Policy communications manager jobs

Repots to: Director of Practice & Quality   
Directly manages: Policy Manager, Clinical Audit Project Manager
Salary range: £47,941 - £62,220 per annum, depending on experience
Location: London – EC4Y 8EE (Hybrid)
Contract: Permanent, full-time (31.5 hours per week)

Job Purpose

As BSR’s Head of Policy,  you will lead a portfolio of work that truly supports our members’ priorities and works towards creating the conditions that will enable rheumatology care across the UK to thrive and flourish. 

To excel in this role you will need to be comfortable working both at a strategic level and with detail and data. You will ensure BSR understands and responds to current and emerging needs in rheumatology practice, identifying gaps in quality, policy and research. You will develop BSR’s evidence and intelligence base about our members’ priorities, the state of rheumatology care across the UK and the challenges and opportunities in rheumatology. Through collaborating with colleagues you’ll help us ensure this insight informs our policy agenda, our strategic planning and operational decision making, ultimately achieving maximum possible impact in our work to drive-up standards in the delivery of rheumatology services and to inspire and activate changes that improve lives. 

Main responsibilities

• Leadership and management 
  • Work closely with BSR’s Senior Management Team to devise and deliver priorities for the portfolio, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and identifying opportunities to maximise impact  
  • Ensure that BSR’s decision making is informed by the best available and appropriate level of evidence by communicating strategic insights across the organisation  
  • Lead, coach and support team members and manage overall team capacity and resource planning 
  • Oversee contract and budget management for the team and across individual projects, ensuring cost-effective allocation of resources 
  • Collaborate with the SMT and other teams to ensure integrated approaches to policy, communications, and member engagement 
  • Provide support and strategic insight to BSR working groups, including the Clinical Affairs Committee and MDT Advisory Council  
  • Develop strong relationships with members and stakeholders and represent BSR to external audiences. 
• Policy, research and strategy 
  • Lead BSR’s policy agenda, supporting the Policy Manager to deliver policy analysis and development, produce high quality outputs and influence changes in policy and practice
  • Oversee a programme of proactive research, including data analysis and member engagement, to build a robust body of evidence and intelligence about the key issues impacting BSR members and rheumatology care across the UK 
  • Ensure that evidence, insight and analysis effectively informs BSR’s policy work, strategic planning and operational decision making   
  • Continuously monitor UK-wide policy and practice changes and assess their impact on the rheumatology community and patient care 
  • Ensure BSR’s members and senior leaders receive timely analysis of key policy and practice developments impacting rheumatology  
  • Develop, lead and support cross-team workstreams and projects that deliver on organisation-wide priorities.  
• Best practice and quality improvement 
  • Provide leadership to the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA) team, supporting the team to deliver work to a high standard 
  • Engage members to develop BSR’s evidence base on good practice and quality improvement, and keep abreast of relevant external developments  
  • Provide expertise to colleagues on best practice and quality improvement, ensuring that insight and ambitions are effectively communicated and inform BSR’s policy work, strategic planning and operational decision making  
  • Identify and develop opportunities to share and promote best practice and quality improvement to members and external audiences, achieving maximum possible reach and impact 
  • Identify and develop opportunities to work with partners across health and social care to promote and support best practice and quality improvement. 

Person Specification

1.  Significant experience in a senior policy, practice or programme management role in healthcare
2.  Extensive knowledge of health policy and/or healthcare systems and how policy is developed and implemented 
3.  Understanding of research methods, with the ability to analyse and translate quantitative and qualitative research findings 
4.  Understanding of audit and/or QI methodology and experience of delivering or supporting quality improvement initiatives 
5.  Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on evidence-based decision making 
6.  Leadership and team management experience and ability to coach staff to reach their potential 
7.  Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and influence relationships, including at partnership level, with colleagues and senior leaders 
8.  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex issues to a wide range of stakeholders and prepare high 
   quality, accessible outputs 
9.  Strong organisational skills, with the ability to work under pressure to conflicting deadlines 
10.  Flexible in response to changes in the external environment and the need to balance proactive and reactive work

Inclusion and Diversity statement

BSR is committed to encouraging inclusion, equality and diversity in our workforce. We are actively trying to increase the diversity of our staff team. We try to 
reduce as many barriers as we can for those with a disability. We know that everyone is an individual, so please always tell us what we can do to support you. 

We welcome approaches from individuals from underrepresented groups, including those from minoritised communities, and those with a disability, to better 
reflect the community we serve and help broaden our perspectives. 

Treasures Foundation offers accommodation and outreach to vulnerable women who have backgrounds of addiction, trauma, mental health and the criminal justice system. We provide housing and support until women can make the transition into their own homes, with some long-arm support extending beyond this period.

The Area Manager will work alongside the COO and CEO to help develop and manage the existing service as well as a new detox provision. Duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Providing guidance to Specialist Support Manager, Project workers and Volunteers to support their professional development, ensuring that the service is run professionally, efficiently and effectively.

· Fostering a holistic approach to supporting staffs needs, through supervision and appraisals.

· Seeking and highlighting opportunities for change at project/ organisational level

· Creating and developing a group programme which meets the needs of the women and aims of the project, such as effective communication and conflict resolution

· Planning and managing the staff rota and Out of Hours emergency on call rota, required to meet the needs of the service

· Reviewing and auditing the service on a continual basis, ensuring that it meets both the needs of the residents and quality standards.

· Ensuring the safety of the houses by managing challenging behaviour, through conflict resolution and following procedures

· Fostering good working relationships with key stakeholders

· Overseeing the individual tailored programmes created by project staff. 

· Helping to build and develop relationships with outside organisations in order to promote the work of Treasures and identify opportunities to achieve the best outcomes for residents.

· Adhering to relevant policies and procedures

·         Ensure staff update data base system and log reports

· Updating trustees quarterly on the service by providing a written report

Person Specification

Essential

· Experience managing supported living or residential care (ideally mental health focused)

· Knowledge of working with individuals with complex or challenging behaviours

· Comfortable supporting and leading staff teams

· Strong communication and organisational skills

· Someone proactive, confident, and committed to high standards of care and support

This post is subject to an Enhanced Level with a Barred List DBS check, although we do not discriminate, and we actively welcome applications from those with lived experience of the Criminal Justice System and/or in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Centre for Mental Health is seeking a dynamic and experienced communications professional to join our team as Associate Director of Communications (Maternity Cover), starting in September 2025 for 12 months. This pivotal role offers the opportunity to lead our communications work, ensuring all of our written and visual outputs support our mission to drive mental health equality.

About the role

• As the lead on our media, publications, website, social media and marketing work, you’ll manage the development and delivery of impactful content that engages our key audiences and supports our influencing, marketing and fundraising goals.
• You’ll oversee the production of high-quality publications, infographics, and multimedia materials.
• You will coordinate our publications and content schedules, overseeing the launch of a range of content to maximise impact and meet the needs of funders and partners.
• You’ll be part of the Centre’s Leadership Team, helping to shape the organisation’s strategic direction, working on organisation-wide improvements and championing equality and anti-racism.
• The role will supervise a small communications team, providing support and leadership to ensure excellence across our communications.
• The role involves liaising with a broad range of stakeholders including funders, partners, people with lived experience, suppliers and wider sector colleagues.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone with outstanding communication skills, a strong track record in media and digital communications, and a deep understanding of the mental health landscape.

You will have a breadth of experience across digital and traditional communication channels and a keen eye for detail. We’re looking for someone with strong project management skills, capable of balancing competing priorities and deadlines to deliver the high-quality resources and analysis which define the Centre’s reputation.

If you’re passionate about mental health and skilled in strategic communications, we want to hear from you. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape the conversation around mental health and drive change for those who need it most.

Centre for Mental Health wishes to increase our diversity and we particularly welcome applications from people from racialised communities and LGBTQ+ applicants. All our shortlisting is done without reference to personal details.

What we offer

We offer excellent benefits, including:

• 31 days annual leave per annum
• Flexible working 
• A comprehensive employee assistance programme.
• Relevant training
• Up to 12% employer pension contributions.

The Social and Digital Marketing Manager works closely with the Head of Marketing & Communications, Income Generation and Engagement directorate and the Children’s Services directorate to develop and deliver digital campaigns across the charity to increase reach and brand awareness, deepen engagement, and encourage support from our warm and cold target audiences.

As a proactive member of a small and ambitious Marketing and Communications team, you will contribute to both generating content for ongoing communications and upcoming exciting campaigns, in particular planning, creating and publishing content for some key projects - our attendance at and partnership with Carfest, our September appeal and Play in Healthcare Week 2026 (13 to 17 October). You will also be the go to digital expert supporting and advising colleagues, so they are able to ideate and generate content independently where necessary.

Who we are

Chefs in Schools is a young, ambitious charity that’s rapidly growing. Our mission is to improve kids' health, through improving school food & food education. Working in areas of high deprivation, we support and train schools and their kitchen teams to serve the best, freshest and tastiest food possible, alongside meaningful food education. We share our learning and resources freely, aiming to inspire and enable others to follow our lead.

We’re backed by some of the biggest names in food and have ambitious targets to ensure every child has access to incredible school food and food education, setting them up for life with the skills and knowledge to feed themselves well.

About you and the role

This role will take our charity’s mission to a wider audience at an exciting time of development and growth. For a small communications team, we punch above our weight - regularly hitting the headlines, getting featured on agenda-setting news shows, receiving pro-bono support from renowned agencies and we have high-profile ambassadors, such as Prue Leith, Henry Dimbley and Thomasina Miers in our corner. 

We need someone who’s creative, strategic and has great media contacts, or the knowhow to forge them, who can ensure a steady stream of coverage that gets our work in front of key audiences. This is an exciting time. Change is coming to school food - the government has committed to updating the school food standards and you’ll be part of the effort to transform the food kids eat in school every day. You’ll enjoy problem solving, crafting ideas and media opportunities, from stunts to stories. 

You’ll be working on exciting projects, experience some incredible food and be surrounded by an ambitious, diverse and dynamic team, all passionate about the power great food and food education in schools has to shape and change young lives. 

The responsibilities, skills and experience listed below are intended to give you an idea of what we need for this role. If you don’t meet every requirement but feel you would be able to work with us to deliver the majority of them, we urge you to apply anyway. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and for us the most important ‘experience’ is passion for our mission. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented communities, to apply.  

We want to get to know you at the interview and understand we can do this best if you’re at ease. We’re an inclusive employer and work hard to create a welcoming working environment for everyone, including appointing a neurodiversity champion to help us identify how we can make our work environment work for everyone. If you need adjustments to the interview process please let us know.

As we work with children & young people, an offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and DBS clearance, in line with our safeguarding policy.  

Key responsibilities:

• Work with the Head of Communications to develop and deliver content, media moments and campaigns that help raise awareness of our cause and achieve our wider strategic goals.

• Work closely with colleagues, school chefs and teachers to unearth compelling content that will connect with key audiences.

• Identify, create and secure opportunities for coverage of our charity’s mission in target publications and platforms.

• Create and deliver communications plans and assets.

• Build networks and contacts within mainstream, education and food-related traditional and social media platforms to secure proactive story and content placement.

• Deal with reactive media queries to tight deadlines, overseeing preparation of briefs and Q&As.

• Oversee the ongoing development of our website and work to improve user experience. 

• Evaluate the success of campaigns, setting and tracking key metrics, feeding learnings back into future work in a cycle of continuous improvement.

• Monitor and control spending against delegated budget, clearing any anticipated variance with the Head of Communications in advance.

• Develop and deliver a patron and ambassador strategy.

• Oversee content creation for our online platforms, resources and marketing materials, ensuring brand consistency and appropriate audience targeting.

• Ensure any data collection via our website or other platforms is compliant with GDPR and any related or superseding legislation.

• Line manage and mentor the Communications Officer and Social Media Officer, with a commitment to ensuring their development.

Skills & experience:

• 3+ years prior experience in a similar role.

• You have interest and belief in our mission to improve kids’ health through improving food and food education in schools.

• You are organised, methodical, strong on detail, and able to map out deadlines and plan ahead.

• Experience of line management in a hybrid working environment. You must be committed to developing the team.

• You have proven success designing and delivering communications plans and campaigns.

• You have experience successfully pitching stories and/or collaborations to media, journalists and influencers.

• You understand how to create engaging content - both written and visual.

• You spot opportunities for coverage and know how to make them happen.

• You’re up to date on media and communications trends and able to stay ahead of the curve.

• You’re capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously.

• You’re confident enough to deputise for the Head of Communications, such as deciding which reactive media queries to pursue, presenting at events and crisis management.

• You can constructively critique the work of others with an emphasis on learning and continuous improvement.

• You have excellent writing skills and communication skills.

• Experience of education media would be nice.

Benefits

You would be joining a friendly, supportive team who works hard but believe in a healthy work/life balance. We were voted one of CODE Hospitality’s happiest places to work in 2024. We seek a diverse range of perspectives, skills, experience and knowledge. Joining a small, collaborative team means you’ll be able to contribute to and draw on various projects and strategic insights.

We offer 33 days of holiday per year including bank holidays, 3 additional office closure days over the Christmas period as well as wellbeing days over the summer school holidays.  We also have a Cycle to Work scheme, hybrid working, enhanced parental leave, and free access to the CODE app for discounted restaurants & hospitality venues. We are committed to developing our team and will support you with relevant training opportunities including £250 towards elective training and development of your choice.

We also offer Bupa Dental Insurance, Income Protection Insurance, as well as access to the Aviva Smart Health Platform which offers health benefits including free rapid access online GP appointments, free counselling and wellbeing support.

Application process

In line with our commitment to ensuring a fair and unbiased recruitment process, we invite candidates to answer a series of questions related to their day-to-day job. Please follow this link to answer the questions and submit your application along with your CV.

We recommend that you develop your answers offline and copy them in when you’re ready to ensure you don’t lose your work if interrupted.

Your answers will go through our sifting process: all answers will be anonymised, randomised and then reviewed by a panel of reviewers. A long list of candidates will then additionally have their CVs reviewed. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a 30 mins online interview. Successful candidates will be invited to attend a second, in-person interview at our office in Brixton, London.

For the first interview, we will ask you to submit a short written exercise.

Expected duration of this application process: 4-6 weeks

The Policy and Advocacy Manager will play a key role in the Doctors of World UK policy and advocacy team and organisation, driving and shaping UK health policy and delivering programmes to advance the right to health in the UK.

The role works to maximise DOTW’s influence and impact on health policy debates whilst influencing practice in health services to ensure accessible and equitable healthcare for everyone living in the UK.

The role will take a lead on Doctors of the World’s work to build capacity within the UK health system to provide accessible and equitable primary care services for migrants and refugees and be responsible for managing, analysing and reporting on data from our medical programmes in order to support advocacy and research work.

Full time role. Applications for the role on a part time basis are welcomed. Please specify this in your covering letter.

About the role

This is a hugely exciting time to be joining Galop, with flexibility to think long term about how best to drive change and do something new and different. Whilst Galop has always advocated for policy change, this role is part of a new, growing team specifically focused on evidence-based policy change. The team is led by the Director of Policy and Evidence and composed of a Research Manager, Survivor Engagement Manager, Research Officer and this Policy Officer role.

We are building an effective Policy and Evidence team, rooted in frontline insights, a formal research programme, and opportunities to make change happen for LGBT people at a pivotal time. We work alongside Government ministers and officials, parliamentarians and regional authorities at the highest level to make evidence-based policy change.

As the Policy Officer, you will report to the Director of Policy and Evidence and work alongside the team to deliver Galop’s policy priorities, with support. You will also work closely with the Communications and Fundraising team and our Services.

You will be expected to:

• Undertake desk-based research, alongside using Galop’s own research, to support evidence-based policy analyses and positions.
• Draft policy briefings, research summaries, consultation responses, letters, reports, newsletters and stakeholder communications
• Research and track policy developments, political landscape changes, and other relevant areas to identify opportunities to further Galop’s objectives.
• Monitor and report on parliamentary activities, government announcements, and consultations relevant to LGBT victims/survivors.
• Assist the team to deliver funded influencing projects such as a mapping study of LGBT accessible support services across London, by supporting the Director to work with decision makers to make system-change happen across London.
• Support collaboration across Galop to ensure policy positions reflect the lived experiences of our frontline services and service users.
• Help build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including civil servants, parliamentarians, and external partners.
• Any other duties as needed.

For more information on this role please download the attached job description.

Location: Galop’s offices are located in London. Hybrid working is available.
Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week) We are open to flexibility on full-time hours.
Contract: Permanent
Reports to: Director of Policy and Evidence
Salary: £28,876.12 per year including London Weighting.

Closing Date and Applications

Applications should be submitted by 10:00am on August 4.
Interviews will be held on August 18.

REF-222679

To develop and deliver the charity’s policy and campaigning strategy and the charity’s programme of health projects to ensure the charity achieves its key objectives.  To build engagement with the NHS, Department of Health, Parliamentarians, policy makers, think tanks, charity and patient groups to develop and deliver our campaigning strategy.  Build engagement with HCP networks and related organisations to inform and support delivery of our health information work.

To be the owner and primary point of contact for FBC’s health policy and campaigning activities, working closely with the CEO to represent the interests of the charity with decision-making bodies such as UK government and Parliament, NHS, devolved health and social care bodies and other stakeholders.  The postholder will Influence key decision makers, collaborate in initiatives and comment on policy decisions to press for higher levels of research funding, organisational changes to drive earlier diagnosis and improvements in patient experience.

The post holder will have the ability to meld impactful campaigning, political astuteness and evidence-based policymaking to drive change with demonstrable sensitivity to health inequalities and other issues that affect bladder cancer patients and their families.

They will be organised and will be able to manage several tasks at once, meeting strict deadlines.

We are delighted to be partnering with a national charity to find their new Public Affairs and Policy Manager. 

Job Title: Public Affairs & Policy Manager
£40,000-£47,500 (London)
£36,000-£43,500 (nationally) 

Overview:
We are seeking a highly skilled Public Affairs & Policy Manager to join our team, driving the organisation's influence with government and political stakeholders in England. As a key member of our communications team, you will build relationships with elected representatives, ministers, and officials, providing timely intelligence and analysis of policy developments that affect our work. You will work closely with colleagues across the UK to ensure a cohesive approach to relationship management, developing influencing strategies and plans to advance our organisational aims.

Required Skills:
* Significant experience of working with elected representatives, officials, and other public affairs activities
* Strong background in political analysis, parliamentary, and legislative knowledge
* Policy analysis skills with the ability to identify key themes and opportunities 
* Strong communications skills (written and oral), with the ability to influence and engage with a range of different stakeholders

Nice to Have Skills:
* Project management skills; confident working in a matrixed organisation with competing deadlines
* Relevant qualification
* Understanding of the VCSE sector in relation to public affairs

Preferred Education and Experience:
We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in public affairs, policy analysis, and communications. A relevant qualification is desirable.

Other Requirements:
Regular travel is expected as part of this role. The ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt to changing priorities is essential.

As we strive to make a positive impact on communities and society, we invite you to join our team and contribute your skills and experience to shaping our influence with government and political stakeholders. If you are passionate about public affairs, policy analysis, and communications, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity.

To be considered for this position please apply with your CV as soon as possible
*Please note, all 3rd party agencies speculative CVs will not be accepted*

We are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices that ensure equal opportunity for everyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age or gender. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and will happily make reasonable adjustments to always ensure a fair process.  
 

Help us speak up for Scotland’s seas

Open Seas is a small, ambitious, and fast-growing environmental charity on a mission to protect and restore marine life around Scotland. We expose harmful practices, challenge bad policy, and work alongside fishers, communities and scientists to bring our seas back to life.

We’re looking for a dynamic Head of Communications to lead our external communications, shape compelling campaigns, and help us punch far above our weight.

Why join us?

We are a team of eight and we spend a lot of time out on the water and along the coast investigating damage, gathering evidence, filming, photographing, and engaging people face-to-face. We own a boat and do our own fieldwork. We take pride in turning complex science and policy into clear, motivating messages that cut through to media, decision-makers and the public.

You will work closely with our Director and Operations Lead as part of the senior management team bringing creative leadership and strategic direction to our comms team. This is your chance to help shape an organisation with growing public influence, strong legal wins, and a track record of impact in one of the most important environmental issues in Scotland, and the rest of the UK.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for a natural storyteller and strategic thinker. You know how to land a headline, write a great campaign plan, and build lasting relationships with a range of people (journalists, supporters and other stakeholders). You will be comfortable translating science into tweets and research into narrative. You care deeply about nature, especially life under the waves.

You might have worked in campaigns, public affairs, journalism or the charity sector. You may have led a team, or be ready to step into a leadership role. Most of all, you want to make a difference.

What is the role?

• Lead all external communications across the organisation

• Develop and deliver bold, values-led campaign comms

• Manage and grow communications staff and freelancers

• Shape our digital presence, media strategy and brand

• Collaborate closely with our campaign, legal and research teams

• Help us grow our reach, profile and impact
   

What we offer

• A flexible, friendly and passionate team

• Opportunity to shape a growing organisation

• Meaningful work with real-world impact

• Time outdoors from field investigations to coastal storytelling

• Remote and flexible working, with travel across Scotland

• Supportive, collaborative environment with space to lead

To apply, please submit your CV and a short covering letter explaining why you’re the right fit for this role by 25/07/25

Please note we are unable to consider application without a covering letter

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities. If you’d like to chat informally before applying, please get in touch.

Reports to: Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager 

Location: Hybrid – remote working allowed with regular office visits required to Black Bull Yard, 24-28 Hatton Wall, London EC1N 

PLEASE NOTE: **Applications without a Cover letter will not be considered**  

We are expecting a high volume of applications for this role and we will not be able to respond immediately to all applicants. We will contact candidates who we are considering for interview directly. 

Ukie is the trade association that represents and supports the UK’s thriving video game and interactive entertainment industry. Our small team supports a membership of nearly 700 leading businesses, helping them as they create some of the world’s most exciting games.  Our membership includes cutting-edge companies working across the interactive entertainment industry from Sony PlayStation, Electronic Arts and Microsoft to Jagex, Roblox, Ustwo games and many more.

With a challenging and varied political environment and a Government prioritising the growth of creative industries as part of its mission there are opportunities as well as challenges for the sector to navigate including online safety, consumer protection and the positive impact of play, the use of AI and long term skills and training challenges . We are offering an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, bright and determined policy and public affairs professional to join our team and shape how we engage Government and other external stakeholders on behalf of our members. 

Increasingly we are working beyond the games and interactive entertainment industry, working on a cross sectoral basis with partners in the creative and tech industries. We also work with other relevant trade associations on an international level to share best practice and ensure we are able to react to and shape policy on a global basis. 

About you 

This role his is an ideal role for an ambitious, self-motivated individual who thrives in a small but dedicated team environment. With a passion for video games, this role is suited for an individual and who wants to build their career through developing their knowledge of policy making, engagement and campaigns at a trade body with a national profile. Through this role you will be able to take on new discrete projects within the Ukie team, which will serve as a platform for your growth and development. 

Ideally you will bring: 

• The ability to work accurately with a good eye for detail 

• The ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines and competing priorities 

• The ability to work with a range of internal and external stakeholders with varied priorities 

• A willingness to learn and develop specialist policy knowledge and an understanding of how public policy changes and regulation affect the video games sector 

• Excellent writing skills and the ability to condense complex policy areas into understandable briefings for stakeholders 

• Good political acumen and the ability to spot trends and opportunities for engagement for Ukie and its members 

• A proactive and flexible attitude with the ability and drive to work independently and take the initiative 

• An ambition to work in a small team and progressively take on responsibility with engagements and tasks as part of managed development. 

What you can expect from us 

• A supportive team environment 

• A structured development plan with training and professional opportunities 

• A collaborative working environment with exposure to innovative businesses and professionals 

• Generous annual leave with additional long service entitlements 

• A flexible working environment with paid time off for volunteering 

• Pension and Private Healthcare upon completion of probation 

• Early finish on Friday’s and lots of opportunities to play video games! 

What you’ll be doing 

The post holder will help advance Ukie’s policy work on aspects of UK and international policy impacting the games and interactive entertainment industry through: 

• Monitoring policy changes and providing in-depth analysis, research, and reports for internal stakeholders. 

• Relationship building and engagement with Ukie members and wider sector stakeholders, including attendance at internal and external stakeholder meetings and coalition industry groups. 

• Support the Senior Policy Manager in research and drafting for Ukie’s external consultation responses, co-ordinating with members and facilitating internal forums for discussions on particular issues. 

• Support in organising events and engagement with policy makers within Whitehall, Westminster, the Devolved Governments and with regional, combined and local authorities as well as with our global partners in the EU, US and further afield.

• Assisting the policy and research teams with major public affairs projects and campaigns according to the Ukie’s internal strategy and drawing on Ukie’s internal data and external partners where appropriate. 

• Supporting and promoting Ukie at external political meetings, including our bi-annual Westminster Games Week. 

• Support in raising the profile of Ukie and its significant policy priorities through external communications in partnership with the Ukie campaigns team, and through public scrutiny such as the use of written parliamentary questions. 

• Acting as the lead point of contact for the APPG on Video Games and Esports to which Ukie acts as the secretariat and taking joint responsibility for liaising with its members. 

• Draft external policy communications such as the Ukie Policy Byte, the bi-weekly political newsletter, with support from Senior Policy Manager and Head of Policy where necessary. 

• Be responsible for the team administration of internal stakeholder meetings, including sending out invites, taking minutes and preparing relevant material as well as maintaining up to date email lists of all stakeholders. 

Relationship Management 

• Develop and maintain relationships with games industry member businesses and a wide range of external bodies; including partner organisations, government officials and other trade bodies. 

• Support the Senior Policy Manager and Head of Policy in the management of Ukie’s internal stakeholder groups – including Ukie’s policy group and its various working sub groups. 

• Maintain stakeholder engagement trackers and act as a point of contact for external engagement with Parliamentarians, regional politicians and their offices. 

• Support the Head of Policy and Chief Executive in any external engagements. 

• Support the policy team and wider Senior Management team with other reasonable tasks as required. 

Qualifications and experience required for this role: Qualified by experience. You don’t need to hold a degree to apply for this role, but experience of working in a policy or government affairs facing role, public affairs agency or regulatory environment would be advantageous. On-the-job training will be provided via Ukie or external providers where appropriate and will be part of a structured development plan.  

  Hours of Work:  

• Monday to Friday – 9.00am to 5.30pm 

• Expectation that some evening and weekend work may be required to attend or run Ukie events as the business requires.

This role profile is not exhaustive; working as part of a small and dynamic team, there will be an opportunity to tailor the role to your interests and ambitions in agreement with the Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager and Head of Policy and Public Affairs. 

There is also the expectation that you will be flexible and willing to help the wider organisation and its other teams in accordance with its strategic priorities where necessary, as directed by the Head of Policy or Chief Executive where appropriate. 

Spark Inside runs coaching programmes in prisons across London and the South East, to encourage rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. 

We are one of the first organisations to take life coaching to people living and working in prison and to use systems coaching to bring together staff and prisoners in UK prisons. Our expert coaches are qualified and trained professionals. In addition to developing and delivering innovative coaching programmes, we are also committed to working with parliamentarians and government officials to influence criminal justice policy, and shift the perception of people in prison, platforming their voices and highlighting their unlocked potential.

To achieve our ambitious strategy, Spark Inside is seeking a Communications Manager to help raise the charity’s public profile, build influence with policymakers, attract funders and commissioners, and ensure the lived experience of young people in the justice system shapes our messaging, campaigns and strategy.

You will work with the Head of Communications and Advocacy to deliver a programme of compelling external communications activities through digital, print, press and events in order to increase Spark Inside’s visibility and ensure our key messages are wide-reaching and impactful.

You will report to the Head of Communications & Advocacy and work closely alongside our Participation and Engagement Manager and Policy Lead, with line management responsibility for a part-time Communications Officer. You will also work with a range of external freelancers on design, film and print. You will build and maintain good relationships with colleagues across the whole Spark Inside team, offering support and advice as well as drawing on their expertise and insights to make our communications impactful and engaging.

While target-driven, you will have a supportive style and work in a highly collaborative way with colleagues across the organisation.

You will share a passion for our cause, and a commitment to high standards. You will be highly organized, enthusiastic and motivated, with a talent for building relationships and networking. You will be up to date on the latest digital tools and trends and able to harness them to take Spark Inside’s communications to the next level.

To find out more information about the responsibilities of the role and required experience, and how to apply, please see attached job description.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Do you want to work with a vibrant, dynamic and youth driven organisation that is committed to creating healthy futures for British children by improving the food system?

Be part of the creative, agile and growing team behind Bite Back 2030’s exceptional teenage activists. Join us as our Senior Programmes & Policy Manager, Scotland and contribute to our journey to help make the food system healthier and fairer.

About the Role

This exciting and varied role will kick-start Bite Back's work in Scotland. Suiting a self-starter, this new role will lead our schools and local authority programme work in Scotland, whilst also seeking opportunities for young people to influence national food system policy in Scotland.

Responsibilities

The Senior Programmes & Policy Manager is responsible for:

Programme Development and Delivery

● Launching our two popular, fully funded, social action programmes in Scotland: Bite Back in Schools and Shape Your Streets; working with and visiting schools and local authorities across Scotland

● Supporting school pupils and communities to drive improvements to their local food environments and school food environments

● Helping facilitate youth-led events, workshops, and campaigns focused on food system change

● Working with our Scottish partners and building strong working relationships with participating schools, local authorities and other stakeholders

● Supporting with the monitoring, reporting and evaluation of these two programmes Youth Engagement and Voice

● Seeking out meaningful opportunities for young people to engage with and influence decision-makers in Scotland

● Ensuring youth voice is embedded across all programmes and policy work

Policy and Advocacy

● Actively seeking out opportunities to champion Scottish policy developments in health, education, and food systems

● Working closely with other organisations via established coalitions and more informal coordination around key issues, working collaboratively with values-aligned organisations to achieve our goals

● Developing briefings, consultation responses, and policy proposals, ensuring they are evidence-based and amplify youth perspectives

● Translating young people’s insights into campaign messaging for policymakers and distil policy detail into key points for young people to engage with and campaign on

● Working with the Senior Public Affairs Manager to conduct stakeholder mapping and build a network of supportive Scottish MPs and MSPs

● Ensuring the Bite Back staff team is kept up to date on the Scottish policy and public affairs context

Skills and Experience

We recognise that the list below is broad and we realise that the “ideal candidate” doesn’t really exist. What we will be looking for as we evaluate applications is demonstrable experience in at least some of these, and evidence of capacity to build skills in other areas. Please don’t be put off applying for one of our jobs because you can’t demonstrate every skill.

If you're passionate and excited about working for us, and possess the main skills and experience we are looking for, go ahead and apply. You could be just what we are looking for!

The ideal candidate would have the following:

Essential

● Proven experience in policy development or influencing, ideally within the Scottish context

● Track record of delivering youth voice, community or school-based programmes

● Experience working with schools or local authority settings in Scotland

● Facilitation and youth engagement skills, with experience in co-creating with young people

● Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to engage policymakers and partners with confidence

● Deep motivation to create a fairer food system and improve outcomes for children and young people

● Knowledge of Scotland’s political and public sector landscape, ideally in health or education

● A self-starter with the ability to work independently and drive new initiatives from the ground up

● A commitment to Bite Back’s values: Fresh, Resilient, Respectful, Energetic, Real

Desirable

● Familiarity with monitoring, evaluation, and impact reporting in programme or policy contexts

Approach to Work

You will be able to show the following qualities:

● A bold and open mind - you will be prepared to think differently about issues.

● A level head - you will be comfortable working both reactively and proactively.

● A sense of humour - we believe work should be fun and that we all perform at our very best when we enjoy what we do.

● Creativity - you will come at issues from new and surprising angles

Are you a confident communicator with a knack for storytelling?

Can you craft content that captures attention across social media, press and digital platforms?

Are you passionate about the power of communities to improve lives?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity in our newly formed Communications Directorate, where you'll play a key role in delivering impactful communications—primarily focused on our dormant assets funding.

Our current dormant assets programme, Young Start distributes money from dormant accounts on behalf of the Scottish Government to projects that are run for and by young people aged eight to 25.  Since 2012, it has distributed £75 million to thousands of projects across Scotland.

Working to the Strategic Communications Lead for Scotland you will be responsible for telling the story of our dormant assets funding across social media, press and digital platforms to a variety of audiences.

Responsibilities include:

• leading on all regular announcements of dormant assets funding to the media and stakeholders
• interviewing young people behind the projects to produce engaging content for media features, case studies and online social media channels
• managing the yearly production of the Young Start Annual Report, at the request of the Scottish Government.
• Support proactive communications campaigns from story identification to coverage
• Build and maintain relationships with Scotland’s national, regional and specialist media.
• Respond to dormant assets related media enquiries and contribute to rapid response communications during reputational issues.
   

About you

You will be comfortable speaking to a wide range of stakeholders including children and young people about the impact that the funding is making in their lives and telling their stories with duty of care and a creative and engaging approach.

You will be collaborative in nature and enjoy working proactively and in partnership with colleagues across the Fund. An open, supportive and flexible team working approach is necessary.

You will be adept at managing a busy and varied workload.

There can be occasional weekend and evening working to suit the needs of young people, but most of our work takes place on weekdays in normal working hours.

Interview Date: 18th and 19th August - virtual

Location: Scotland, Hybrid

On application, please align your supporting statement to the criteria below

Essential

• Strong communications skills, both written and oral
• Background in integrated communications activity, using a variety of channels
• Ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders and to develop strong relationships
• Project management skills; confident working in a matrixed organisation with competing deadlines
• A good understanding of the Scottish policy context the Fund operates in”

Desirable

• Evidence of interest and experience in the Fund’s ‘helping children and young people to thrive’ mission.
• An understanding of Scotland’s media landscape
• Experience of producing and repurposing content for a variety of platforms such as press releases and social media channels

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)