Public Affairs Officer For Jobs in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

The Senior Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager plays a leadership role in team management, development, and delivery of ARUK’s influencing strategy. The role leads a highly engaged and high-performing team that brings the work of Alzheimer’s Research UK to life and rallies people to our cause, devising powerful campaigns and building support among decision makers to invest in dementia research and ensure people with dementia can benefit from breakthroughs.

Alzheimer’s Research UK is a leading voice on dementia and research, and this postholder will develop a credible and comprehensive public affairs and campaigns strategy for the charity and oversee external stakeholder engagement activity with Government and decision makers. They will lead a team covering, public affairs and campaigns functions.

The Senior Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager brings expertise in developing influential campaigns, political engagement programmes, and devising strategies to achieve change in Government and NHS policy and practice.

The Senior Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager reports into the Head of Policy and Public Affairs and works closely with the colleagues across Policy, Communications, and Information and Involvement to ensure that Alzheimer’s Research UK continues to be positioned as the go-to organisation on dementia and dementia research. It would be advantageous for the postholder to be experienced at people management and working across multiple projects, bringing the drive to seek out new and proactive opportunities for the department and wider charity.

Main duties and responsibilities of the role:

· Leadership of the Public Affairs and Campaigns team, line managing two Managers and a total team of 4 people.

· Manage the day-to-day budgeting and reforecasting process, with an expenditure budget of circa £100,000, ensuring that the team operates cost effectively in meeting its objectives.

· Lead the development of a programme of influencing work, ensuring the team deliver high quality, impactful outputs such as Parliamentary events, Party Conference activities and other compelling activities that raise awareness of dementia, and drive investment in dementia research.

· Leadership of cross-organisational groups to deliver the strategic and influencing priorities for ARUK

· Represent ARUK on coalitions and external working groups as appropriate.

· Provide strong leadership and support as part of the wider the Policy and Public Affairs department, through coaching, mentoring and developing individuals to deliver an effective and efficient external influencing. function.

· Facilitate team building and collaborative working to deliver strategic and operational plans.

Public Affairs

· Work with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs and through their team, to deliver organisational strategy and develop positioning on key parliamentary and policy issues.

· Advise Alzheimer’s Research UK on effective political positioning to achieve our goals; working to ensure we are able to successfully influence key Government policy and decisions

· Build and maintain effective relationships with decision-makers and opinion formers including in Government and in Parliament.

· Develop and deliver a public affairs strategy for Alzheimer’s Research UK, working closely with their team, with a range of creative tactics that create pressure, build momentum and drive forward our influence in Parliament and with Government and opposition parties.

· Ensure ARUK has a meaningful role in shaping future legislation on dementia and scientific research.

· Work with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs to develop a synergistic Public Affairs and Campaigns strategy that embeds and exploits our policy work

· Lead responses and briefings on key legislation and guidance, including proposed drafting amendments where appropriate.

· Lead public affairs activity around Parliamentary set pieces e.g King’s Speech, Budget, General Elections and Party Conferences, to ensure that ARUK is positioned as one of the most influential charities in Parliament

· Oversee systems and processes within the team to develop high quality parliamentary briefs, develop submissions for parliamentary questions and to rapidly respond to other opportunities presented through the parliamentary system.

· Work closely with Parliamentarians, managing a programme of meetings and other parliamentary activities that maintain dementia research as a political priority for Government.

· Work across Policy and Public Affairs teams to ensure there is good co-ordination and communication of policy throughout the charity in order to foster a shared understanding of ARUK’s policies and issues.

· Responsible for providing written and in person briefings to colleagues who are attending Parliamentary and political meetings, including roundtables and select committee meetings

Stakeholder Engagement

· Provide leadership to the public affairs team and work closely with colleagues to grow political engagement in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

· Work across the organisation to develop stakeholder management processes and mechanisms that help us to manage and derive insights from key organisational relationships.

· Play a key role in developing ARUK’s influencing stakeholder contact programme and identifying opportunities and strategies to improve engagement.

· Supervise a programme of parliamentary engagement for the Chief Executive, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Director of Policy and Communications, working in conjunction with the Head of Governance and Head of Policy and Public Affairs.

Campaigns

· Ensure compliance with Charity Commission guidance, and other legislation on charities’ lobbying activities.

· Develop and implement campaign strategies that deliver against ARUK policy objectives.

· Grow digital campaigns and public affairs opportunities, building our reach and engagement with key audiences.

· Manage and grow a supporter-based campaigning network, online and offline, to advocate on behalf of ARUK, including the involvement of people affected by dementia.

· To work with the Head of Public Affairs and wider team to develop campaign ideas with key audiences that deliver against ARUK policy objectives.

What we are looking for:

· Experience working in a public affairs, campaigns, parliamentary leadership or strategy role in a national organisation in the private, public, or voluntary sector.

· Experience working extensively in politics, political communications agency or charities influencing on complex health, science or policy issues.

· Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, and an understanding of how to influence and use the media, including thought leadership.

· Extensive experience developing and delivering multi-media and multi-channel campaign strategies to reach both mass and specialist audiences.

· Experience leading market research and user insight projects to shape campaigns and messaging.

· Knowledge of how to develop inclusive communications, particularly working with people affected by dementia.

· Detailed understanding of the medical research environment.

· Strong leadership skills and experience of managing diverse teams.

· Excellent organisational skills; the ability to manage a large number of tasks to meet multiple deadlines.

· Exemplary leadership with both short and long term strategic vision 

· Excellent communicator with an ability to build relationships and inspire confidence and respect at all levels. Demonstrates strong negotiation and decision making skills Ability to explain complex information to all stakeholders

· Excellent listening skills, receptive to feedback and demonstrates flexibility, curiosity and an ability to learn

· Strong team player who can work both independently and collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders

· A self-starter, able to work with independence, intelligence, drive and initiative to identify new opportunities and areas of strategic growth.

· Creative flair, with an eye for detail, compelling copy and engaging ideas – able to spot opportunities and develop them for the benefit of ARUK and its beneficiaries.

· A confident speaker, able to represent the charity to the highest level in media interviews and meetings.

· Demonstrates and encourages ownership and responsibility; builds drive and motivation in others – has a ‘can-do’ attitude and is committed to delivering results, and strives for continuous improvement

· Strong ethical standards and a high level of personal integrity.

· Willingness and ability to travel independently in the UK and beyond, to work outside of regular office hours.

Additional Information:

Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals.  This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD. 

Salary: Circa £54,000 per annum, plus benefits

Please download the Vacancy Pack for more information.

The closing date for applications is the 28th April 2024, with interviews likely to be held week commencing the 6th May 2024. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity as the closing date may be brought forward at any time. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.  Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

As part of our commitment to be an inclusive employer and ensure fairness and consistency in selecting the best candidate for this role, your CV will be anonymised as part of the selection process.  Should you need any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, then please do contact us via our website.

How to apply:

Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.

About Alzheimer’s Research UK:

Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure.  Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope. 

There has never been a more important and exciting time in dementia research. With promising new drugs in clinical trials that slow the progression of the diseases that cause it, and revolutionary new ways to diagnose them on the horizon, we are now at a tipping point. Working with the smartest minds globally and across the UK, with industry and academia, Alzheimer’s Research UK is uniquely placed to invest in the very best research identifying barriers to a cure and knocking them down so that there are more and better treatments for everyone with dementia. For the first time in history, we can see a future where people with dementia can get a swift and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments that could slow or even stop their disease. We stand for everyone affected by dementia. We stand for a cure. 

In 2022, we were incredibly proud to be awarded a 3-star accreditation by Best Companies which recognises ‘World Class’ levels of workplace engagement and were also listed in the prestigious Best Companies lists:

• 48th in the 100 Best Large Companies to Work For in the UK.

• 19th in the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the East of England.

• 3rd in the 50 Best Companies to Work For in the Charity Sector.

In addition, we were also shortlisted for a special award recognising the work undertaken on reducing our environmental impact.

In 2021, we were awarded the HR Management award by The Charity Times for our Wellbeing initiatives throughout the pandemic.

In 2020, we demonstrated our commitment to changing the way we think and act about mental health in the workplace and signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge. 

ARUK really does look after its people, where you will be able to add value and make a difference. 

To view further details about working for us and the benefits we offer, please visit Alzheimer’s Research UK