3 Policy and public affairs officer jobs in Edinburgh
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Change how the UK understands and supports bereaved children and families.
This is an exciting time to join Child Bereavement UK.
We are establishing a brand-new Research & Policy function and are looking for an ambitious Public Affairs Lead to help ensure the voices of bereaved children, young people and parents shape policy, practice and public understanding across the UK.
Working closely with the Head of Policy & Research, you will develop and deliver Child Bereavement UK's public affairs, advocacy and stakeholder engagement activity, building relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians and sector leaders to drive meaningful change.
You will act as the bridge between research, lived experience and influence, translating evidence into compelling advocacy campaigns, stakeholder engagement opportunities and policy recommendations that make a difference.
This is a rare opportunity to help build a new function, shape our national influence, and ensure the experiences of bereaved children, young people and families are heard where it matters most.
While based remotely, this role has a strong external focus and requires regular travel to London to represent Child Bereavement UK, build key relationships and engage with policymakers, partners and sector networks.
Role Purpose
As Public Affairs Lead you will play a central role in ensuring the voices and experiences of bereaved children, young people, parents and families influence policy, practice and public understanding across the UK.
Working closely with the Head of Policy & Research, you will develop and deliver Child Bereavement UK's public affairs, advocacy and stakeholder engagement activity, building relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians, sector partners and influencers to drive meaningful change.
You will act as the bridge between research, policy and communications, helping to translate evidence and lived experience into compelling advocacy campaigns, stakeholder engagement opportunities and influencing activity.
Main Responsibilities
Public Affairs & Policy Influence
· Develop and deliver public affairs plans that support Child Bereavement UK's strategic priorities and policy objectives.
· Use research, evaluation findings and lived experience evidence to identify policy gaps, develop influencing priorities and shape recommendations for decision-makers.
· Translate organisational evidence into clear policy asks and reform proposals for government, parliamentarians, public bodies and sector leaders.
· Identify opportunities to embed evidence and learning within national, regional and local policy frameworks, guidance and professional practice.
· Support the development of long-term influencing strategies that drive systemic change for bereaved children, young people and families.
· Build and maintain relationships with MPs, Peers, government officials, policymakers and key sector stakeholders.
· Coordinate engagement with relevant All-Party Parliamentary Groups, consultations, inquiries and policy forums.
· Support the development of policy briefings, consultation responses and evidence submissions.
· Organise parliamentary events, stakeholder roundtables and engagement opportunities that raise awareness of bereavement issues.
· Work with the Head of Voice & Participation to ensure the voices of bereaved children, young people and parents bereaved of a baby or child are represented at all stages of policy development.
Advocacy & Campaigns
· Lead the delivery of advocacy and influencing campaigns aligned to organisational priorities.
· Ensure advocacy campaigns are grounded in robust evidence, insight and lived experience, with clear objectives for policy and practice change.
· Work with the Head of Policy & Research to translate research findings into actionable policy recommendations.
· Develop stakeholder engagement plans that support campaign objectives.
· Build relationships with partner organisations, coalitions and networks to strengthen collective influence.
· Develop compelling narratives that connect research findings with real-world outcomes and policy solutions.
· Work with colleagues to identify tangible actions that policymakers, practitioners, employers, schools and communities can take in response to emerging evidence.
Stakeholder Engagement
· Develop and maintain stakeholder mapping and engagement plans.
· Build productive relationships with sector leaders, professional bodies, charities, academics and decision-makers.
· Coordinate engagement with strategic partners and external networks.
· Support senior leaders in stakeholder engagement activity through briefings, meeting preparation and follow-up actions.
Research Translation & Communications
· Develop evidence-informed policy asks, implementation recommendations and calls to action that support measurable change.
· Identify opportunities to move research and insight beyond publication and into policy development, service improvement and public discourse.
· Translate research, evidence and lived experience into compelling stakeholder communications.
· Produce parliamentary briefings, policy summaries, position statements and advocacy materials.
· Work closely with the Marketing & Communications team to ensure policy and research activity is effectively communicated to external audiences.
· Collaborate with the PR & Press Lead to identify opportunities to amplify policy and research messages through media and public engagement activity.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Insight
· Monitor and evaluate public affairs, advocacy and stakeholder engagement activity.
· Track policy developments, stakeholder engagement outcomes and influencing opportunities.
· Produce reports demonstrating impact, engagement and progress against objectives.
· Maintain stakeholder databases and records to support organisational relationship management.
Person Specification
Essential
Experience & Knowledge
· Significant experience in public affairs, policy, advocacy, campaigns or stakeholder engagement.
· Experience building relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians, public sector organisations or influential stakeholders.
· Understanding of UK political systems, parliamentary processes and policy development.
· Experience developing and delivering influencing or advocacy campaigns.
· Experience producing briefings, consultation responses or policy-focused communications.
· Understanding of how evidence and lived experience can be used to influence decision-making.
Skills
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
· Strong relationship-building and influencing abilities.
· Ability to communicate complex information clearly and persuasively.
· Excellent organisational and project management skills.
· Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
· Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
Personal Attributes
· Passionate about improving outcomes for bereaved children, young people and parents bereaved of a baby or child.
· Collaborative and relationship-focused.
· Compassionate and emotionally intelligent.
· Proactive, resilient and self-motivated.
· Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and trauma-informed practice.
Desirable
· Passionate about improving outcomes for bereaved children, young people and parents
· Experience within the charity, health, social care or education sectors.
· Knowledge of bereavement, grief, loss or trauma-informed services.
· Experience working with All-Party Parliamentary Groups or parliamentary engagement activity.
· Experience working with research and evidence-based policy development.
· Experience working with lived-experience contributors and ambassadors.
· Understanding of campaigning, coalition building and systems change approach
Recruitment Timetable
Application deadline: 17th September 2026 at midnight
Interview dates: 29th and 30th September on MS Teams
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications for the role before the closing date.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job Title: Hertfordshire Project Officer
Salary: £29,500 (London Fringe weighting)
Position Type: Full time/Fixed term (until December 2028)
Reports to: Scaling Manager
Based at: Remote, with travel to schools in Hertfordshire
Working Hours: 5 days a week, 9am-5pm (flexible)
Pension: School Food Matters matches pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings
Holiday: 31 days including bank holidays that fall on working days. Holidays must be taken during the school holidays
This role requires occasional work outside of core hours (for example, if visiting a school breakfast club). It also requires travel to schools across Hertfordshire, so access to a car would be desirable. Training for delivery of the programme will be provided online and in person, and you will be expected to travel outside of Hertfordshire for some of these sessions.
Background to School Food Matters
At School Food Matters we believe that school food can unlock a happier, healthier, more sustainable future for every child. We want a school food system that delivers for all children, so they can enjoy nutritious, delicious and sustainable school food and leave school with an informed and positive relationship with food. To achieve this, we campaign for a better school food system, bringing the voices of children, parents, and teachers to government policy, and deliver fully funded food education programmes in schools across the country.
Background to Nourish
Our Nourish programme supports schools to create a food environment that puts children and young people's nutrition first. The evidence-based, multi-component programme helps schools to develop action plans and policies to cover the food served across the whole school day. Nourish uses a collaborative whole school approach to food involving everyone across the school community to create lasting positive change.
Job purpose
· To deliver Nourish in 15 primary schools in Hertfordshire over 2 years in a delivery team of two Project Officers and a Project Assistant.
Key tasks include
· Support with recruitment of schools to take part in Nourish
· Complete in person food audits in schools looking across the whole school day
· Support schools to create and deliver a food improvement plan (action plan)
· Develop and deliver workshops in schools to staff, parents and students based on their action plan (e.g. assemblies, cooking sessions, school food standards training, packed lunch advice, food ed/sensory tasting sessions)
· Support schools to write a school food policy
· Build relationships and work closely with teachers, teaching assistants, cooks, kitchen teams and senior leaders in schools to improve the food they offer their students
· Collect data and maintain accurate records relating to the project
· Work closely with University of Hertfordshire and our Evaluation team to complete all monitoring and evaluation
· Work in collaboration with Hertfordshire project delivery team
· Gather content for our comms team (website and social media platforms)
· Keep Scaling Manager fully updated on progress
· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures
· Maintaining the ethos of the charity and positively promoting our work at all times
· You will also be expected to 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
· Registered nutritionist or advanced understanding of nutritional guidelines and health promotion
· Good interpersonal skills, with experience of building relationships
· Confident engaging with a variety of audiences (students, headteachers, school staff and parents), including communications via email, virtual and face to face meetings with the ability to deliver workshops & presentations
· Excellent administrative and organisational skills with great attention to detail
· Excellent IT skills including excel, word and email
· Able to work independently and remote
· Self-motivated and optimistic with a can-do attitude
· Ability to work in a team and seek help when needed
Desirable
· Experience of engaging and working with schools and/or communities
· Experience of working for a charity or not for profit organisation
· Knowledge in food education and children’s health
· Access to a car
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We campaign for a better school food system. We support schools, local authorities and MATs to improve food in schools.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About the Role
A new and exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Digital Marketing Officer with excellent digital
marketing skills and a passion for creating outstanding social media content that builds awareness, engages
audiences and inspires action.
You’ll be joining the only independent charity in the UK dedicated to improving the nation’s numeracy. It’s a
fantastic opportunity within a small but ambitious and dynamic organisation making a real difference to
people’s lives and livelihoods.
Working closely with the External Relations team on our award-winning campaigns, communications,
content and marketing, you will deliver paid and organic social media campaigns - leading on creating
strategies, planning execution, optimisation, and reporting. You will also collaborate on SEO, web content
and email marketing.
We are looking for someone with superb marketing and copywriting skills, a passion for using data to find
out ‘what works’, bags of enthusiasm and the ability to work with initiative and attention to detail. Previous
experience in the charity sector is not necessary.
National Numeracy is based in Brighton, and while office-based work is available, we also offer remote,
hybrid and flexible working. This role will include occasional UK travel.
Overview of Main Duties:
Digital marketing
- Use your writing skills and creativity to lead on developing engaging content for our digital
- communications channels
- Collaborate with digital marketing, comms and design teams to create and deliver marketing and social
- strategies for a variety of campaigns and activities.
- Work with the wider team to create engaging content and ensure key activities and messages are
- aligned to our wider strategy and perform well
- Lead on ensuring brand consistency within our content
- Monitor and review performance and take the lead on evidence based improvements to our digital
- communications.
- Provide regular analysis and reports
Social Media
- Lead on developing new ideas and channel specific strategies to grow our social media channels
- audience and engagement.
- Work with digital marketing team on the management of social media channels including Facebook,
- TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin, working to increase engagement and conversion.
- Website content delivery
- Work with the Head of Marketing and wider team to create and manage strong, audience-led web
- content with great user experience
- Ensure content supports SEO strategy, including AI SEO, and improves engagement and conversion
- Content optimisation via keyword tracking/research, metadata updates, Search Console analysis,
- SEMrush and Google Analytics analysis
- Use Google Analytics and other tools to provide insight to allow for evidence-based improvement
- Provide analysis and reports
Email marketing delivery
- Lead on developing compelling emails that drive action using Mailchimp, including the management of
- contacts’ data.
- Plan, create and execute engaging email journeys
- Use a data led approach to iteratively improve emails for specific audiences including educators and
- adult learners
Paid campaigns
- Delivery and ongoing development of paid social strategies and campaigns (Google, Bing, Meta) using
- Facebook Ads Manager and / or Google Ads.
- Optimise campaigns and test new approaches
- Understand, evaluate and apply campaign performance learnings.
- Work alongside the Data and External Relations teams and use our tools to identify and build an
- understanding of target audiences and trends.
Collaboration
- Work with External Relations and teams across the organisation on the digital marketing, content and
- communications aspects of our work
- Work closely with the Data Team on provision and analysis of digital
Registered Charity
21 - 50
Empowering people to thrive by using numeracy to open up opportunities and access brighter futures.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.