Policy officer jobs in London

Air Ambulances UK

Air Ambulances UK (AAUK) is the national charity supporting the lifesaving work of the UK’s air ambulance charities, enabling them to save even more lives every day.

Purpose of Post

The Policy and Public Affairs Officer will play a key role in supporting the development and delivery of AAUK’s policy and public affairs strategy, aligned with its manifesto.

The role will support engagement with Government, Parliament, and key stakeholders, contribute to policy development and analysis, and help coordinate AAUK’s public affairs activity, including APPG engagement, parliamentary events, and sector-wide influencing work.

The postholder will ensure that AAUK’s policy positions are evidence-based, clear, and impactful.

Key Responsibilities

Policy Development and Analysis

• Support the development of AAUK policy positions across health, emergency services transport, aviation, infrastructure, and other related policy areas supporting AAUK’s manifesto.
• Monitor Government consultations, legislation, and policy developments, producing clear briefings and summaries.
• Contribute to policy papers, consultation responses, briefings, reports, and parliamentary materials.
• Gather insights from stakeholders to inform policy development.
• Support horizon scanning and identification of policy risks and opportunities.

Public Affairs and Parliamentary Engagement

• Support engagement with MPs, Peers, Special Advisers, Civil Servants, and regulatory bodies.
• Assist in the coordination and delivery of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Air Ambulances, including meetings and secretariat support.
• Support planning and delivery of parliamentary events, receptions, roundtables, and stakeholder meetings.
• Track parliamentary activity relevant to AAUK priorities (debates, questions, committees, inquiries).
• Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders across Westminster and devolved governments. 

Stakeholder Engagement and Communications

• Work closely with the UK's air ambulance charities to align messaging and policy priorities.
• Prepare briefing materials for internal and external stakeholders.
• Liaise with communications and fundraising colleagues to ensure consistent and accessible policy messaging.
• Support campaigns and influencing activity across priority policy areas.
• Maintain accurate stakeholder engagement records and tracking systems.

Research and Intelligence

• Conduct research into relevant policy, legislative, and sector developments.
• Monitor political and media developments, providing timely updates and insights.
• Contribute to evidence gathering and analysis to support policy positions.
• Support evaluation of policy and public affairs activity.

Other Responsibilities

• Represent AAUK professionally in internal and external meetings where required.
• Support AAUK’s vision, values, and strategic priorities.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required to support the organisation.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all areas of work.
• Comply with relevant legal and regulatory requirements, including GDPR and Charity Commission guidance. 
   

Essential Skills & Experience

• Experience in policy, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, communications, or a related field.
• Experience producing policy briefings, reports, consultation responses, campaigns, or stakeholder materials.
• Experience engaging with stakeholders such as MPs, civil servants, regulators, sector bodies, or partner organisations.
• Strong written communication, research, and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines.
• Ability to build effective working relationships across a range of stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Understanding of the UK political system, Parliament, and Government processes.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a small team.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and maintaining accurate stakeholder records.
   

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience supporting parliamentary engagement activity or an APPG.
• Experience delivering events, receptions, or stakeholder roundtables.
• Experience within health, emergency services, aviation, transport, or infrastructure policy.
• Experience using CRM or stakeholder management systems.
• Knowledge of the third sector or the wider emergency healthcare environment.
• Awareness of how influencing, campaigning, and lobbying activity is delivered in practice. 

Key Attributes

• Politically aware with sound judgement and discretion.
• Proactive, resilient, and self-motivated.
• Collaborative and flexible approach to work.
• High professional standards and attention to detail.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Interest in policy development and system change.
   

Other Requirements

• Ability to work remotely while maintaining confidentiality.
• Willingness to travel across the UK, including London/Westminster.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (desirable).
   

Benefits

• 36 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays FTE).
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to Blue Light Card and Blue Light Events.
• Pension contributions.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Life Assurance policy cover.
• Development opportunities.
   

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

AAUK is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work. We actively encourage applications from under-represented groups and are committed to building an inclusive workplace.

 
Application Process

Applications should be submitted via CV and covering letter. Your covering letter should clearly demonstrate how your experience meets the requirements of the role.

Deadline for applications: 12 June 2026.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview w/c 22 June 2026.

This is a fixed-term role, reviewed during the contract period. Future decisions on medium- and longer-term resourcing will form part of our organisational strategy and financial planning.

Policy Officer, Anti-Far Right

Location: London

Salary: Grade 8.1 Salary £67,674 (pro rata) per annum including London Weighting

Maternity cover until May 2027 (open to secondment from affiliated unions)

We’re looking for an experienced policy officer to take the lead in our policy work on tackling the far and populist right.

What Experience, Skills, Knowledge and understanding do you need?

You’ll have experience in working with key stakeholders to coordinate policy and campaigning responses

You’ll have excellent experience in sourcing and presenting complex information in a variety formats and for different audiences

You’ll have good written, verbal presentation and organisational skills, including project management experience

You’ll have sound knowledge and understanding of the current political context and challenges.

This role is based Congress House WC1B 3LS.   

We welcome applications from any candidate but are particularly keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, who are underrepresented at this grade. 

Closing date: 1st June 2026 (12PM)

Shortlist date: 2nd June 2026

Interview date: 10th June or 11th June 2026

Policy Officer, Young Workers

Location: London

Salary: Grade 8.1 Salary £67,674 (pro rata) per annum including London Weighting

Temporary backfill cover until April 2027 (open to secondment from affiliated unions)

We’re looking for an experienced policy officer to take the lead in our policy work on young workers, working with our young workers committee.

What Experience, Skills, Knowledge and understanding do you need?

• You’ll have experience in co-ordinating and developing trade union policy on key areas including those linked to young workers and shaping our clients approach to equality
• You’ll have excellent experience in sourcing and presenting complex information in a variety formats and for different audiences
• You’ll have good written, verbal presentation and organisational skills
• You’ll have sound knowledge and understanding of current equality policy debates and legislation, in particular in relation to young workers.

This role is based Congress House WC1B 3LS.   

If this is you, we’d love to hear from you. 

The job description and person specification are attached to the advert.

We welcome applications from any candidate but are particularly keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, who are underrepresented at this grade.

Closing date: 1st June 2026

Shortlist date: 2nd June 2026

Interview date: 10th June & 11th June 2026

Position: Policy and Public Affairs Officer (Scotland)
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours a per-week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Home Based in Scotland
Salary: Starting from £26,384 per annum plus excellent benefits
Salary Band and Job Family: Band 1, Charity
You will start at our entry point salary of £26,384 per annum, increasing to £28,033 after 6 months service and satisfactory performance and to £29,682 after a further 6 months.

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus. 

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information. 

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and talented policy and public affairs professional to join our team. You should have experience of working to develop policy and have the ability to communicate our position to a wide range of audiences across Scotland.

In this exciting role you will work with the MS community to influence change in public policy, continuing to make the case for improvements in the treatment, care and support of people affected by MS.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who understands the political and policy environment in Scotland, who has experience in external facing influencing roles, who is outcome-focused and delivers tangible results. The successful candidate will work closely with the MS community, the Scottish Policy and Communications team as well as key external partners such as MSPs and their teams.

Closing date for applications: 9:00 on Monday 1st of June

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.

We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good.

We work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse. We want what you would want for your best friend. We listen to survivors, putting their voices at the heart of our thinking. We look at the whole picture for each individual and family to get the right help at the right time to make families everywhere safe and well. And we challenge perpetrators to change, asking ‘why doesn’t he stop?’ rather than ‘why doesn’t she leave?’ This applies whatever the gender of the victim or perpetrator and whatever the nature of their relationship.

Last year alone, nearly 13,500 professionals received our training. Over 70,000 adults at risk of serious harm or murder and more than 85,000 children received support through dedicated multi-agency support designed by us and delivered with partners. In the last four years, over 2,000 perpetrators have been challenged and supported to change by interventions we created with partners, and that’s just the start.

Together we can end domestic abuse. Forever. For everyone.

This is a broad and varied role across Policy, Public Affairs and Communications, with a specific focus on the Drive Project:

The Drive Project is the Drive Partnership’s flagship intervention for high-risk, high-harm and serial perpetrators of domestic abuse. The core mission of the Drive Project is to stop the cycle of domestic abuse and increase the immediate and long-term safety of adult and child victim-survivors. The Drive Project does this by partnering with agencies and local perpetrator services to disrupt, challenge, and change the behaviour of high-risk, high-harm and serial perpetrators, and working closely with IDVAs and victim-survivor services to always centre the safety and needs of victim-survivors, in line with the Respect Standard.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Communications

• Support the Drive Partnership’s communications and stakeholder engagement regarding the Drive Project.
• Lead central support on communications for Drive Project partners and build strong working relationships across network, ensuring both policy and communications expertise and input flows both ways.
• Work closely with internal and external partner colleagues to support the safe and effective roll-out of the Drive Project across England and Wales.
• Support the delivery of the Drive Partnership’s communications plan, including website content, social media, newsletters, and events.
• Develop and maintain communications and branding guidelines and support the Drive Partnership team and network of partners to use correctly.
• Support the Policy, Public Affairs and Communications Manager in developing media relations, including media enquiries, drafting press releases and responses.
• Ensure the website is fit for purpose and up to date with relevant information and news.
• Ensure victim-survivor voice guides our communications thinking and output - engaging in a compassionate, considerate and effective way with victim-survivors through Pioneer interaction, colleagues and any other interaction we have in our daily work.
• Ensure service user (perpetrator) input is collated and utilised in a responsible and safe way – always centring victim-survivors and considering their safety within this work.
• Project and promote our values – through considered language, inclusivity and equality in Drive Partnership communications.

Policy and Public Affairs

• Support the Policy, Public Affairs and Communications Manager to develop and promote policy positions, drawing on the expertise of the partnership.
• Lead and coordinate policy input into the Government’s strategic approach to perpetrators, particularly through influencing on the Drive Partnership’s key recommendations within its Call for Further Action.
• Identify and act on policy opportunities to promote best practice in perpetrator interventions – including both risk management and behaviour change, such as select committee enquiries, consultations, Bills, news developments.
• Build relationships with politicians, voluntary sector, civil servants and professional bodies, deputising for the Policy, Public Affairs and Communications Manager in key meetings where required.
• Support the coordination of sector and stakeholder forums to enhance collaboration towards a more strategic approach to perpetrators of domestic abuse.

Internal

• Play a role in the development of the team, nurturing and drawing on the talents of others.
• Maintain an accurate and secure audit trail of all relevant communication and ensure that all work is compliant with data protection law.
• Engage in a compassionate, considerate and effective way with all victim-survivors through Pioneer interaction, colleagues and any other interaction we have in our daily work.
• Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required.

Person Specification

Experience

Experience of communications planning and delivery:

• Digital communication and website management (E)
• Using data and evidence in communications (E)
• Experience in reactive and crisis communications (D)
• Experience of working with the media and journalists (D)
• Experience of developing a communications plan (D)
• Creative and innovative approach to presenting information across different formats and channels, for a range of audiences (D)

Experience of working with a range of internal and external stakeholders to influence policy:

• Experience of working in coalitions or partnerships (E)
• Experience of building and maintaining good relationships with a range of stakeholders (E)
• Experience working with policymakers/parliamentarians to influence policy (D)
• Experience of working with people with lived experience of the issue at hand (D)

Skills

• Creativity and fluency
• Organisational skills

Competencies

• Teamwork and collaboration
• Communication and relationship management
• Delivering quality
• Goal orientation
• Influence