Public affair manager jobs in Edinburgh

This role will join an ambitious programme developing the capacity of the Libraries Connected public library networks. We want to help them evolve as strategic partnerships able to deliver social impacts at scale and to secure resources and investment from national, regional and sub-regional government. Be key to the development of libraries as essential social infrastructure, and help them secure the resources they need to make an impact. 

The role is part of a small team of two Regional Managers, supported by an Administrator. 

By developing our existing regional networks into formal, resourced structures we can enable the regions to: 

• Secure investment for the service and for the libraries from regional and devolved / combined authority funds.
• Create unique regional offers to meet specific needs across and within the regional areas.
• Deliver at scale. For example, the Yorkshire & Humber regional network has 15 library services, and 348 library buildings. 
• Create opportunities for cost saving – through joint procurement and shared / collaborative services. 
• Share good practice and experience on a formal and integrated basis. 

We have 9 regional networks in England, covering all library services and ranging in size from 9 to 33 services. Within each region they provide hundreds of library branches, thousands of staff, and serve millions of service users.  They have a long tradition of working together as peer support networks and to deliver activities such as festivals, marketing, and staff training. 

Please see the attached job description for a full description of the role, including person specification. 

Frequent travel within the UK may be required for the role.

About Libraries Connected 

We are an independent charity that supports, promotes and represents public libraries. Our work is driven and led by our membership, which includes almost every library service in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man).  

Across the areas we serve there are 176 individual library services with around 3,000 library branches serving over 61 million people. 

Our unique approach is to bring these services together to share experience, expertise and evidence – driving innovation and impact across the public library sector.

While senior library leaders sit on our board and committees, we work with library staff at all levels.

As well as providing practical support, training and advice to libraries, we represent them to government and raise their profile in the media. We also develop and lead national library projects with cultural, academic and corporate partners.  

We work to a strategic plan that runs until 2027, organised around four themes: drive, grow, connect and engage.  

We generate income from membership subscriptions, commissioned services, events and grants. As an Arts Council Investment Principle Support Organisation, part of our core funding in England comes from the Arts Council to help embed their Investment Principles across the library network.   

Our values 

• We are supportive. We respond to the varied, emerging needs of our members and their communities to enable libraries to learn from each other, and other sector leaders, so that they can safeguard and improve their services.  

• We are inclusive. We work with our members and partners to design and deliver our work and to determine our strategic priorities because we are committed to representing the diverse communities and libraries which we serve.  

• We are open. We are in constant communication with our members and partners on all levels to learn from their experiences, reflect on our practice and develop our services. We welcome challenge and new directions for our work.  

• We are ambitious. We believe that libraries are an essential part of the solution to a range of society’s needs. We promote innovation and collaboration to ensure that libraries are recognised locally and nationally.  

Working at Libraries Connected 

We are a friendly, collaborative team of around 20 staff based all around England and Wales. 

We value diversity and are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment. We strongly believe that inclusive and diverse organisations are not only better places to work, they are more innovative, make better decisions and are more successful. We value people who bring unique perspectives and knowledge to our team. 

We want to make our recruitment process as fair as possible. To reduce bias, we shortlist candidates based on their responses to up to six application questions. These are designed to tell us about your values, experience, attitudes to work, and transferable skills. We do not ask for a separate cover letter or supporting statement. 

We offer flexible working as standard, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities. Many of our staff work their hours in different ways, including flexi time and compressed hours. We are open to discussing what would work for you and be possible for the role. 

All roles are remote and are open to applicants who live anywhere in the UK. We provide staff with a home office set-up including laptop, monitor and phone. There is the option to work from our central London office or use a co-working space if it is not possible to work from home. 

We welcome requests for adjustments to our standard recruitment processes for anyone who needs them. 

• As a Policy and Public Affairs Officer, you’ll support the British Heart Foundation’s policy and public affairs work across Scotland, helping to influence decision-makers and advance our priorities. Working within the Devolved Nations Policy and Public Affairs team, you’ll engage with the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, charity sector and clinical community to help deliver BHF’s objectives.

  You’ll contribute to influencing plans, monitor political and policy developments, prepare high-quality briefings and consultation responses, and identify opportunities to raise awareness of issues affecting people with heart and circulatory diseases. You’ll also help organise events, build relationships with key stakeholders and represent BHF at meetings, conferences and parliamentary events.

  Working collaboratively across the organisation, you’ll help ensure BHF’s policy positions are evidence-based, relevant to Scotland and effectively communicated to a range of audiences.

  About you

  As our ideal candidate, you’ll have:

  • Knowledge of the political environment and devolved government in Scotland.
  • A strong interest in policy and public affairs, with relevant experience desirable.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly.
  • Experience producing high-quality written content for a variety of audiences.
  • Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
  • Effective interpersonal and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage a range of stakeholders.
  • The ability to work independently whilst contributing positively as part of a team.
  • Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office, and a willingness to learn Microsoft 365 Copilot.

  If you’re a proactive and collaborative individual with an interest in policy and public affairs, and you're looking to make a meaningful impact in the fight against heart and circulatory disease, we’d love to hear from you.

  Belonging at BHF

  By embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment, we strengthen our ability to achieve our mission of saving and improving lives, ensuring our work reflects and serves the needs of every community across the UK. 

  To hear from our people, check out  Belonging at BHF. 

  Our people are at the heart of everything we do. By funding research across six decades, we’ve helped keep millions of hearts beating and millions of families together. We’re investing in ground-breaking research that will get us closer than ever to a world where everyone has a healthier heart for longer.

  Working arrangements

  This is an 18 month fixed term contract to cover an internal secondment.

  This is a hybrid role, where your work will be split between your home and at least one day per week, on average, in our Edinburgh Office. This may vary from time to time, so you will need to work in a flexible way to unlock your best work for our cause.

  Benefits and development 

  At BHF, we offer a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support our colleagues’ wellbeing and professional growth.

  To find out more about our benefits you can download the Benefits document at the bottom of this page or check out our Benefits and Development pages.

  Need more help balancing your work and home life? Talk to us about what flexibility is available at the application or interview stage.

  Interview process

  The interview process may take place in-person or virtually via MS Teams.

  How to apply

  It’s quick and easy to apply for a role at the BHF. Just click on the apply button below. All you’ll need is an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement, outlining your interest in the role and how you meet the role’s criteria. 

  Our recruitment processes are fair, accessible, and inclusive. BHF use anonymous CV software as part of the application journey. 

  We support responsible use of AI to help shape your application. By applying for a role at BHF, you confirm that your application is authentic and reflects your own skills and experience, to ensure everyone is assessed fairly.

  Should you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us.

We're the UK's specialist blood cancer charity and our vision is clear: we’re here to beat blood cancer. We fund world-class research; provide information and support to patients and their loved ones; and raise awareness of blood cancer.

We are recruiting two Policy and Public Affairs Officers to join our Policy and Influencing team at Blood Cancer UK. One role will be based in London and focus on policy and public affairs activity across England and Wales, while the other will be based in Edinburgh and lead our work in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Both roles will play a vital part in ensuring that the voices of people affected by blood cancer are heard by decision-makers and that evidence-based solutions influence governments, health systems and policymakers across the UK.

Working as part of a collaborative UK-wide team, you will develop evidence-based policy positions, build and maintain relationships with parliamentarians, government officials and health stakeholders, and produce high-quality briefings and consultation responses. You will also represent Blood Cancer UK at meetings, events and stakeholder forums, helping to influence policy and drive meaningful change for people affected by blood cancer.

This role will require regular travel within your respective nations (England and Wales or Scotland and Northern Ireland) to attend meetings, events and stakeholder engagement activities. In addition, there will be occasional travel across the UK, including to London, Cardiff, or Edinburgh, Belfast and other locations, to support cross-UK influencing activity, team meetings and organisational events.

We are committed to actively promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity. In line with our strategy we welcome approaches from individuals from underrepresented groups, including minority communities, and applicants with a disability, to better reflect the community we serve and help broaden our perspectives.

Expected interview dates: 

England & Wales

Thursday 30 July – first stage, online

Thursday 6 August – second stage, in person in our London office

Scotland & Northern Ireland

Tuesday 11 August – first stage, online

Tuesday 18 August – second stage, in person in our Edinburgh office

Closing Date: England and Wales: 9am on Thursday 23 July 2026; Scotland & Northern Ireland: 9am on Thursday 30 July 2026.

Do you understand how financial systems influence climate outcomes?

Are you excited by the prospect of using that knowledge to help accelerate the transition to more sustainable food and agricultural systems?

Prospectus are delighted to be supporting our client in the search for a Global Climate Manager (Financial Systems) to join its Protein Transition Team.

This role sits at the intersection of climate advocacy and financial systems change. Working across campaigns focused on agricultural methane, deforestation and nature, you engage with investors, financial institutions, regulators and corporate stakeholders to drive meaningful environmental progress.

You'll contribute to advocacy campaigns, develop partnerships, produce research and briefings, engage with shareholder and investor groups, and identify opportunities to influence policy and regulation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver advocacy campaigns focused on climate, nature and financial accountability.
• Engage with investors, banks, asset managers and shareholder groups.
• Develop briefings, reports and campaign materials.
• Support research into corporate climate commitments and financial systems.
• Identify opportunities for regulatory and policy intervention.
• Support shareholder engagement and AGM activity.
• Build relationships with partners across finance, policy and civil society.

The successful candidate may come from sustainable finance, responsible investment, policy, public affairs, ESG, advocacy or financial regulation.  We're looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• An understanding of financial institutions and financial systems.
• Experience influencing decision-makers through advocacy, engagement or campaigning.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Knowledge of climate, nature or sustainability issues.
• Excellent written communication skills and the ability to translate complex issues into compelling messages.
• A collaborative and adaptable approach.

Experience in sustainable finance, stewardship, corporate accountability or environmental campaigning would be particularly valuable.

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds. Please let us know if we can help you with the application process in any way. We are more than happy to make any reasonable adjustments to enable all interested candidates to apply. If you have any disability and would like assistance with completing an application please contact Catherine Bunting at Prospectus.

If you are interested in applying to this leadership position, please submit your CV and a covering letter in the first instance. Should your experience be suitable, we will arrange for a call and/or meeting to brief you on the role. You’ll then have all the information you need to formally apply. We are looking forward to connecting with you soon