionate and forward-thinking and the successful applicant for any of our vacancies will be expected to share these values.

This is an exciting opportunity to engage in parliamentary, policy and civil society engagement work. We are looking for a Public Affairs Officer to support the implementation of the Trust's Public Affair's strategy. Working closely with the Public Affairs Manager, the role helps to build understanding and commitment among policy-makers ensuring that the Holocaust remains a central part of the UK's national consciousness. The successful candidate will provide meaningful support to activity that influences decision and policy makers; develop strong relationships with stakeholders; and provide ongoing political support for Holocaust education and antisemitism education across the UK. 

Over the course of our history, the Trust has created and delivered innovative and meaningful learning experiences and educational programmes which reach over 100,000 young people each year, teaching them about what the Holocaust was, and its relevance today. The school programmes we deliver include our Outreach Programme, our Lessons from Auschwitz Project; The Youth Advocacy Programme; Testimony 360: People and Places of the Holocaust; and Teacher Training.

The successful candidate will provide meaningful support to activity that influences decsion and policy makers; develop strong relationships with stakeholders; and provide ongoing political support for Holocaust education and antisemitism education across the UK. 

The Officer contributes essential research, coordination, written and logistical support to the Public Affairs Manager.

Key Responsibilities:

• Parliamentary and Public Affairs Support
• Political and Policy Monitoring
• Events and Engagement
• Team and Organisational Support

To find out more, and for details on how to apply, interested candidates should read the full application pack and head to our website to apply. 

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

We’re looking for a motivated and committed public affairs manager to join the policy, evidence and influencing team. In this role, you’ll help deliver change for people affected by breast cancer by leading our public affairs work in the UK Parliament and across England. 

You’ll be responsible for developing and delivering a public affairs strategy to raise awareness of the critical issues for people affected by breast cancer. You’ll work with colleagues across the team and organisation to design influencing activities and events that deliver change. You’ll build strong relationships with parliamentarians and other public affairs stakeholders.

This role manages a public affairs officer. You’ll work closely with them to provide the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Breast Cancer.

About you

With experience of working in relevant public affairs roles to deliver significant change, you’ll be an excellent communicator, well-organised and able to work under pressure to tight deadlines. You’ll be confident working with a wide range of people and have experience of supervising or managing people. You’ll also have an excellent understanding of the policy and influencing landscape that Breast Cancer Now works in.

Job description and benefits

Please download the job description and our attractive benefits package.

Primary location of role and hybrid working

This role is primarily based in our London 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 Monday 16 March 2026 9am

Interview date week commencing 23 March 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.

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 (At least three days per week in the office)

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 Press and Communications Officer and Policy and Communications Assistant

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

· At least two years post degree experience

· 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 British Dyslexia Association is a national charity representing the voice of people with dyslexia. We work to influence government, shift public understanding and drive change in education, employment, health and wider society.

We’re looking for a part‑time Public Affairs & Policy Manager to lead our policy and parliamentary engagement work. This is a varied and rewarding role where you’ll help shape our influencing strategy, strengthen our relationships across Westminster and Whitehall, and ensure lived experience sits at the heart of our policy positions.

Although the role is broad and varied, you won’t be expected to manage everything all at the same time. A clear set of priorities will be agreed with the senior leadership team.

 Key responsibilities:

• Lead our parliamentary engagement strategy and political influencing.
• Build relationships with MPs, Peers, Ministers, advisers and key civil servants.
• Monitor parliamentary activity, policy developments and emerging issues.
• Prepare policy briefings, consultation responses and evidence‑based reports.
• Support our presence at political events, conferences and roundtables.
• Represent the BDA in meetings and sector forums.
• Work with colleagues, researchers and people with lived experience to shape strong, accessible policy positions.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience in public affairs, parliamentary engagement or policy influencing.
• Good understanding of UK Parliamentary and government processes.
• Proven ability to shape policy or achieve change within public bodies.
• Excellent communication skills and confidence building relationships at senior levels.
• Strong organisation, political awareness and a collaborative approach.
• Passion for improving outcomes for dyslexic people.

Flexible & family‑friendly working

We are a family‑friendly employer and welcome different working patterns, including the option to spread hours across the week. We encourage candidates to tell us what works for them.

Why join us? 

This is your chance to make a real difference by shaping policy, influencing decision-makers, and helping create a society where dyslexic people can thrive. You’ll work in a collaborative, supportive environment with colleagues who share your passion for positive change. 

Please view the job description for full details about the role, responsibilities, and person specification before applying. 

Closing date: 23 March 2026. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received, so we encourage you to apply early. 

Use of AI in applications 
We value the unique experience and perspective each candidate brings. While we understand that AI tools can be helpful in drafting applications, they can sometimes result in responses that feel generic or impersonal. This makes it harder for us to get a true sense of you. 

To help your application stand out, we encourage you to write your responses in your own words. If you do use AI tools to support your writing, please treat the generated content as a starting point rather than a final answer. Make sure your application genuinely reflects your experience and voice. 

Salary: £45000-£49000 p.a DOE

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Reports to: Senior Insight Manager

Direct reports: There is potential for line management responsibility for an Insight Officer to support their development, oversee elements of their work, and help to ensure high standards of research quality and delivery.

Location: Harlow, Essex. Easily commutable from London Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale Station. We offer a free minibus service to/from Harlow Town Train Station as well as free parking and EV charging on site.

Extra Information: Open to conversation on hybrid, flexible and compressed working arrangements. The team works a minimum of two days a week from the office.

About the role:

At the Motability Foundation we fund, support, research and innovate so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. We oversee the Motability Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year. We award grants to other charities and organisations who provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. We also carry out ongoing research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all.

This role will support the Senior Insight Manager in delivering policy research and insight as part of the new insight function. This role sits at the intersection of research and policy, ensuring that evidence is not only generated, but interpreted and mobilised effectively to inform forward-looking organisational positioning.

What you will be doing:

As Policy Research Manager, you’ll play a central role in building and mobilising the evidence needed to influence policy and public debate on mobility, disability and welfare reform. Working closely with colleagues across Insight, Policy and Public Affairs, you’ll help to ensure that the Foundation has a robust, timely and compelling evidence base to support advocacy, engagement with decision-makers, and external partnerships.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing clear and persuasive evidence narratives that demonstrate the social value and impact of the Foundation’s work, drawing on research, evaluation findings and wider policy evidence
• Scoping, developing and oversight of rapid evidence reviews and insight summaries to inform policy positions, responses to consultations and support external engagement
• Delivering forward-looking policy analyses using futures and foresight approaches (including horizon scanning and trend synthesis), assessing potential implications for disabled people and organisational positioning.
• Acting as the lead for policy-relevant research on welfare reform and related priority areas, synthesising internal and external evidence to inform organisational responses
• Supporting coordination with Motability Operations on shared policy and research priorities
• Supporting relationships with external partners including Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), think tanks and public research bodies, including representing the Foundation to contribute an evidence-informed perspective
• Supporting dissemination and engagement activity, including roundtables, briefings, thought pieces and events that help shape debate and explore innovative policy solutions
• Working collaboratively across the organisation to move our evidence and insight from reactive to proactive, strengthening our influence over time

Your experience:

You’re curious, motivated and motivated by public impact. You enjoy turning complex evidence into clear messages that resonate with different audiences, and you’re keen to see research used to influence real-world decisions. You understand what makes for good enough evidence to influence policy making.

You’re comfortable working across organisational boundaries and with external partners, and you bring energy, judgement and confidence to conversations about policy, evidence and social value.

You’re likely to thrive in this role if you:

• Enjoy synthesising research and data into compelling, accessible insight
• Are motivated by social purpose and improving outcomes for disabled people
• Have a strong interest in public policy
• Have a strong understanding of how evidence can be used to influence decision-making
• Are proactive, organised and able to respond quickly to emerging issues
• Are confident representing an organisation externally and contributing to policy discussions
• Like working collaboratively and building trusted relationships across teams and sectors

If you’re interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience, we'd still encourage you to apply.

Requirements

We recognise that candidates may come from a range of backgrounds. We’re particularly interested in people with strong potential who are keen to develop their skills in a purpose-driven environment.

Must haves:

• Experience conducting or coordinating research, evidence reviews or analysis in a policy, public affairs, research or related setting
• Familiarity with government policy-making processes, consultations and/or parliamentary engagement
• Ability to synthesise complex information into clear, concise written outputs
• Understanding of how research and evidence can be packaged and used effectively to inform or influence public policy
• Experience working with or alongside external organisations such as think tanks, charities, DPOs, academic or public research bodies
• Strong written communication skills and confidence contributing to external briefings, reports or events
• A relevant degree or postgraduate qualification in a social science, public policy or related discipline, or equivalent work experience

Nice to haves:

• Experience working on disability, welfare, transport or social policy issues
• Experience supporting advocacy or public affairs activity using evidence
• Experience designing or managing rapid evidence reviews or insight products
• A recognised professional research qualification such as the MRS Advanced Certificate, or equivalent professional research training.

Benefits

Who are we?

We are building a future where all disabled people have the transport options to make the journeys they choose.

We fund, support, research and innovate so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. We oversee the Motability Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year. We award grants to charities and organisations who provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. We also carry out ongoing research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all.

Why choose us?

We want working for the Motability Foundation to be the best career move you’ve ever made. When you join the Motability Foundation you will join a group of people who are supportive, innovative and motivated to improve the lives of our beneficiaries.

We value everyone’s unique qualities and celebrate having a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture where everyone feels safe to be their authentic selves. This is embedded into our values, Collaborative, Respectful and Evolving.

We bring our people together through our People Forum, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Forum, Social Squad and our Wellbeing Champions and our employee Spotlight Awards help us recognise the excellence and dedication of our staff.

We are proud to be recognised as Disability Confident Leader, have attained Platinum Level Award for Investors in People and are members of the Business Disability Forum.

A career with Motability Foundation can offer you so much more than earning potential, we pride ourselves in offering some fantastic benefits. Some of these include:

• 26 days annual leave, plus the option to buy/ sell up to five days.
• One wellbeing day for extra flexibility.
• Pension scheme - Up to 20%, including a 10% non-contributory contribution and matched contributions up to 5%.
• Life Assurance of four times your salary.
• Private healthcare through BUPA for you and your family, along with a Medicash Health Plan.
• Employee assistance programme: GP appointments, eye tests, flu vaccinations, sick pay and free gym and yoga sessions.
• Enhanced Parental Leave, including Adoption Pay.
• Free parking, EV charge points and a minibus service to/from the town centre and train station.
• Fresh fruit, breakfast snacks, and a Dress for Your Day dress code.
• Learning and development opportunities to help you grow.

Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, and we aim to be an employer of choice for candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we have committed to ensuring that disabled people and those with long term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to perform their best when interviewing and when working with us, so if you require any reasonable adjustments that would make you more comfortable, please let us know so that we can do our best to support you.

To help us create an inclusive workplace we are committed to offering to interview every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the job. Some of our roles attract a high volume of applications and in some circumstances, we may need to limit the number of interviews offered to disabled and non-disabled candidates. re

ImpactEd Consulting is acting as recruitment advisor to FEA on this appointment.

Thank you for your interest in the role of Director of Policy, Public Affairs and Influence at the Fair Education Alliance

We are proud to be a coalition of 300 organisations united behind a simple but powerful belief: that no child’s success should be limited by their socioeconomic background. We exist to shift the conditions that hold inequity in place through collaboration across schools, colleges, higher education institutions, charities, youth organisations, researchers, funders, and young people themselves.

Our 2025-30 strategy, From Neighbourhood to National: A Strategy to ensure every child and young person thrives, is rooted in systems change—tackling not just policies and practices, but also the resources, relationships, power and mental models that hold inequity in place. Our work targets root causes, deepens collective impact, and embraces the complexity—and opportunity—of true transformation.

We are now recruiting a Director of Policy, Public Affairs and Influence to strengthen the FEA’s external leadership at a critical point in our development. As we implement our strategy, we are placing greater emphasis on how we represent the collective insight of our members, and how we use our convening role to shape agendas at local, regional and national levels.  

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, and working closely with the Co-Chief Executive Officers, this role will lead FEA’s policy positioning and public affairs activity and play a central role in representing the Alliance externally. The Director will be trusted to shape where and how FEA engages in public debate and decision-making, ensuring that our collective voice is credible and influential, and grounded in the experience of our members and partners across the system. This includes working closely with young people, recognising them as critical contributors and often the most powerful spokespeople for our work, and creating meaningful opportunities for their voices to shape our policy and public affairs activity.

This is a senior leadership role for someone who is comfortable operating through influence rather than formal authority, and who brings confidence in navigating complex policy environments. It offers the opportunity to shape how a large, diverse coalition contributes to public debate and policy thinking at a moment when joined-up, system-level approaches to educational equity are increasingly needed.

We hope you will consider applying.

Key dates

• Applications close: Monday 16 March (10 am)

• First round interviews: 26th and 27th March (online)

• Final interviews: 1st-2nd, 7-9th April (in person at the FEA office in London)

• Start date: as soon as possible, to be agreed with the successful candidate

About the role

The Policy and Public Affairs Manager plays a pivotal role in protecting and championing civil society. In this role you will harness the collective voice of our members and use evidence-led advocacy to influence policy, helping create the best possible environment for organisations to deliver their missions.

This role will blend strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, shaping and executing impactful, meaningful change.

Key responsibilities

• Leading on projects and influencing policy change.
• Creative public affairs activity while building trusted relationships with decision makers.
• Developing a public affairs plan to achieve on strategic aims.
• Line Management of a Policy and Public Affairs Officer.

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive, strategic thinker who thrives on making a tangible difference. You’ll shape NCVO’s influence, deliver creative advocacy campaigns, and strengthen the sector by ensuring civil society organisations can thrive.

Your background

• Significant experience in policy, public affairs or influencing roles, ideally within the voluntary, public or membership sector.
• A strong track record of leading projects that have successfully influenced policy or built political support.
• Experience developing and delivering strategic public affairs plans aligned to organisational objectives.
• Proven ability to translate evidence and insight into compelling policy positions and advocacy campaigns.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with experience engaging decision-makers and senior stakeholders.

Joining NCVO as Policy and Public Affairs Manager offers a unique opportunity to influence the environment in which civil society operates. You’ll work at the heart of a respected, mission-driven organisation, shaping policy conversations, amplifying the collective voice of our members and driving meaningful change.

About the Team

The Policy, Public Affairs and Research team works to ensure voluntary organisations have the wider conditions they need to achieve their missions. PPA analyses the political landscape, develops and communicates credible policy solutions to support the sector, and builds strong relationships across Westminster and Whitehall.

We may close applications early if we receive a high volume of interest, so apply as soon as you can.

Why join us

With members at the heart of everything we do, we champion the charities and volunteers who make a daily difference to our communities across England. Join us and help us make communities stronger and support us making a bigger difference!

Some of NCVO’s great benefits include:

• 25 days’ annual leave (pro-rata for part-time staff), increasing based on years of service
• five days’ volunteering leave (pro rata for part-time staff)
• enhanced pay for maternity/adoption leave
• generous employer pension contribution of up to 8.5% of salary.

Find out more about the benefits of working at NCVO.

Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Are you ready to influence national policy and improve foster care for children and young people across Scotland?

Position: Policy and Public Affairs Officer
Salary: £27,953 to £33,130 per annum
Location: Hybrid, with travel to Glasgow office at least one day per week
Hours: 35 hours per week, full time
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: Sunday 15th March
Interview Date: 24th March TBC

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to shape policy and influence decision makers at a pivotal time for children’s social care in Scotland.

Working within a UK wide Policy and Campaigns team, you will lead work in Scotland to influence legislation, policy and practice. You will ensure policy positions and campaigns are evidence based, drawing on research, stakeholder engagement and lived experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing evidence based policy positions and solutions to influence national and local decision making
• Drafting high quality briefings, consultation responses and reports
• Leading research projects and analysing data to inform policy and campaigning prioritie
• Building and maintaining relationships with MSPs, government officials, regulators and sector partners
• Planning and delivering events such as roundtables, focus groups and parliamentary engagement activity
• Producing written content for websites, social media and member communications
• Supporting participation activity, including engagement with young people to inform influencing work

You will also play a central role in major research initiatives, including large scale surveys, ensuring outputs are robust, credible and impactful.

About You

You will bring strong experience in policy development, research and influencing, ideally within children’s social care or a related field.

You will have:

• Experience of developing policy and drafting reports and consultation responses
• Experience of campaigning, lobbying or working with parliamentary processes
• Strong research and analytical skills, including working with quantitative and qualitative data
• An understanding of Scottish Government and parliamentary structures
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to translate complex issues clearly
• Experience of building effective stakeholder relationships at senior levels
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

Knowledge of foster care or children’s social care issues would be highly beneficial.

About the Organisation

This leading UK charity and membership body works to empower, enrich and support relationships at the heart of fostering. Through research, campaigning and collaboration, it seeks to improve foster care policy and practice so that children and young people can thrive.

The organisation offers flexible and hybrid working, generous annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies and a strong commitment to inclusive recruitment and support for care experienced applicants.

Other roles you may have experience of could include; Policy Officer, Public Affairs Officer, Campaigns Officer, Research Officer, Parliamentary Officer, Policy and Research Officer, External Affairs Officer, Advocacy Officer, Children’s Policy Adviser.

If you are driven by evidence, confident in influencing decision makers and passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people, we would welcome your application.

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People.

This is a senior communications and public affairs role at The British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) at a pivotal moment for human rights in the UK. You will help shape public and political narratives about the Human Rights Act, amplify lived experience, and ensure BIHR’s expertise cuts through in national debates.

You will lead BIHR’s external communications -  including media, digital content, and website oversight – and support evidence‑informed policy positioning and parliamentary engagement. Working closely with colleagues across the charity, you’ll transform insights from our programmes into powerful, accessible messaging and high‑impact advocacy.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a small but mighty team known for its expertise, credibility, and influence on human rights in everyday systems.

Please note this is not an entry‑level role.

Key Responsibilities

Please refer to the Application Pack for the full details, but below is a summary.

 Communications

• Lead BIHR’s external communications strategy to ensure consistent, accessible, rights‑based messaging.
• Draft proactive and reactive press releases and media statements.
• Secure media opportunities highlighting BIHR’s work and the role of the HRA/ECHR.
• Manage the consistency and quality of website content.
• Create engaging digital content that translates complex human rights issues into clear, plain language.
• Maintain a content calendar aligned with key parliamentary, policy, and public affairs milestones.
• Track and analyse engagement data to inform strategy.

 Policy Evidence, Analysis & Positioning

• Conduct policy research grounded in the HRA/ECHR framework.
• Translate lived and practitioner experience into evidence‑informed policy positions and recommendations.
• Draft high‑quality briefings, consultation responses, reports, and messaging documents.
• Horizon‑scan for risks and opportunities to protect and advance human rights.
• Maintain BIHR’s internal knowledge base on HRA/ECHR and priority policy areas.

 Government & Parliamentary Engagement

• Monitor UK parliamentary activity and analyse implications for the HRA/ECHR and BIHR’s work.
• Build relationships with parliamentarians, government officials, and parliamentary offices.
• Support targeted advocacy to defend the HRA/ECHR and promote rights‑respecting law and policy.
• Represent BIHR at political and policy meetings and events.
• Ensure monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of public affairs activity.

 Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Build and sustain partnerships with NGOs, academics, policymakers, legal professionals, civil servants, and parliamentarians.
• Represent BIHR externally and engage in sector networks.
• Communicate BIHR’s policy positions and resources clearly and effectively.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration and influence.

 Other organisational requirements

• Work collaboratively as part of a small team.
• Support organisational processes and continuous improvement.
• Undertake other duties as required.

Who the Role Is Suitable For

This role is ideal for someone who brings strong communications skills, policy and advocacy experience, and a commitment to human rights as practical tools for change.

You’ll thrive if you:

• Can translate complex law and policy into accessible, compelling communications.
• Have experience engaging with parliamentarians, officials, and senior stakeholders.
• Are confident in human rights frameworks, particularly the HRA.
• Enjoy working in a small, collaborative team.
• Can manage competing priorities in a fast‑moving, politically sensitive environment.
• Live within approximately one hour of London, as regular Westminster/Whitehall meetings are expected.

Please refer to the Application Pack for a detailed Person Specification.

Applying for the role

Please click on the 'Redirect to recruiter' button (above or below) to:

• Get more information about the role, how to apply, and the selection and interview process/timing.
• Download an Application Pack and Application form (and an optional Equality & Diversity Form).

Please also note that:

• Completed application forms must be received by 10am on Wednesday 11 March 2026; we regret that late applications will not be considered.
• You should not submit a CV and cover letter instead of using the application form; such applications will also not be considered.

Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to receiving your application form.

Head of Policy and Public Affairs

Bring your energy, creativity and expertise - and help us impact young people positively.

Location: Sherborne House, London (hybrid)

Salary: £52,535 per annum

Closing Date: 29 March, 2026

Employment Type: Permanent

Hours per week: 37.5

About the Role

Step into a role where your policy expertise drives real change. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs, you’ll lead an ambitious strategy to influence national decision‑makers, shape legislation and ensure the voices of people affected by homelessness are impossible to ignore. You’ll turn insight into impact, championing our values while strengthening our political presence and public profile

You’ll build powerful relationships across Westminster, Whitehall and the wider sector, producing sharp briefings, commissioning research and delivering high‑profile events that elevate Depaul’s influence. Confident in the media and skilled at simplifying complex issues, you’ll work across teams to anticipate policy change, spark innovation and help drive forward our mission to end homelessness. If you’re driven, strategic and ready to make national change happen, this is your platform.

Key deliverables:

• Develop organisational policy positions on key strategic issues for Depaul UK, focusing on policy areas that matter for our client group including homelessness, housing, welfare, health and care leavers.

• Working with the Director of Development and External Affairs to deliver a multi-year policy and public affairs strategy, you will own its delivery, having demonstrable impact on policy through influencing legislation, as well as securing funding and commitments from the government .

• Work with the Executive Director of Fundraising and Communications and their team to improve Depaul’s public profile by giving us a louder political voice.

• Work with the Executive Director of Operations and their team to ensure Depaul is well positioned to respond to changes in policy and regulation.

• Work in partnership with Depaul UK’s Head of Data and Insights on research projects designed to influence policy.

• Monitor, analyse and report on policy developments which may impact on the work of Depaul UK.

• Provide high quality written and verbal briefings, reports and submissions to consultations.

• Work with senior colleagues to develop positive relationships for Depaul UK with ministers, senior officials, elected Mayors, Parliamentarians and with other policy influencers including our peers in the homeless sector.

• Ensure that the voices and experiences of clients are heard and understood to improve and change services delivered by Depaul, commissioners and policy makers.

• Give interviews to the media.

• Organise and coordinate events and meetings.

• Strengthen Depaul’s links with other voluntary sector organisations in the homelessness, youth and faith sectors.

• Contribute to Depaul International’s global influencing work.

What we are looking for from you (Person Specification)

When completing your application form please address all the areas below. Try to provide clear examples in your supporting statement that clarify how and when you gained the experience or knowledge as well as your level of capability.

To carry out this role we are looking for the following from you in terms of qualifications, experience, skills and competencies:

Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of the homelessness sector and policy context is desirable but not essential, it is essential that you have developed strong, specialist knowledge of a UK policy area or areas.

Experience and skills

• Having had demonstrable impact on government policy.

• Developing and maintaining positive relationships with Parliamentarians and officials

• Organising or helping to organise events, it is desirable but not essential that you have organised events in Parliament

• Leading projects with colleagues from different internal or external teams

• Delivering high quality verbal and written policy briefings and presentations to senior stakeholders

• Working with colleagues to secure media coverage

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to work on own initiative and with low levels of supervision

• Ability to prioritise key tasks and manage conflicting priorities

• Ability to deliver to deadlines, sometimes at short notice

• Desirable - drafting and delivering policy and/or public affairs plans/strategies

• Desirable - representing organisations in the media and at events

You will need to be able to travel throughout the UK and on occasions work out of hours.

You believe in people — their strengths, their rights and their potential. You bring empathy, energy and a solution‑focused mindset to your work. You communicate clearly, stay organised and adapt well in a fast‑moving environment. You’re committed to inclusion, fairness and continuous learning, and you turn values into meaningful action, whatever your role.

What You’ll Receive

• Tailored training and development
• Flexible working options where suitable
• 26 days annual leave, rising with service
• Family‑friendly leave policies
• Pension scheme with employer contributions up to 7%
• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 GP access
• Discounts across retail, travel, food, fitness and more
• Cash health plan for you and your family
• Death‑in‑service benefit
• Access to legal and practical support

Safer Recruitment

Depaul UK is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If a role requires it under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, we will carry out the appropriate Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. We only look at information that is relevant to the role, and a criminal record will never be treated as an automatic barrier to employment. All DBS information is handled sensitively, confidentially and in line with the DBS Code of Practice, and we encourage applicants to discuss any concerns with us openly.

About Depaul UK

In the 1980s, high unemployment and steep inflation was contributing to a shocking rise in youth homelessness across London. Thousands of young people were sleeping rough every night, with many areas notoriously dubbed “cardboard cities” due to the visible rise in street homelessness. Appalled by the scenes playing out across the capital, a group of people came together to tackle the challenge head on. Led by Cardinal Basil Hume and Mark McGreevy OBE, in 1989 Depaul UK was born.

What began as a single housing project in North London soon expanded across London, Greater Manchester and the North East of England. Today, Depaul UK provides accommodation, prevention and support services to thousands of marginalised young people across the UK each year.

As our name suggests, the work of Depaul UK has been inspired by St. Vincent de Paul – a man who devoted his life to helping vast numbers of people throughout the 17th century. St. Vincent de Paul’s belief in the intrinsic worth of all people and his commitment to taking bold action remain central to our values today. Depaul UK now forms part of a family of Depaul charities around the world. We each focus on the specific challenges in our own countries, but we’re united by our shared values and mission to end homelessness.

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People.

Good health is essential for people and communities to thrive; it is the foundation of a happy and prosperous society. For more than 150 years it has been our mission to improve and protect the health of the public by addressing the factors that determine it. We are recruiting to this exciting and challenging External Affairs role which brings together policy and communications to strengthen our national voice, increase our impact and support delivery of our mission.

We are looking for a strategic, outward‑facing leader to establish and lead this new role. You will bring political insight, strong judgement and the ability to turn evidence and policy into compelling public‑facing narrative. You will oversee parliamentary engagement, policy adoption, campaigns, media relations and organisational narrative, ensuring RSPH’s voice is clear, confident and influential.

This is a rare opportunity to shape a new function and lead teams working across policy, influencing and communications. You will play a central role in raising RSPH’s profile, supporting adoption of our programmes and positioning us as a leading voice on public health, inequalities and the wider public health workforce.

About you

We welcome candidates from policy, public affairs, communications or corporate affairs backgrounds. You will be able to demonstrate:

• Strong political awareness and experience engaging with Parliamentary and national stakeholders
• Confident communications leadership including media, narrative and external messaging
• The ability to build coalitions and secure influence and adoption
• Clear strategic judgement in complex or fast‑moving contexts
• Experience leading and developing teams

In return we offer:

• 25 days annual leave
• Agile hybrid working structure – 9-day fortnight available
• Pension contributions
• BUPA Cash plan
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Membership of the Royal Society for Public Health
• Access to public health knowledge and skills training courses and qualifications
• Organisational commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of our employees
• Welcoming and friendly team of colleagues, and an active Health Champions programme

RSPH values and actively strives to have a diverse and inclusive workforce in a working environment free from discrimination.

Please do let us know if you require any adjustment to allow you to participate in this recruitment process.

RSPH operates an agile working policy with some attendance at our London office according to business need.

Interviews will be held at our offices in Whitechapel on Monday 20 April.  If you are unable to attend, please indicate this on your application.

Internship opportunities for 2026-27

Are you a young *Christian who is passionate about issues of justice and peace? Do you want to explore the intersection of faith, policy, and politics, and potentially pursue a career in one of these fields? The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) is recruiting to two full time paid internship positions to start in September 2026.

Interns work as part of a small ecumenical team on a diverse range of tasks and initiatives including communications, policy, campaigning and supporter engagement, contributing to the public advocacy and political engagement work of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches.

JPIT is a partnership between the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church, and the Church of Scotland is an associate partner. Its purpose is to help the Churches to work together for peace and justice through listening, learning, praying, speaking and acting on public policy issues. It is a team which brings together around ten staff working across the denominations. In recent years it has focused on issues around poverty, the economy, refugees and migration, the environment, peace and conflict, and politics.

These internships provide opportunities to develop skills in campaigning, communications, research, and policy within a dynamic team environment. There will be opportunities for professional and personal learning and development to equip the intern for further employment after their time on the internship. Whilst we are looking for some evidence of certain skills and experience, candidates will have the opportunity to develop relevant skills during their time in the role.

They are full time paid roles with fixed-term contracts to the end of August 2027, and a salary of £26,936.00 per year (we are committed to paying at least the London Living Wage). The roles are based in the Methodist Connexional Team which offers hybrid working arrangements, with an expectation of spending at least two days a week at an office base in central London.

We welcome and encourage applications from a diverse range of people. You should be aged 21-30, have excellent communication skills, be enthusiastic and willing to take on new challenges, be interested in political engagement and be a practicing Christian. An Enhanced DBS Check will be required.

Our Culture, Values and Benefits

Thank you for considering joining our inclusive and welcoming team that strives for excellence and values employee wellbeing.

We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), TOIL, flexi-leave and an on-site Well-being Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme, where the Methodist Church will pay double the employee contribution up to a maximum of 16% employer contribution.

The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups.

We are a Disability Confident employer and welcome applications from people living with disabilities. If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please contact the HR team (details on our website). 

Application Details

• Visit the JPIT site for further details of the role. 
• The closing date for completed application forms is Friday, 10 April 2026
• Interviews will be held in London on Wednesday 6th May 2026. Candidates called to interview will be notified at least a week in advance.

*This post is restricted to Christians due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement section under Schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

The Bevan Foundation is seeking a new policy and research officer to join our team. Could you support the Bevan Foundation in its mission to end poverty in Wales?

About the Bevan Foundation

The Bevan Foundation is Wales's most influential think tank. We create insights, ideas and impact that help to end poverty and inequality. Over recent years the Foundation has helped secure real and lasting change for people across Wales, from universal free school meals for primary pupils to increases in Education Maintenance Allowance. We’ve built a reputation for trusted, evidence-based insights and ideas that influence decision-makers and improve lives.

About this role

This is new and exciting role in our policy and research team. This role will have a particular focus on poverty, with the successful candidate working on a wide range of poverty issues from child poverty to housing. You’ll gather and analyse evidence, help to develop practical proposals for change and be involved in persuading decision-makers to take action.

About you

You will have an excellent grounding in qualitative and quantitative research methods and a sound grasp of social and economic policies in Wales. You’ll be able to explain your work clearly and persuasively, with good written and oral skills. You’ll be able to engage effectively with a wide range of people, from stakeholders to people on low incomes. You’ll be well-organised and able to operate independently as well as collaboratively with a wider team.

Key terms

The role is available for 5 days per week, on a permanent basis. 

The salary for this post is £28,393 - £31,273 (Grade 5), with the appointment likely to be in the bottom half of the scale.

We work in a hybrid way, with staff expected be office-based for two to three days a week and to attend monthly in-person team meetings. The Foundation’s offices are in Merthyr Tydfil.

If you are interested and want to find out more and to find out how to apply download our application pack.

Closing Date: Wednesday 18 March 11:00 AM

Interview date: Monday 30 March 

The Bevan Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation towards this programme of work.