Research and public affairs officer jobs

As Policy and Public Affairs Manager, you will help ensure London Youth is a credible, influential voice on issues affecting young people and the organisations that support them. Sitting within the Fundraising and Communications Directorate, you will work closely with the CEO, senior leadership, and youth participation, communciations, fundraising and delivery colleagues to deliver demonstrable external influence and impact. 

You will craft clear, evidence-based policy positions that shape debate and influence decision-making at London and national level, ensuring the policymakers understand and respond to the realities facing young people in London. Through effective internal engagement, you will also ensure colelagues and our members are well-informed and equipped to respond to key policy developments. 

You will successfully represent the voice of London Youth's members and the young people they support, helping to secure greater recognition, investment, and support for youth services. By building strong relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians, and sector partners working to address the issues affecting young people inthe capital, you will help position London Youth as a trusted and respected contributor to relevant policy discussions. 

At a time of significant change across the youth sector, you will play a central role in campaigning for systematic change and in building the profile of London Youth and the wider voluntary sector as the Government's 10-year National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters, is implemented. You will help ensure commitments translate into meaningful outcomes for young people, particularly in relation to youth services, enrichment opportunities, and support for young people not in education, employment, or training, and strengthen long-term investment in youth provision. 

What you will be doing 

You will lead the development and delivery of London Youth's policy and public affairs work, building a clear and consistent understanding of the London and national context for young people and youth organisations. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, including communications, fundraising, delivery, and MEL, you will help develop a clear and compelling case for support and influence. 

You will work in close partnership with the CEO and CEO's office, acting as a trusted policy adviser, supporting the CEO's external policy engagements, positioning, and relationships with senior policymakers and influencers. 

You will monitor emerging political and policy developments and relevant funding announcements, providing insight and analysis to identify opportunities for engagement. You will draft swift organisational responses to key policy announcements, in collaboration with the CEO and communications team, and ensure relevant intelligence and opportunties inform the work of the fundraising team. 

You will develop, maintain, and communicate evidence-based policy positions, insights, and priorities, convening our members regularly to inform clear policy asks and advocacy. You will shape briefings and consultation responses that reflect the needs of London Youth's members and the young people they support. You will shape policy positions and provide high-quality briefings ahead of key senior-level engagements. 

You will oversee and track our policy influencing activity, identifying emerging policy developments, coordinating internal input, engaging stakeholders and representing London Youth in external policy and public affairs forums, and reporting on the impact of our policy work. 

You will strengthen policy work through insight and engagement, analysig relevant data and research from our membership and working with the Learning and Impact Lead to ensure insights from London Youth's network inform policy development. You will also identify opportunities for members and young people from our Youth Board to engage in policy work, including through consultations, networks, and events. 

You will build and maintain strong relationships with key London and national stakeholders, identifying opportunities for partnership working with other organisations and ensuring London Youth has a visible, credible voice in debates affecting young people. 

You will contribute to London Youth's communications, campaigns, and profile, working with colleagues to shape policy activity across digital channels, produce engaging written content including articles and speeches, craft organisational messaging, support youth-led engagement, and contribute to London Youth's thematic networks, influencing events and media opportunities. 

What you bring to the role 

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Strong understanding of how policy is developed in the London and national context, and experience of engaging with political agendas on behalf of a charitable or membership organisation. 
• Experience in developing robust policy positions, responses, and solutions, and influencing politicians and decision-makers. 
• Up-to-date, proven experience in public affairs, parliamentary engagement or a related policy-influencing role, with a clear track record of driving meaningful change. 
• Good understanding of UK parliamentary and government processes, and of current policy areas impacting young people in London and across the UK. 
• Experience of producing a range of briefings and written materials, including research findings, public statements, consultation responses, and briefings for senior colelagues. 
• Proven ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with opinion-formers and other key stakeholders. 

Attributes and Behaviours: 

• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, especially when it comes to policy partners. 
• Demonstrate confidence to engage and build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including those at senior level. 
• A confidence verbal communicator and presenter able to represent London Youth within policy forums, consortia, and networking events. 
• Demonstrate ability to work on your own initiative and as part of a team, with proven ability to innovate and deliver change. 
• Demonstrate ability to analyse, summarise, and present evidence to different audiences. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to ensuring young people have prominent platforms to voice their views directly on the issues that affect them. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to strengthening London's Youth sector. 
• Be willing to work some evenings and the occasional weekend. 
• Understanding and supporting the vision, mission, and aims of London Youth. 

Demonstrate living our values of being: 

• Ambitious
• Collaborative 
• Inclusive 
• Accountable 

Why work at London Youth 

• Generous holiday allowance - 39 days paid holiday each year (including bank holidays and closure days). Pro-rata if you work part time. 
• Employer 4% pension contribution
• Additional leave granted to support voluntary activity 
• Free Health Care Cash Plan 
• Free access for you and your family to the Employee Assistance Programme 
• Free access to the 'Headspace' app for you and your family
• Flexible working opportunities considered 
• You'll be working with a fantastic team of passionate colleagues across London Youth 
• You will be making a difference to the lives of young people

We are looking for someone with excellent communication and organisational skills to support with developing and communicating policy positions that contribute to the charity’s key strategic objectives.

In this dynamic role, you’ll work as a core part of the team and across the wider organisation to coordinate and draft responses to consultations and lead on responding to policy enquiries.

Your ability to influence and work together with others will help you to succeed as Policy Officer to learn from colleagues and external networks in order to contribute to policy positions, confidently represent Diabetes UK and influence others appropriately.

You will also be keen to seek out opportunities to develop your knowledge and skills and have an appetite to develop expert knowledge in particular policy areas.

Join us and be a part of something truly transformative. Together, we can change the narrative around diabetes and make a positive difference to the lives of people impacted by the condition.

Location:  Hybrid working between the Aldgate, London office and home.

A great opportunity has arisen for a Policy and Public Affairs Officer to support our ambitious external affairs team as we influence national and regional policy, driving improvements in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of respiratory conditions.

Asthma + Lung UK is the only charity in the UK fighting for everyone with a lung condition, aiming for a world where everyone can breathe with healthy lungs. We fund cutting-edge research, provide advice and support for the 12 million people who will get a lung condition during their lifetime. We also campaign for clean air and for better NHS diagnosis and treatment.

We are looking for an ambitious and experienced policy and public affairs professional who can produce new ideas, inspire others in the team, and catalyse policy change that will benefit people with lung disease.  You’ll contribute to high quality policy products, identify new influencing opportunities, and deliver a programme of political engagement to ensure that lung health is on the political agenda.

You’ll have a strong political understanding, an excellent working knowledge of routes for influencing UK government and be skilled at tailoring campaign messages for different audiences. You’ll be organised, a good communicator, and able to work both independently and collaboratively. You’ll thrive in a fast-paced environment and be motivated by the opportunity to make a real impact on national lung health policy.

As well as a competitive salary, you’ll enjoy a range of benefits including 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), membership of a health cash plan, employee assistance programme, cycle-to-work scheme, interest-free annual season Travelcard loan and pension scheme. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an organisation committed to being the driving force behind the transformation of lung health.

Location: Hybrid working between the Aldgate, London office and home.

Contract: Fixed contract until mid-September 2026, with potential of extension should further project funding be secured, and fulltime

A great opportunity has risen for a Policy and Public Affairs Officer – Air Quality to help us protect more people from the dangers of air pollution. You will be someone who can think creatively and produce new ideas for advocating for the change needed to improve air quality and lung health.

Asthma + Lung UK is the only charity in the UK fighting for everyone with a lung condition, aiming for a world where everyone can breathe with healthy lungs. We fund cutting-edge research, provide advice and support for the 12 million people who will get a lung condition during their lifetime. We also campaign for clean air and for better NHS diagnosis and treatment.

You will lead on implementing a public affairs strategy to persuade the government to commit to bolder targets on air quality, building on existing relationships with politicians and key stakeholders, and using a variety of public affairs methods to scrutinise government and influence legislative change.

You will have excellent working knowledge of routes for influencing UK government with a focus on Westminster and Whitehall. You will be an excellent communicator with the ability to present complex information in an accessible and persuasive way. You will also have experience influencing Government stakeholders and supporting the development and implementation of influencing strategies.

As well as a competitive salary, you’ll enjoy a range of benefits including 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), membership of a health cash plan, employee assistance programme, cycle-to-work scheme, interest-free annual season Travelcard loan and pension scheme. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an organisation committed to being the driving force behind the transformation of lung health.

We will be reviewing applicants on an ongoing basis and may close the role earlier than the deadline. We encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity to ensure consideration.

Are you an experienced Public Affairs professional with a passion for dogs?

We’re looking for a Public Affairs Officer to support the important work we do to ensure policy makers consider dog welfare in their decision making.

What does this role do?

As Public Affairs Officer, you’ll:

• contribute to the delivery of our ambitious public affairs programme across Westminster and Whitehall, the devolved administrations and in the EU,
• support and occasionally lead on the organisation and coordination of political events, meetings, and project visits, as part of our programme of engagement with policy makers,
• support the management of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) and the EU Dog & Cat Alliance,
• establish and maintain positive relationships with key external stakeholders, including parliamentarians and civil servants.

Please note, this role is available as a fixed term contract until January 2027. Interviews for this role are provisionally scheduled for week commencing 9th February 2026, and will take place on Teams.

Could this be you?

To be successful in this role, you’ll need experience in parliamentary or public affairs, with a good understanding of the political landscape in the UK. You’ll also need excellent communication skills, with the ability to listen actively, negotiate and influence decision makers and strong written English, to draft clear and concise professional correspondence and communications. Above all, an interest in the aims and values of Dogs Trust is essential.

To apply for this position please click the APPLY NOW button. Our application process requires you submit a personal statement explaining your interest and suitability for the role.
 
Dogs are incredibly diverse, much like the humans that love them! At Dogs Trust we value diversity, and we're committed to fostering an inclusive culture. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and cultures and believe that a diverse workforce helps us to achieve our mission. Our colleague networks give our people a voice, acting as vehicles for real and meaningful change within Dogs Trust. We truly want to see every candidate shine throughout the entire job application process, interview stages, and during their time with us. If there's anything on your mind or any adjustments you may need, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to support you every step of the way.

Please note, Dogs Trust is a wholly independent organisation, free of association with any political party. Our independence is critical, as it allows us to pursue our mission to campaign on dog welfare issues, on behalf of the UK’s dogs and their owners. For our public affairs roles, the ability to display political neutrality in the public eye or when working with MPs is essential.

The position is offered on a full time basis (36.25 hours per week). This role will be home-based but will require travel to Edinburgh and/or other parts of Scotland and the UK for in-person meetings as required.

Interviews will be held w/c 16th February in person at our Edinburgh offices.

Are you passionate about making a real difference in children's lives through impactful policy and public affairs engagement in Scotland and across the UK? Do you want to influence key decisions on child poverty and social policy while working with Scottish Government, MSPs, and UK-wide stakeholders? If so, we want to hear from you. 

Barnardo's is looking for a Policy & Public Affairs Officer (Scotland) to help shape our influencing in Scotland and strengthen our UK-wide work on child poverty. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone eager to build on their existing knowledge and experience with policy makers in Scotland while playing a pivotal role in creating positive, lasting change for children, young people, and families. 

In this role, you'll work closely with our Senior Policy and Public Affairs Lead (Scotland) to implement our influencing plan. You'll help raise Barnardo's Scotland's profile among key stakeholders and policy influencers. You'll be involved in: 

• Monitoring key developments within the Scottish policy landscape 

• Managing relationships and liaising with stakeholders at all levels 

• Conducting research and producing reports to support our policy objectives 

• Supporting reactive policy work to respond to emerging issues 

• Organising events to showcase Barnardo's vital work and engage decision-makers 

Your efforts will ensure that the voices of children, young people, families, and our services are central to our influencing activities in Scotland.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

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 and Public Affairs, 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.

Job Title: Policy and Public Affairs Officer (Wales)

Directorate: Strategy and Knowledge

Team/Department:  Policy and Public Affairs

Salary range: £ 28,337 - £33,301 (recruitment is typically at the bottom of the range)

Location: Cardiff (hybrid working, with at least one day per week in the Cardiff office). The post holder maybe expected to travel to locations across the UK to support business needs, as and when required.

Working hours: 35 hours per week

Context and Background

The NSPCC’s vision is that together, we can stop child abuse and neglect. Through the collective power of our staff, volunteers, supporters, partners, and over 100 years of experience we will move closer to achieving that vision.

We launched our ten-year strategy in 2021, which is centred around three impact goals. This is the difference we want to make by 2031:

1.  Everyone plays their part to prevent child abuse: we’ll work together to make it easier for everyone to play their part and create a social safety net that prevents child abuse and neglect.
2. Every child is safe online: together, we’ll transform the online world, so it’s safe for every child to go online.
3. Children feel safe, listened to and supported: more children will be able to speak out, so they feel safe, listened to and understood – and abuse doesn’t shape their future.

The Policy and Public Affairs team works to ensure that national laws, policies and guidance across the UK are fit-for-purpose in preventing cruelty to children. We work across the four nations of the UK. We develop and maintain the NSPCC’s positions on key public policy issues, drawing on research and policy analysis and feed in organisational insight and expertise gained through our services. We use our evidence-based positions to shape and influence national policy discussions on issues affecting child protection and manage the NSPCC’s political relations and work with governments, legislatures and stakeholders across the UK.

We focus on five key policy priorities: the child protection system and children’s social care; early years and health; child sexual abuse; online safety; and young victims and witnesses.

Job purpose

We are recruiting a Policy and Public Affairs Officer to contribute to the work of the Wales Policy and Public Affairs team in delivering real change and reform in the best interests of children.

The Policy and Public Affairs Officer will be responsible for undertaking policy work to achieve the NSPCC’s strategic goals, using their skills and experience to strengthen the NSPCC’s impact on public policy, and in doing so make a significant contribution to keeping children safe. The post holder will support the delivery of a range of policy-focused projects both within the Wales policy team, and across the wider UK policy team:

• Within the Wales team, the Officer will research and help build persuasive, evidence-based policy positions, support the NSPCC’s influencing activity as appropriate, and write consultations and impactful briefings. They will play a key role in supporting policy analysis, policy research and public affairs activity with a range of external stakeholders, including relevant elected members and government officials. The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this role.
• Across the wider UK team, the Officer will also support policy colleagues working on one or more of our policy priority areas (which are focussed on: child protection; child sexual abuse; early years; online safety; young victims and witnesses). The post holder will help to coordinate collaboration across the teams, facilitate information-sharing and support the delivery of relevant cross-nation projects

Key relationships - Internal

• Reports to the Policy and Public Affairs Manager Wales)
• Colleagues in the wider Policy and Public Affairs and Campaigns teams across the UK
• Colleagues in the Strategy and Knowledge directorate
• Colleagues in the Media team
• Colleagues in the Services directorate (to ensure policy development is informed by experiences and learning from our frontline professionals/ volunteers)
• Colleagues working with children and young people (to ensure the experiences and voices of young people are embedded in policy and influencing work)

Key relationships - External

• Key civil servants and policy advisers in Welsh Government
• Elected representatives in the Senedd and local government structures
• Colleagues in relevant voluntary and statutory agencies
• Practitioner bodies
• Key academics, researchers and research networks

Main duties and responsibilities

• Develop and maintain expertise on key policy areas, enabling the NSPCC to predict and react to changes in the external environment.
• Scope, develop and refine key policies on priority issues, in line with the NSPCC’s strategic goals and outcomes.
• Support the smooth running of one of more NSPCC policy workstreams, supporting effective four-nations collaboration
• Prepare high-quality briefings, summaries and papers for internal and external audiences.
• Draft responses to government consultations and other public policy initiatives.
• Use project management skills to plan effectively the delivery of policy development activity and aligned public affairs activities.
• Undertake policy research and analysis, using a wide range of primary and secondary sources of evidence (such as policy documents, academic literature, survey data and qualitative data from interviews and focus groups), to develop high impact, credible policy positions
• Be a point of contact for internal and external requests for information and advice on NSPCC’s positions public positions
• Coordinate the delivery of NSPCC policy events and conferences (working with colleagues from across the organisation) and represent the NSPCC at external events.

Responsibilities for all Staff within the Strategy and Knowledge Directorate

There is a set of responsibilities for all staff within each directorate.

• A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
• To carry out the responsibilities of the post in a manner consistent with promoting equality and diversity, and which demonstrates respect for children’s rights
• To participate actively in regular department and team meetings, contributing to strategy, discussions and decisions
• To maintain an awareness of own and other’s health and safety and comply with the NSPCC’s Health and Safety policy and procedures
• A willingness to take a flexible approach to work.

Person specification

1.  A good understanding of public policy relating to the NSPCC’s work, child protection issues and knowledge of the wider legal and political context in Wales.
2. Demonstrable public affairs skills, with good knowledge of policymaking and parliamentary processes in Wales and experience of successfully influencing government or other policymakers.
3. Proven policy development and policy research skills, with experience of collecting and analysing data, forming robust, evidence-based policy positions, and clearly presenting findings to make a clear and compelling case for policy and legislative change. 
4. Strong verbal and written communication skills including the ability to write clearly, concisely, and persuasively in a variety of formats for a variety of audiences and deal effectively, efficiently and appropriately with internal and external stakeholders.
5. Good organisational and project management skills, with demonstrable experience of delivering on competing priorities within a time-pressured environment.
6. Confidence in working as part of a team, with experience of working collaboratively with colleagues to help ensure the successful delivery of projects.
7. Experience of organising and successfully delivering external influencing events
8. Support for the NSPCC’s mission and values

Safer Recruitment

As an organisation, we are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk.

Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with our children and adults.

The recruitment and selection of our people will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.

Our principles:

• Always seek to recruit the best candidate for the role based on merit including their skills, experience, motivation and competencies. Our robust recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the role and the organisation.
• Committed to diversity and equality of opportunity and will interview all applicants (internal and external) who self-declare at application as having a disability and who meet the minimum requirements in the person specification of the vacancy they are applying for.
• We will make reasonable adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process in order to enable successful candidates who declare disabilities to start working or volunteering their time with us.
• Any current member of staff or volunteer who wishes to apply for vacancies and is suitably qualified will be considered and addressed fairly and objectively based on their merit.
• As an organisation committed to safeguarding, we will ensure all under 18’s joining the organisation will have ongoing risk assessments to ensure their role and activities are safe and appropriate.
• All documentation relating to candidates will be treated confidentially in accordance with the GDPR legislation.

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.

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. 

Are you ready to bring client stories to life and make a real impact across a national charity?

Do you have the experience to build strong relationships with teams across StepChange and manage stakeholder needs to deliver stories that meet shared objectives?

Are you ready to take responsibility for how sensitive stories are sourced, protected and shared, ensuring every voice is treated with care and integrity? 

We’re looking for a Stories Officer to join our External Affairs team. In this role, you will help bring the experiences of people affected by debt to life, working with clients and colleagues to create authentic, impactful stories for campaigns, media, events and public communications.

What you’ll be doing

As Stories Officer, you will take ownership of StepChange’s storytelling function, working directly with clients and internal teams to ensure stories are delivered ethically, effectively, and in line with organisational objectives.

You’ll develop and maintain processes for sourcing, sharing, and managing client stories, balancing creativity with safeguarding and data protection requirements. You’ll work closely with colleagues across media, marketing, campaigns, partnerships, policy, research, and public affairs to deliver stories that meet their needs and help StepChange communicate with impact.

From interviewing clients with lived experience to co-creating materials for campaigns and public events, you’ll ensure every story is told safely, respectfully, and authentically. You’ll also help identify new storytelling opportunities.

This role is at the heart of StepChange’s External Affairs work. You’ll collaborate with a wide range of colleagues, manage ethical and safeguarding responsibilities, and help build a consistent, trusted approach to client storytelling across the charity.

About you

We’re looking for someone with experience in storytelling or content management within a charity or equivalent organisation. You’ll have hands-on experience engaging with people with lived experience and translating their stories into clear, compelling narratives.

Confident working with internal stakeholders, you’ll be able to manage multiple priorities, deliver stories that meet team needs, and maintain strong professional relationships across the charity. You’ll have a keen understanding of safeguarding, data protection, and ethical storytelling, ensuring that clients are always supported and respected.

You’ll be proactive, organised, and adaptable, with excellent verbal and written communication skills. A passion for storytelling and an interest in the debt advice sector will help you succeed and make a meaningful impact in this role.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Equality, diversity, and inclusion are incredibly important to us; we have a culture of belonging. We’re always looking to increase the diversity of our workforce to ensure we can provide the best service possible for everyone. It’s not just about the professional experience you bring – we’re interested in who you are and your potential. If there’s an adjustment to our recruitment process that would help you to be your best, speak to our team and they’ll be happy to help.

Annual leave: 33 days (plus eight bank holidays)

Benefits:

• enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave, and shared parental pay
• family-friendly policies
• 8% employer pension contribution (Aviva) 
• three x basic salary life assurance cover
• free health cashback plan (Medicash): employee cover plus up to four dependent children
• 24/7 virtual GP access (UK registered), plus access to Best Doctors
  free, confidential employee assistance programme (Medicash)
• access to a wellbeing app
• flexible working options including hybrid working, flexible working patterns such as part-time, compressed hours, and more*
• learning and development opportunities including bespoke training and access to LinkedIn Learning)
• commitment to employee health and wellbeing.
• we have a Menopause Friendly accreditation and are a Disability Confident employer

Join Dementia UK as a Policy Officer where you will play a crucial role in driving our long-term policy and influencing strategy in alignment with our 2025-30 strategic plan. As a member of our dedicated Policy, Campaigns, and Public Affairs division, you will lead and shape areas of public policy that affect the quality of healthcare delivered for people living dementia and their carers.

You will play a pivotal role in advocating for improvements to legislation, public policies, and statutory services on behalf of individuals affected by dementia in England. Reporting to the Policy Manager, yourresponsibilities will include monitoring and analysing policy developments while establishing external relationships with sector colleagues and central government. Working closely with the Insights and Evaluation team, Research team, and the broader Clinical Directorate, you will conduct and interpret both qualitative and quantitative research. Your findings will inform the creation of comprehensive public policy documents, reports, briefings, and consultation responses on behalf of the organisation.

The ideal candidate for this role will bring prior experience in public policy within a charity or public sector setting. You should possess a strong track record in policy making and influencing, with  proficiency in conducting qualitative and quantitative research. Effective communication skills will be essential, as you will need to adeptly negotiate and influence stakeholders to drive positive change.

If this sounds like you, join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by dementia.

We would love to hear from you! 

Our culture

In addition to a competitive salary and a generous benefits package, we truly value our people. It’s important for us to create a working environment that looks after our workforce to support them in achieving their full potential. You will become part of a diverse and dedicated team who are supported to use and develop their skills. We recognise and value the key role you will play in delivering our strategic plans for the benefit of those living with dementia.

Our staff have a voice. Representatives from different roles and levels across the organisation positively contribute to and lead on our working groups around health and wellbeing, menopause, and equity, diversity and inclusion.

Dementia UK is proud to welcome everyone. We aim for a truly inclusive culture with talented, diverse teams that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We celebrate difference and individuality and encourage everyone to join us and be their whole selves always.

Dementia UK is a Disability Confident Employer. 

By applying to join Dementia UK, you acknowledge that in the event you are successful for the role, any offer and your ongoing employment will be conditional on you having or obtaining the right to work in the UK.

*Please note that any decision on flexible working is based on business needs 

When you apply for a job at Dementia UK, we will collect certain information about you to process your application and assess your suitability for the role. Further details can be found in our privacy notice.

​​We are really excited to have welcomed our new Director of Income Generation and Development to Brain Tumour Research this month, a great new start for the new year!​

This is a fantastic time to be joining our ambitious and growing charity and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals. We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraiser, to be based in the East Anglia region.​

As the Community Fundraiser covering East Anglia you will play a crucial role in helping the charity meet its strategic plans and objectives, which include campaigning to increase the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million per year, while fundraising to create a network of seven sustainable Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence across the UK.  Your role will be to generate and grow our income through community fundraising activities, contributing to a regional team target of more than £1.5 million.​

• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• Do you live in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk?
• Do you have at least one years' experience of working in a professional Community Fundraising position?​

​

Have you answered Yes to these questions?

Does this sound like the opportunity to really get 2026 off to an amazing start? ​

If you are excited to learn more about this position, please take a read through our recruitment pack which is attached in this advert.​​

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!

​

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.​​

​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.​

We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.

​

We are really excited to have welcomed our new Director of Income Generation and Development to Brain Tumour Research this month, a great new start for the new year!​

​​This is a fantastic time to be joining our ambitious and growing charity and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals.​

We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraiser, to be based in the Mid-North Wales and West Midlands region.​​

​As the Community Fundraiser covering Mid-North Wales and West Midlands, you will play a crucial role in helping the charity meet its strategic plans and objectives, which include campaigning to increase the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million per year, while fundraising to create a network of seven sustainable Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence across the UK.​

​​Your role will be to generate and grow our income through community fundraising activities, contributing to a regional team target of more than £1 million.​​

• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• ​​Do you live in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire,​Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire or Mid-North Wales?​
• Do you have at least one years' experience of working in a professional Community Fundraising position?​​Have you answered Yes to these questions?​
• Does this sound like the opportunity to really get 2026 off to an amazing start? ​​​

If you are excited to learn more about this position, please take a read through our recruitment pack provided with this advert.​​

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!

​

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.​

​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.​

We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.