4 Policy manager jobs

About the role 

The Motability Foundation is recruiting two Policy Managers to join its newly established policy team, which sits within the Communications department. These roles will lead discrete policy areas, develop robust policy positions, and support the Motability Foundation in improving transport accessibility for disabled people. 

The Motability Foundation is building a future where all disabled people have access to accessible transport options so that they can make the journeys they choose. To achieve our ambitions, the Motability Foundation works closely with a wide range of stakeholders to develop, and then advocate for, policy and legislative solutions which result in tangible, real-world change. These roles are exciting opportunities for applicants who wish to play a crucial role at one of the UK’s foremost charities in doing this. 

The successful applicants will work closely with the Government Relations and Public Affairs team, as well as colleagues within the Motability Foundation and at Motability Operations, to advance our policy priorities, support the integrated communications strategy, and help raise the profile of issues affecting disabled people in their everyday lives. You will also engage regularly with policymakers and external organisations. 

These roles will suit experienced, proactive and collaborative policy professionals who want to strengthen their advocacy experience and help make transport more accessible and inclusive for disabled people. 

What you’ll be doing 

As a Policy Manager, you will lead policy work across agreed priority areas. This will include: 

• Developing robust policy positions, from defining the problem and intended outcomes, to assessing evidence and options, testing discoverability, and making clear recommendations – working closely with colleagues within the Motability Foundation and at Motability Operations, and external stakeholders. 

• Drafting high-quality policy outputs, including policy briefings, consultation responses, calls for evidence, and external correspondence. 

• Collaborating closely with Communications teams colleagues to promote policy positions to government, public and professional audiences, including contributing to campaign development. 

• Tracking political, legislative and policy developments, horizon-scanning for risks and opportunities and adapting policy positions and plans as needed. 

• Building trusted external relationships with policymakers, industry stakeholders and others who shape or influence policy – namely, disabled people and Disabled People’s Organisations. You must be comfortable with effectively communicating complex policy positions to a wide range of stakeholders.

• Working collaboratively across the organisation to ensure policy work is aligned and informed by wider insight. 

• Contributing to the development of the policy function, including its priorities, ways of working, and culture of collaboration, openness, and continuous improvement. 

Your experience 

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas: disability and welfare, transport, tax and fiscal policy, or growth policy. Where candidates do not have direct experience, they should be able to demonstrate strong policy skills and the ability to apply them quickly to complex issues. 

Must haves:  

• Strong experience in policy analysis and developing evidence-led and creative policy positions - ideally on high profile and pivotal policy. 

• Demonstrable experience of communicating policy to senior officials, Ministers, advisers, Parliamentarians and wider industry stakeholders, both verbally and through high-quality written outputs.

• Strong understanding of UK and devolved policy-making and legislative processes, and strong political acumen and awareness of UK and devolved governments’ priorities.

• Understanding of, or commitment to developing expertise in, disability, accessibility, and inclusive transport policy.

• Ability to work collaboratively within a larger team and a complex matrix organisation, and build effective internal and external relationships. 

Nice to haves: 

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline. 

• Policy experience in the public, charity or not-for-profit sectors and/or in government (particularly HMT, DWP, No 10, BIST or DfT), Parliament, devolved administrations, or local government. 

• Experience helping to establish, improve or professionalise policy processes in an organisation. 

• Experience informing organisation-wide campaigns with policy expertise, insights and advice. 

Internet Matters

Internet Matters is a not-for-profit committed to keeping children safe online. We are one of the leading online safety organisations in the UK, working with major global brands including founding members BT/EE, Sky and Virgin Media O2 as well as partners such as TikTok, Samsung and Roblox.

We’re here to offer the best advice and information available to help parents, carers and professionals engage in the online lives of children and young people, empowering them to manage the risks they may face online.

We conduct regular research on families’ online experiences and use these insights to influence policymakers, regulators and government, helping to drive positive outcomes for children’s online safety and media literacy.

We exist to:

• Give parents and teachers the advice and support they need to help all children embrace the internet with confidence, and to protect them from online harms.
• Build understanding and raise awareness of families’ online experiences through research, campaigns, events and partnerships, helping children and young people to be happy, healthy and safe online.
• Ensure the views of parents and children are consistently heard by industry, policymakers and government.

Our website hosts comprehensive advice, information and practical tips & tools for parents, alongside our research and insights.

About the role

It is an exciting time to be working in children’s online safety. New measures restricting popular social media platforms’ access to children, alongside existing requirements under the Online Safety Act, are reshaping the role of technology companies in keeping children safe online. At the same time, curriculum reform, votes at 16 and the Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) create real opportunities to shape online safety and media literacy policy, and improve outcomes for children and young people.

Yet the challenges families face online are evolving at pace, from mis- and disinformation to the rapid adoption of AI. There is cross-party consensus on the importance of tackling these issues, and now is the moment to harness this momentum to drive lasting change for children.

Against this backdrop, Internet Matters is recruiting a Policy and Public Affairs Manager to help ensure online safety policy works in practice and improves outcomes for families. This wide-ranging role will include:

• Stakeholder engagement, public affairs and influencing, including maintaining and developing a network of contacts across Government, Parliament, regulators, civil society and industry. Identifying opportunities to push forward our agenda with decision-makers, including through convening meetings and events and actively contributing to events held by others. 
• Supporting the development of Internet Matters’ policy positions, ensuring they are underpinned by the latest research and informed by the sector and political landscape. Key policy areas the role will lead on are media literacy, safeguarding girls online and supporting children with SEND online.
• Monitoring UK parliamentary business and proactively finding opportunities to influence.
• Writing policy outputs for a range of audiences including social copy, blogs, briefings, reports and responses to consultations and calls for evidence.
• Presenting and sharing policy and research in a range of settings, including at external meetings and events, tailoring messages to different audiences. 
• Acting as secretariat for Internet Matters’ Vulnerable User Working Group and Expert Advisory Panel.
• Contributing your ideas to team discussions about the overarching strategy for our policy and research work.

This role sits within the Policy and Research team and a core aspect of the role will be the ability to shape research and insights for policy and sector audiences. You will also support with the analysis of research in relation to policy related tasks.

About you

The successful candidate will have professional experience of working in policy, public affairs or a closely related field. They may have gained this experience from another charity/not-for-profit, a regulator, government, parliament or industry. Although not required, experience of one of the following sector or policy areas would be an advantage: tech, online safety, education, tech-facilitated VAWG or SEND.

We are particularly keen to hear from candidates that have experience writing outputs for a range of audiences and translating primary research into engaging policy insights. You will also have experience building and maintaining relationships with sector, policy and parliamentary stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have a strong eye for detail and take pride in producing high-quality work. We are seeking someone excited by the opportunity of working in a small organisation, where everyone lends a hand to deliver key priorities, and where you can contribute actively to our wider thinking and strategy.

Please see the attached job description for skills, knowledge and experience.

Further details, including how to apply, can be found in the attached job description. 

Policy Engagement Manager - 12-month Fixed Term Contract

At The National Lottery Community Fund we are passionate about strengthening communities and improving lives.We are driven by our strategy, ‘It starts with community’ and its four community-led missions, as well as our equity-based approach to tackling poverty, discrimination and disadvantage.

To help us in supporting communities in Northern Ireland, we are now looking for a motivated Policy Engagement Manager with a strong understanding of the social policy context in Northern Ireland, and the environment in which our grantholders operate. You will play a key role in shaping and strengthening our engagement with government, voluntary and community sector organisations, and funding partners. Working closely with the Head of Policy Engagement in Northern Ireland, you will help build influential relationships, provide strategic policy insight, and ensure that the experiences of communities inform our funding and development priorities. You will play a key role in enabling the Fund to use our insight, position and influence in Northern Ireland to celebrate and promote the power and expertise of communities.

Key Responsibilities

As Policy Engagement Manager, you will be an excellent relationship-builder with a strong understanding of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. You will be comfortable working across complex stakeholder environments and translating policy developments into practical insight, including providing insight and policy context to inform medium and long-term funding initiatives across the UK.

You will develop a thorough understanding of the policy environment relating to our four community-led missions and our commitment to addressing poverty, discrimination and disadvantage through an equity-based approach. 

You will maintain a broad understanding of the policy and social context in which our grantholders operate, convening grantholders and stakeholders to explore shared challenges and opportunities. We’re looking for someone who is values-driven, passionate about the Fund’s purpose and deeply committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. We invite you to join our team and contribute your skills and experience to creating lasting change for communities and society.

Regular travel around Northern Ireland is expected, as well as some travel to other parts of the UK to connect with colleagues. We offer a flexible and supportive working environment and an excellent all-round benefits package.

Interview Details:

Date: 1 October 2026

Format: In Person

Location: Belfast - We have a hybrid approach to working

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact the recruitment team.

For any questions about the recruitment process, please email the recruitment team

How to apply:

Upload your CV in word format and write a supporting statement (1000 words) with the following criteria, we will use this to score your application.

Essential criteria

• Experience of engaging with government, public sector, VCSE or funding stakeholders.
• A strong grasp and knowledge of the policy environment and the developing issues and themes relevant to our Missions and grantholders in Northern Ireland.
• Experience of analysing and interpreting policy and political developments.
• Demonstrable strategic influencing skills
• Strong communication including written communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and contribute to strategic planning and development.
• Understanding of the use of digital tools and systems to manage relationships, share information and support policy development.
• Experience of project management

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.)