Press and external affairs officer jobs

Job Title: Policy and Advocacy Manager

Position Type: Maternity Cover

Reports to: Founder/Chief Executive

Based at: School Food Matters, Blackfriars Settlement 9 Rushworth Street SE1 0RB (At least three days per week in the office)

Salary: £40,500

Working Hours: 9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension: School Food Matters pays pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday: 31 days including bank holidays

School Food Matters is closed between Christmas and New Year

Job Purpose

· To lead and shape School Food Matters’ policy and advocacy strategy, ensuring our voice influences national and local decision-making on school food and food education

· To design and deliver campaigns that support and advance SFM’s mission

· To line manage the Press and Communications Officer and Policy and Communications Assistant

Key Tasks

· Lead and provide strategic input to campaigns, convene groups and partnerships

· Represent SFM at external meetings and coalitions such as the School Food Review

· Monitor, analyse and interpret relevant research, policy developments and news, identifying implications or opportunities for SFM

· Oversee the strategic direction of SFM’s external affairs and communications, ensuring all policy, campaigns, and public messaging align with the charity’s mission and priorities

· Provide policy research and analysis to support the activities of the School Food Review

· Oversee meetings and governance for the School Food Alliance

· Provide policy and communications expertise for the Food Education Network workstreams

· Represent SFM at relevant policy consultations, meetings and conferences to influence and inform policy discussions, and deliver presentations as required

· Lead drafting of responses to government consultations

· Working closely with the Press and Communications Officer, provide insights to inform timely media responses to policy developments

· Ensure colleagues are regularly briefed on policy activities, priorities and messages, and run internal workshops to keep them up to date with the school food sector

· Provide strategic input to meeting content for the School Food Review, and support the Policy and Communications Assistant to organise meetings for workstreams

· Oversee the development web content, articles, blogs and newsletter content by the Press and Communications Officer and the Policy and Communications Assistant

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

· Maintain the ethos of the charity and positively promote our work at all times

· The Policy and Advocacy Manager will also undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may arise from time to time.  Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and positive mindset is essential!

Person Specification

Essential

· At least two years post degree experience

· Experience of research and analysis, ideally in a policy environment

· General knowledge of issues around school food, children’s health and food education

· Comprehensive understanding of the UK’s political system

· Experience of coordinating policy/research-based projects

· Experience designing, coordinating and delivering campaigns

· Experience of working in coalitions

· Strong interpersonal skills and ability to maintain relationships with a range of individuals and organisations

· Confident and competent IT skills across Office suite of programmes

· Exceptional oral and written communication skills in fluent spoken and written English, with strong attention to detail and the ability to translate complex data and policies into accessible language and engaging stories and communication materials

· Strong understanding media landscape and social media platforms to oversee the communications activity of the organisation

· Ability to work independently, with high levels of self-motivation

· Good project management, time management and organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines

· Energy, enthusiasm, creativity and tenacity

Desirable

· Strong knowledge of the public health, food and education policy landscape

· Experience managing others

· Experience managing projects

· Experience managing meetings

· Experience of working with Drupal CMS

· Experience of working within a network or coalition of campaigning organisations

· Established contacts with media outlets/journalists/bloggers

· Digital campaigning and social networking skills

· Experience writing news articles and blog posts with clear structure, purpose and an engaging narrative

· Experience managing or supervising team members to deliver communications projects effectively

Citizens UK 

Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.

Living Wage Foundation 

The Living Wage movement began in 2001, after Citizens UK brought together communities in East London to discuss poverty and low pay. The campaign grew in momentum and soon required a mechanism to recognise employers who wanted to join the movement, which saw the establishment of the Living Wage Foundation in 2011.

Still part of Citizens UK today, the Living Wage Foundation continues to work with community organisations to make sure the voices of both workers and businesses are part of the Living Wage movement. We now work with over 16,000 employers, benefitting half a million people and winning over £3bn of better wages for people who need it most.

Citizens UK works with a broad base of institutions across the political spectrum. At the Living Wage Foundation, we take the same deliberately broad-based approach and accredit all organisations who pay the real Living Wage to their directly and indirectly employed staff and are committed to tackling in work poverty.  As a team we work across a range of industries and sectors to achieve this mission. We seek pragmatic coalitions to progress specific campaigns, and partnership around a particular issue such as Living Wage, does not imply an endorsement of broader purpose and policies.

Purpose 

The Living Wage Foundation has an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic team as a Communications Officer. We are looking for an exceptionally motivated and organised individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced, high-profile communications environment.

The role will support the objectives of the Living Wage Foundation and Citizens UK by communicating our work to a wide range of audiences, including senior business leaders and politicians, through a mix of communications methods: social media, newsletters, media outlets, website and internal communications channels. The role will be predominantly focused on work and wages activity through the Living Wage Foundation, but there will be opportunities to support cross-Citizens UK communications activity including for example: campaigns on housing, refugees and more. 

This post will be joining a Communications team that spans media, digital communications, research and events, with colleagues based across the UK with monthly in-person team meetings. 

The post holder will support the delivery of our media and press office activity, including monitoring media coverage, supporting with journalist enquiries, and helping to develop proactive press campaigns to build awareness of the Living Wage Foundation’s work. They will also support the creation of written and visual content across our channels and help monitor and manage our social media presence on a day-to-day basis. The role will work closely to support the Communications team’s work and help communicate the work of the wider-team and our employer network. 

The role is also responsible for key communications with our network of over 16,000 accredited Living Wage Employers, including our monthly newsletters, blogs, videos and case studies to celebrate our network of accredited employers   

The position would suit an applicant with strong written and communication skills, with some experience of working within a communications team and a passion for press work, social media and content creation.  

We don’t expect you to have experience of all areas of this job. Training will be provided to help you develop into this role. 

Main Responsibilities 

Working as a Communications Officer for the Living Wage Foundation, reporting to the Media Manager, your main responsibilities will include: 

Media 

• Contribute to media strategies and plans that help to win public, business and political support for the Living Wage Foundation and its work 

• Write compelling press releases, blogs and opinion editorials to promote the Living Wage Foundation’s work 

• Support story gathering and storytelling development with workers, employers and others affected by low pay and insecure work, ensuring lived experience and employer voices are reflected effectively across media work and wider communications platforms 

• Build effective relationships with the media, colleagues and other stakeholders to find new ways to raise our profile 

• Monitor and evaluate media campaigns and reports

• Maintain and regularly update communications resources, including press contact lists, internal databases and other media materials 

• Participate in the out of hours duty press (being on hand to very occasionally answer emails and phone calls in the evenings or weekends) 

Social and digital media 

• Oversee our digital communications channels to raise awareness of the Living Wage and our wider accreditation schemes, champion responsible employers and grow our movement. 

• Help the team keep up to date with social media trends and opportunities.

• Create, manage and schedule posts for our social media channels including, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook and YouTube, tailoring the content to different channels and audiences. 

• Monitor our social media channels, replying to enquiries from the public and our networks of supporters and employers and flagging any potential issues to the wider team 

Content creation 

• Working with the communication team, design and implement engaging digital engagement campaigns for Living Wage Employers and supporters, and to support Living Wage Foundation campaigns.

• Design communications collateral to increase engagement on social media, including creation and editing of short-form videos for our online channels and creation of social media graphics. 

• Improve our digital offering for our network of accredited Living Wage, Living Hours and Living Pension Employers, by creating resources and improving our communications support. 

• Liaise with the Living Wage and Citizens UK team to keep up-to-date with news to share with key stakeholders 

• Collate and summarise content to schedule newsletters and updates for our varied audiences. 

• Support in adoption of updated brand across our communications content and materials, supporting others to use brand and tone of voice guidelines. 

• Sourcing and creating original content for both the Living Wage Foundation and external websites, including creating blog posts, news, guidance and general pages. 

• Auditing and reviewing existing website content to ensure it is effective and up-to-date. Support on improvements and developments where necessary. 

Network communications 

• Drafting email communications to support the experience of our network of accredited employers, including regular newsletters as well as automated email content for new accreditations.

• Work closely with the Operations and Insight team to put in place the communications infrastructure to help our network of employers engage with us online, e.g. utilising our online dashboard for accredited members and creating new resources.

General 

• Administrate and facilitate communications team meetings. 

• Communications support for key events and campaign moments including the annual Champion Awards and Living Wage Week 

• Monitor communications outputs, analyse performance data and evaluate impact to support learning and improvement across our communications work 

Person Specification

(D) Desirable, (E) Essential 

Experience 

• Experience working within a Communications team or function (E)

• Experience using graphic design software (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite).  (D)

• Experience filming and editing video content (D) 

• Experience using website content management systems (CMS) such as Drupal, WordPress or similar (D)

• Experience of using social media scheduling tools (D)

• Experience of supporting press office or media relations work (D)

 Key skills and knowledge 

• Excellent knowledge of a wide range of social media channels and good awareness of current social media trends and developments (E)

• Strong written and verbal communication skills including the ability to produce clear original content for different audiences and use digital tools (including AI) appropriately and responsibly (E)

• Excellent attention to detail (E)

• Ability to create high-quality and engaging content for social media (whether for a personal or business account) and a good understanding of what makes compelling content (E)

• Strong analytical skills and ability to evaluate the success of a campaign(E)

• Ability to build strong relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders(E)

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders (E)

• Ability to plan and prioritise workload effectively, manage competing demands, and flag capacity issues early to support effective team planning(E)

• Good IT skills, including experience using Microsoft Office(E)

• Creative thinker and problem solver (E)

• Excellent planning, organisation, and prioritisation skills (E)

• Creative with an eye for design and ability to come up with new ideas for content(E)

 Personal qualities & values 

• Interest in media and the news landscape (E)

• An interest and enthusiasm for communications and marketing, and the mission of the Living Wage Foundation (E)

• Highly self-motivated with ability to work well independently as well as part of a team (E)

About the application process 

We work within diverse communities bringing people together. In line with our Inclusion value, we would love to see applications from LGBTQIA+ people, people from racialised communities, people living with disabilities and people of faith, all to better represent the communities we work in. We want our employees to have the working conditions that allows them to fully participate, be able to be their best authentic selves and thrive doing so, and we have employee networks to support staff. Even if you don’t quite meet all the required criteria still consider applying, as we invest in our employees and support them to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver their role.

For questions and reasonable adjustments regarding your application including information in a different format, or our recruitment process, please email us

Got any more questions?     If you would like further information on the role, the organisation, or our commitment to addressing under-representation and the development and progression of all colleagues, we would be happy to answer any questions.   

We will be holding a webinar on Tuesday 10 March 2026 at 12pm which anyone can attend to find out more about the role. In the past, candidates have found this a helpful space for understanding whether the role is right for them. Attendance at this session is optional and will not be taken into account at any stage of the recruitment process. To sign up, please use this link.

If you’d like to know more but cannot attend the webinar, please email us.

The Talent Set are partnered with a leading national health charity who are seeking an experienced Senior Media and PR Manager to lead media activity across policy, influencing campaigns and public health.

This is a key interim role for someone who can quickly step into a busy press office and deliver strategic media engagement that supports the charity’s policy priorities and influencing work.

You will lead proactive and reactive media activity, translating complex health and policy issues into compelling stories that secure national coverage and influence key stakeholders including the NHS, government and wider health decision-makers. Strong media engagement is essential to build profile and position the organisation as a trusted voice on breast cancer.

Key responsibilities

• Lead media and PR activity across health policy, campaigns and public health priorities

• Translate complex health and policy issues into clear, compelling media stories

• Secure national and regional media coverage that supports the organisation’s policy and influencing agenda

• Build and maintain strong relationships with national journalists, health correspondents and policy media

• Work closely with internal policy and public health teams to support influencing activity and external engagement

• Engage with key health stakeholders, including NHS organisations and policymakers, to amplify the charity’s policy priorities through media

• Build relationships with communications teams across key health organisations and stakeholders, including NHS bodies, government departments and partner health charities

• Identify and respond quickly to opportunities within the external news agenda

• Line manage a Senior Media and PR Officer

Person Specifications

• Strong experience in health communications, policy communications or public affairs

• Strong understanding of the UK health policy landscape, including how the NHS operates, with experience engaging NHS stakeholders or communicating health policy issues through media

• Proven track record securing national media coverage linked to policy or influencing campaigns

• Experience translating complex policy or health topics for media audiences

• Strong journalist relationships and excellent news judgement

• Able to deliver quickly in a fast-paced press office environment

What’s on Offer:

• This is a 6 month FTC, starting as soon as possible. 
• Hybrid working set-up - 2 days a week in central London 
• Salary banding £47,000-£52,000
• Full-time role, due to the busy nature of the role we can only consider applications who can work 5 days. 

How to Apply: To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the “apply now” button.

The process: If your experience aligns with what we're looking for, a member of our team will be in contact to discuss the role with you in more detail before presenting your profile to the client. We will also ensure that all applicants receive an email to inform them of the outcome of their application.

To avoid any potential delays or your application being missed, please apply solely via the 'Apply Now' button.

Commitment to Diversity: The Talent Set and our partner organisation are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, age, or gender. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.

This is an exceptional opportunity at one of the world's most prestigious universities at a time of extraordinary ambition and philanthropic momentum. 

Associate Director of Development – Principal Gifts
Employer: University of Oxford
Salary: £65,336 - £82,255 with scope to go beyond for a leading professional with outstanding experience and track record
Location: Oxford (Hybrid)

Here at the University of Oxford, we are recruiting three Associate Directors of Development – Principal Gifts to join our incredible team. These are new positions, part of an expansion of our friendly, collaborative and successful Principal Gifts team.

As Associate Director of Development – Principal Gifts, you will operate at the highest levels of the University to secure transformational gifts at the eight-figure-plus level, advancing Oxford’s mission and global impact.  Your work will help ensure that Oxford continues to attract the brightest minds, pursue world-leading research, and address the most urgent challenges facing humanity.

You will work closely with the Vice-Chancellor, Chief Development and Alumni Engagement Officer, Director of Development – Principal Gifts, and other senior leaders to align principal gift opportunities with institutional priorities and articulate a compelling case for support to some of the world’s most significant philanthropists.

Your impact will be enduring – enabling breakthrough discoveries, expanding opportunity for students, and strengthening Oxford’s position as a global leader in education and research.  The Associate Director of Development role offers the chance not only to secure transformational gifts, but also to shape the future of Oxford’s philanthropic culture and leave a legacy at an institution that has been changing the world for over nine centuries.

This is a chance to join a dedicated, professional and ambitious team at a time when Oxford’s fundraising is at unprecedented levels. With strong support from the Vice-Chancellor, a proven track record of principal gift success, and an unparalleled global reputation, you will have every opportunity to make your mark, both at Oxford and in your career.

You will be passionate about what we do here, not phased by complexity and ambiguity, and comfortable orchestrating a myriad of stakeholders.  We hope to hear from you!

The University of Oxford is partnering with Erin Hall-Westfall and Joanna Logan of Constellate Global Talent on this search.

Closing date: midnight on Monday, 6 April 2026.

Interested?

Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter.

Diversity and Inclusivity

The University of Oxford is committed to equal opportunity, and to being a place where everyone belongs and is supported to succeed. We recognise how the diversity of our community enriches our ability to deliver on our academic mission.

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, including those under-represented within higher education. No applicant or members of staff shall be unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

No agencies please