Press and external affairs officer jobs

The Organisation

Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity supporting low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people.

We help thousands of families every year with essential grants, services and practical support. But we do much more than that. We champion families’ voices, challenge inequality and help shape the conversation on disability, childhood illness and disadvantage. 

The Role 

This is an exciting opportunity to shape how Family Fund connects with people across the UK. As a newly created role, it offers real scope to define and develop the function, while playing a central role in strengthening the organisation’s voice and influence.

We are looking for a bold, creative Group Director of External Affairs to join our Senior Leadership Team. At a time when families need us more than ever, you will raise Family Fund’s national profile and influence, positioning the organisation as a trusted, evidence led voice on childhood disability, serious illness and the broader challenges facing low-income families. You will build and sustain strong relationships with policymakers, funders, and the public ensuring the organisation secures the visibility, support, and resources needed to drive lasting change for the families we serve.

You will lead an energetic, specialist team spanning communications, media, public affairs, partnerships and research, bringing these areas together through a joined up external engagement strategy that delivers real impact.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Lead our communications, media, public affairs, partnerships and research teams
• Raise Family Fund’s profile as a trusted national voice 
• Build strong relationships with policymakers, media, funders and partners 
• Help drive real change for families through influence and insight

Who we’re looking for 

We are looking for an experienced leader who loves the power of communication, influence and connection.

Key attributes will include:

• Senior experience in external affairs, communications or public affairs 
• A strong track record of influencing policy and engaging senior stakeholders 
• Experience leading teams and working at senior level 
• A warm, confident communication style and great relationship skills 
• A real passion for Family Fund’s mission and social justice

This is an exciting, high impact role with the chance to make a genuine difference to families across the UK. 

Candidate Briefing Pack

For comprehensive information about Family Fund, the role responsibilities and the person we are looking for, please download the Candidate Briefing Pack.

How to Apply

If you would like to apply for this fantastic opportunity, please provide the following with your application:

• An up-to-date CV
• A supporting statement of no more than 2 sides of A4, outlining your experience, motivations and suitability for the role.

All applications are being handled by our recruitment partner, Russam. All applications should be uploaded via the Russam website.

If you have any difficulty uploading your application or if you would like to have an informal and confidential discussion about the role, please contact Melissa Baxter - Managing Partner, Charities at Russam.

Closing date for applications: Monday 2nd February 2026
Initial interviews with Russam: 17th and 18th February 2026
Interviews with Family Fund: 4th, 5th and 6th March 2026

Flexibility will be provided if needed - do let us know as soon as possible if you are unavailable on these dates.

We commit to inclusion, equality and diversity and we welcome applications from all parts of the community. Family Fund is a Disability Confident Leader. We will invite to interview all disabled applicants who meet the requirements for the role. If you have a disability, and are happy to let us know, please highlight this in your covering letter. We have also signed the Armed Forces Covenant, and we welcome applications from the Armed Forces Community. 

The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

Leading national policy strategy

As Head of Policy you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan.  Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall. 

You will hold relationships with the Department for Education and Ofsted and advise on policy priorities ahead, such as:

• Widening the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services

• Reducing perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits

• Expectations for multi-academy trusts in capturing and analysing data on lost learning, including how it disproportionately affects different groups

• Improving local alternative provision eco-systems, to improve outcomes for young people

• National standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level

• Professional development standards for school inclusion

Developing implementation expertise in the middle tier

In your first six months, you will advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders.  You will support the Programme team in its design, to plan strategically for the recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and you will plan the research and influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Building the evidence base

In your second six months, you will work with the CEO to build out our research function. Your influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates; alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

Raising your voice

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to inclusive policy change. The Difference has always punched above our weight in national and sector press reach. In post,  you will publish blogs and comment pieces, disseminating our shared ideas.  You will be a prominent voice on inclusion.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being highly autonomous, reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

The Role
This is an exciting time to join The Difference as we increase our impact, reach more schools, and develop our influencing strategy. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs you will: 
 

Design and execute an impactful influencing plan 

• Design an influencing plan - Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones. 

• Execute an influencing plan - Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.

• Relationship building - Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks. 

• Leadership - Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

Build policy capacity and credibility across the organisation

• Policy positions and solutions- Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives. 

• Thought leadership - Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert. 

• Generating income - Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability. 

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:
 

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy, surrounding this policy topic. 

• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in identifying policy windows and designing activities that lead to meaningful national policy change. 

• Excellent relationship builder, who brings with them their own network of influential stakeholders and has a plan for building new relationships. Adept at navigating tricky situations and explaining complex, sometimes difficult, messages.

• Expert convener with a strong knowledge of the education sector, including which schools, trusts and local authorities are influential and experience in bringing a variety of perspectives together to generate consensus. 

• Persuasive and clear writing style for publication, including reports, press, blogs and ghost writing for members of the senior leadership team, often based on consensus positions, and designed to communicate key messages for impact. 

• Confidence and credibility in communicating nuanced messages in a contentious landscape, in writing, verbally and in public (e.g. on panels), to raise the profile of The Difference. 

• Strong project manager who can design systems and processes to keep self, team and other stakeholders on task and on time. Experience of designing programmes of work and monitoring their effectiveness. Flexible project management style that can adapt to a changing environment. Confidence in managing a variety of stakeholders and supporting them to deliver on time. 

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following: 

• Familiarity with The Difference’s programmatic work, theory and practice. 

• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people (e.g. those with experience of the care system, mental ill health, special educational needs, exclusion, and racism).

We know that some people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution, we warmly encourage you to apply. 

We actively welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are under-represented in the charity sector, including but not limited to: people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the case system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.

Longer working lives and ongoing economic transitions are reshaping careers: how we start them, and how we move through them. But too many people remain paid in low-paid, low-quality work – with damaging consequences for them personally, and our economy as a whole. We’re seeking a senior, policy-oriented research leader to help us and our partners generate insights that enable more people to move into and progress through better work.

You’ll have a proven track record in scoping and securing funding for research and influencing activity, with significant autonomy to lead your own programme at L&W. You’ll be supported by committed researchers and managers whom you will coach, lead, and develop—alongside a peer group of Deputy Directors working across other key pillars. We welcome quantitative expertise, but most important are the skills to design and deliver high-quality, impactful research programmes.

You’ll join an organisation with a national reputation for driving policy change—and a friendly, highly capable, delivery-focused team. 

Location: Hybrid working: 40-60% in an L&W office. Our offices for this role are currently in Leicester and London, but if you are based elsewhere, please contact us to talk about how the role could work for you.

Team:Research and Development

Salary:£64,450 -£77,880 per annum (pro rata), dependent on experience and location

Duration:Permanent

Working hours:0.8 to 1 FTE, with flexible working supported (e.g. condensed hours, flexible start and finish times)

Main Purpose

The Deputy Director, Policy and Research (Better Work and Progression) will have overall ownership of the ‘Better Work’ pillar of our strategic plan at L&W: overseeing all projects and activity in this area and generating new work (including developing project ideas and securing funding).

While there is significant scope to shape the ongoing programme of research and impact work, we anticipate that key areas of focus in this area going forward will be: understanding & better supporting career change; understanding and improving policy to increase employer investment in skills; high quality and fair access apprenticeships and technical education; understanding how to better support progression from low pay.

They will be a senior leader for the organization – helping to continuously shape our strategy and the plans we are implementing to deliver it.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and management

• Intellectual leadership of the Better Work pillar: developing and owning policy positions, messages, theory of change and research priorities, and supporting the wider team to feed into and understand them
• Line management of senior and mid-level staff
• Act as a senior leader at L&W – including taking on specific organization-level responsibilities where appropriate

Income

• Write and/or co-ordinate responses to reactive research and evaluation tenders in the areas of employment, better work and progression
• Develop pro-active proposals that will drive change in your area, and respond to the interests of funders and partners
• Build relationships with current and potential funders and research partners

Impact

• Act as an external expert on the issues of better work and progression: writing press quotes, articles and blogs;speaking on platforms
• Building relationships with practitioners, policymakers and partners to improve our insights, and get our recommendations implemented
• Develop appropriate means of tracking impact towards our better work goals, and monitor against them. 

Delivery

• Deputy Director/Project Director-level oversight of projects being delivered in your and related areas: supporting project team to shape research plans, deliver sharp insights and manage funder relationships
• Quality Assurance of research proposals and outputs
• Use your research skills and experience to support the wider development of the Learning and Work team

Person Specification

Experience

Experience of developing, overseeing and delivering programmes of policy-relevant research at a high level - Essential

Experience of business development in a policy/research context: developing ideas, writing bids and building relationships with funders- Essential

Experience of building senior-level relationships with external stakeholders for impact and influence -Essential

Track record of delivering national and/or local policy change - Essential

Experience of senior organisational leadership as part of a team - Desirable 

Experience of responding to tenders- Desirable 

Skills

Advanced research skills (qualitative of quantitative) -Essential

Quantitative skills: experience of using key national research and administrative data sets to generate insights into the labour market -Desirable 

Clear and direct written communication style - Essential

Knowledge

Knowledge of, and commitment to, L&W’s charitable aims and purpose.- Essential

Demonstrable knowledge of employment and/or skills policy in the UK - Essential

Demonstrable knowledge in the specific areas of Better Work and/or progression -Desirable 

Learning and Work Institute works across the UK. Our work in Wales is led by a Cardiff based team, but all staff are required to follow the guidance set out in our Welsh language scheme when working in Wales.

About Mesothelioma UK

Mesothelioma UK is a national charity dedicated to supporting anyone affected by mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer caused primarily by asbestos exposure. Our mission is to help people live better and longer, champion equitable access to improved treatments, advance research, and amplify the voices of those living with mesothelioma. We are proud to provide specialist nursing, information, research, and advocacy services across the UK.

The Opportunity

As our founder and current CEO steps down, we are seeking a visionary and values-driven Chief Executive to lead Mesothelioma UK into its next chapter. This is a pivotal moment for the charity, offering the chance to build on our strong foundations and drive forward our ambitious strategy to improve outcomes for all those affected by mesothelioma.

About the Role

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive will:

• Inspire and lead a high-performing team, including our unique NHS-based nursing network.
• Develop and deliver organisational strategy and operational plans.
• Ensure robust financial management and income generation.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders including the NHS, donors, partners, and research teams.
• Act as an ambassador for the charity, raising our national and international profile.
• Uphold our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

About You

We are looking for an exceptional leader who brings:

• Proven experience at CEO, Director, or equivalent senior level in a non-profit or health sector environment.
• A track record in leadership, strategic planning, financial management, governance and fundraising.
• Strong people management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Passion for our mission and values, with high ethical standards and integrity.
• The ability to inspire, motivate, and unite staff, volunteers, and partners.

What We Offer

• Salary circa £75,000 (negotiable, dependent on experience)
• 10% employer pension contribution
• Health Cash Plan & Employee Assistance Programme
• Flexible working arrangements
• The chance to make a profound difference to people’s lives

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with AdviceUK to recruit for an interim Head of Policy, Programmes and Media. Joining the organisation as a maternity leave cover contract, this is a role where you will have the opportunity to achieve significant impact across some key priority areas.

Since 1979, Advice UK has been supporting advice organisations by helping them to be efficient, competent and effective, and by campaigning for a policy environment that supports advice agencies and people needing advice. A small but mighty - and growing! - charity that supports its members to provide advice to upwards of 2.5 million people each year. The organisation is working towards a world in which every individual, regardless of means, is able to access the advice they need in order to exercise their rights and address any legal and social welfare challenges they may face.

Contract: Interim maternity cover role, nine to 12 month contract

Salary: £70,000 to £75,000 per annum

Location: Hybrid role which will be predominantly home-based with travel to London for either office days or meetings expected around one day per week

Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week or part time, 28 hours per week considered with flexible working options fully supported

Closing date for applications: 9am Friday 30th January
Interviews: Interviews will be held in person at the charity offices in London on the 11th and 12th of February

The Head of Policy, Programmes and Media position is a senior position within the organisation. Part of the SLT and reporting to the CEO the postholder will take the lead on all policy and public affairs initiatives to secure policy change and funding to benefit people seeking advice and the communities served by the organisation's members.

Core responsibilities within the role will include:

• Develop and oversee the implementation of effective strategies for policy and funder influence that enable Advice UK to achieve its purpose
• Identify new audiences and develop innovative approaches to sustain and grow Advice UK's stakeholder and funder network and achieve its strategic priorities
• Be accountable for Advice UK's policy, public affairs and funded activities, reporting to the Chief Executive and Advice UK Board
• Lead the development and coordination of clear, concise and authoritative policy positions on key issues
• Identify actionable and achievable policy influencing goals to achieve change on the highest priority issues and develop strategic influencing plans to achieve these goals
• Alongside the Chief Executive, be Advice UK spokesperson and representative at external events including policy roundtables, steering groups, conferences, meetings and other events
• Oversee and deliver a proactive public affairs strategy to achieve policy change on the issues of priority concern to members
• Identify and build effective relationships with key contacts across UK and devolved governments and parliaments, including Ministers, MPs, civil servants and local and regional decision makers
• Lead a stakeholder engagement programme for Advice UK working strategically to identify, develop and manage relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including policy influencers, funders, sector partners and other organisations
• Oversee the development of effective press and media campaigns, mobilising support and leveraging media opportunities to raise awareness and drive action on priority issues
• Oversee the development and effective delivery of the #AdviceSaves campaign (including Advice Week), ensuring impact is measured and lessons learned
• Oversee development of research and analysis to identify emerging trends, opportunities in support of our policy and campaign objectives, using this to provide evidence-based insights and identify specific policy solutions to inform advocacy efforts
• Lead the development of high-quality research and insight products, including research reports and commissioned surveys to support our influencing goals
• Oversee the delivery of Advice UK's funding strategy to open up funding opportunities for members and their advice services
• As the departmental budget holder, lead on all financial management for the department, including forecasting and measuring financial performance, setting and managing budgets, reducing waste, and taking action to ensure the department achieves its financial objectives
• Provide effective leadership to the Policy and Public Affairs department including line management of a team of four, ensuring their strong performance and supporting their learning and development
• Work with other members of the senior leadership team to develop and implement Advice UK's strategic plan in supporting of its overall strategic objectives and to establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)

We'd love to see applications from candidates with the following skills and experience:

• Significant experience of delivering within a complex policy environment, ideally within an organisation of similar size and complexity including of developing and delivering impactful policy and public affairs strategies that have led to demonstrable change
• Experience or an understanding of the social welfare advice sector; the issues faced by advice providers and the communities they serve
• Experience of working with suppliers and partners to deliver campaigns, research and funding proposals including tendering, negotiating and contracting, and of working in coalitions and partnerships to achieve shared objectives
• Experience acting as a spokesperson for an organisation
• Experience of strategic leadership of teams and working with CEO, Board and as part of a senior leadership team
• Ability to apply knowledge to new challenges and situations, and to devise solutions
• Strong analytical thinking and decision-making skills, with ability to translate data and evidence into actionable insights to inform decision-making
• Ability to think strategically; working in timescales of between one to three years
• Ability to manage and motivate staff to deliver complex or challenging projects
• Commitment to social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion

If you're interested in hearing more about this opportunity, please send your CV to Alice at Charity People in the first instance. 

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

The Programme Director, Media and Communications leads on the design, development and implementation of communication strategies and plans to advance Humane World for Animals UK’s strategic priorities with regard to campaigns, brand-building and fundraising. The role creates, implements and measures the success of a comprehensive communications programme that will aim to significantly enhance the organisation’s image and position within the UK animal protection space.

If you are results-oriented, organised and creative and have strong proven experience as a media and communications professional then we would like to hear from you.

Key areas of responsibility

1. Develop and execute communications strategies for Humane World for Animals UK’s key campaigns and fundraising requirements.

2. Measure and track communications impact, reach and effectiveness, reporting against agreed targets.

3. Manage, maintain and grow productive relationships with a range of journalists with a goal of securing prominent national media coverage.

4. Oversee the organisation’s social media channels to promote campaigns, support fundraising and engage meaningfully with UK supporters and political stakeholders.

5. Serve as chief content reviewer to ensure communications materials adhere to policy, factual accuracy and visual brand guidelines.

6. Lead on designing reputational risk management mitigation strategies.

7. Implement UK specific brand strategies with the aim of increasing and measuring brand awareness in the UK market.

8. Lead on celebrity recruitment and stewardship.

9. Manage sourcing and contracting relationships with communications / PR agencies and databases to ensure consistently high-quality and value for money communications outputs.

10. Manage the communications and media budget, including regular reporting.

About you

Our successful candidate will be confident, creative and positive with a proven track in media and communications roles at a senior level. A proactive self-starter, you will have demonstrable experience of managing and developing strong, focused and ambitious teams, and a solution-focused approach to overcoming obstacles. You will have experience of building high quality media and communication strategies and plans and delivering these in a fast-paced environment. You will have ambition and drive for creating positive change for animal welfare; a willingness to constantly learn and develop the most impactful, cost-effective communications for our target audiences; and your work will be solidly underpinned by regular evaluation of progress and impact with a view to further improving strategies.

We are searching for an experienced media and communications professional to make a difference and be part of our successful and friendly team. If that’s you, please get in touch!