Senior policy and public affairs manager jobs

Senior Policy Research Manager

Permanent

Salary: £45,000 - £47,000 per annum, plus benefits

London N1

Full time – 37.5 hours a week 

We're a hybrid working employer, meaning you're required to come into the office at least 2 days per week currently Tuesday, and Wednesday or Thursday.

Closing date: 5pm, 5th October 2025

First Interviews: w/c 13th October 2025

Second Interviews: 21st and 22nd October 2025 

It’s an exciting time to join World Cancer Research Fund International’s policy team as we develop the next phase of our policy tools and resources. WCRF International leads and unites a global network of cancer prevention charities based in Europe and the Americas, providing the science, policy, and strategic direction that guides their work to prevent cancer worldwide.

We are recruiting a Senior Policy Research Manager to lead WCRF’s flagship policy tools, including NOURISHING, MOVING and the Blueprint for Cancer Prevention. You will translate the latest science into actionable policy recommendations, deliver high-quality research projects, and represent WCRF externally to maximise our national and international impact.

We are looking for a candidate with strong policy research expertise, experience in evidence-based advocacy, and the ability to turn complex science into clear policy solutions. You will bring an innovative approach, including exploring new methods such as AI, and be skilled at working across teams and with external stakeholders.

You will have a proven track record in managing policy tools or research projects, building collaborations and engaging senior decision-makers. Strong communication, leadership and stakeholder skills are essential to support WCRF’s strategy and enhance the influence of the Policy & Public Affairs team.

Application Details:
If you are interested in this role and feel you possess the necessary requirements, please submit a current CV and covering letter (maximum 2 pages) by the closing date. You must have current right to work in the UK.

Please note: Your cover letter should highlight how your skills and experience will benefit WCRF International and equip you for the role.Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are only able to provide feedback to shortlisted candidates. If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. 

The Christie Charity is a vibrant, fast moving, energetic organisation with a passionate team and a fantastic reputation.

Everything we do is geared to supporting the renowned Christie hospital ensuring cancer patients receive the highest level of treatment and care and have access to world leading research and technology. We provide funding over and above what the NHS provides.

We are currently entering a particularly exciting period of growth and expansion as we fundraise for a number of major projects.

We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic self-starter to support the Head of PR, Communications and Celebrity Engagement and work collaboratively with Charity colleagues to highlight the impact our supporters and fundraisers make to cancer patients.

You will be equally at home pitching a story to a national journalist, working with a senior consultant or scientist to draft a new Charity funded research story, briefing photographers, liaising with fundraisers to tell their story, writing newsletter copy or devising a communications plan.

The Charity team is responsible for raising millions of pounds each year to ensure Christie patients receive the very best care and treatment. This includes everything from access to world first clinical trials and receiving radiotherapy in state-of-the-art treatment centres, to young adults being cared for in a bespoke age-appropriate centre and being able to offer patients anxiety reducing complementary therapy, or even creative sessions in our art room.

If you want to make a real difference to cancer patients and are ready to rise to the challenge of working for one of the most successful charities in the North-West, then this could be the role for you.

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 29 September

Interview date: Friday 17 October

Details:

Salary: £40,373 per annum.

Location: Our office is a short walk from King’s Cross station in London. For this role, we need someone to come into the office at least one day a week, on a Tuesday. A day where all of Income Generation come into the office. Otherwise we are proud to promote a truly hybrid work culture. You can work remotely for the rest of the time. Equally, you may prefer to work from the office full-time. There will also be an expectation for the successful candidate to be available for in-person sales meetings in London and across the UK, when needed.

Contractually this role is London based. 

Benefits:

• 25 days in the first year, increasing to 27.5 days in the second year of service and 30 days in the third.
• Matched pension scheme up to 7% of salary
• Support for staff with caring responsibilities
• Family-friendly culture

How to Apply: CV and supporting statement - using Hospice UK’s supporting statement document – see below

Closing date for applications: 9 am on Monday 29 September 2025

Interview dates: Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 October. Interviews will take place in person at our office in London.

We’ll send assessments and some questions to you in advance so that you can prepare. Let us know if you have any specific needs to be able to fully engage with the process.

Job Information:

This is a unique opportunity to support business development for a programme that changes how employers support their employees through grief, caring and end of life. 

You’ll be at the forefront of driving growth, building strategic partnerships and expanding our reach to new sectors. If you thrive in a consultative sales environment and want to make meaningful impact, we’d love to hear from you. 

As a creative and strategic thinker, you’ll have the ability to sell both one-off products and build long-term, bespoke partnerships.

What you’ll be doing:

• Supporting the sales and partnership development for the Compassionate Employers programme
• Shaping tailored packages that respond to the clients’ strategic needs
• Building relationships across sectors to grow programme reach and impact
• Supporting cultural change in workplaces around grief, caring and terminal illness

About Compassionate Employers

Compassionate Employers is our flagship workplace support programme. It helps organisations better support employees affected by terminal illness, caregiving responsibilities and bereavement. Through practical resources, expert guidance, training and recognition, we empower employers to foster truly inclusive and supportive cultures.

Join us as we entering an exciting new phase of growth and innovation. And be part of redefining how workplaces respond to life’s most challenging moments.

If you’re interested in this role we’d love to hear from you. If you’d like to ask any questions before applying, you can contact Paul (his contact details are available on our website)

You’ll find lots more information in the Candidate Information Pack (available on our website to download).

At Hospice UK the job title for this role is Senior Corporate Development Executive. In other organisations this role might be called a Business Development Manager. 

How to apply:

To apply for this role, please send us the following documents by 9am on Monday 29 September 2025:

• Your CV. Ideally in Microsoft Word format and less than 3 pages of A4
• A completed supporting statement form (where you can demonstrate how you meet the person specification) - available on our website to download
• A completed equalities monitoring form - available on our website to download.

We will shortlist candidates based on their CV and supporting statements. A briefing of what to expect will be sent in advance to shortlisted candidates.

Closing date for applications: by 9am on Monday 29 September 2025.

We believe in fair recruitment and working to remove bias, so all applications will have identifying indicators removed before being submitted to the shortlisting panel.

Please make sure you provide your contact details in your email. Please note the interview dates above and let us know if there are any accommodations you might need to participate fully in the process. We will try to be flexible.

To be considered for this role you must have the right to live and work in the UK for your application to be progressed. Hospice UK is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Head of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition
(Hosted by Centre for Mental Health)

We are seeking an outstanding Senior Leader to become Head of our small staff team which drives the growth and influence of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition. This is an exciting opportunity to influence positive change at a time of significant policy and political developments.

As Head of the Coalition, you will lead its policy and influencing activity. You will work closely with coalition members to develop policy positions informed by the latest and most robust evidence, ensuring a strong and credible voice. You will campaign to influence government policy on children and young people’s mental health, build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, and ensure the Coalition’s voice is heard across Westminster, Whitehall and in the media.

With over 400 members nationwide, the Coalition has significant potential to expand its impact. Many members already influence locally through NHS Integrated Care Boards, councils and MPs, but need support and coordination to amplify their voices. You will help them do so.

We are looking for someone with exceptional project management skills to help shape and deliver our influencing goals, while clearly demonstrating our impact. Most importantly, you will bring passion and commitment to improving the mental health of babies, children and young people.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Coalition, which is hosted by Centre for Mental Health, delivering its objectives and vision.
• Set priorities in consultation with the Chair, the Centre’s Associate Director for Policy, and Coalition members.
• Design and deliver policy-influencing and campaigning projects with staff, members, children and young people and partners.
• Lead income generation for the Coalition with the Centre’s Associate Director for Business Development, managing relationships with funders, undertaking necessary reporting, and building connections for future prospects.
• Manage and develop the Coalition’s staff team.
• Grow the Coalition’s online presence, ensuring social media and web content is high quality, up to date, engaging and strategically aligned with influencing goals.
• Support and coordinate the Steering Group, ensuring it is active, representative of the Coalition’s breadth and effective in guiding the Coalition’s strategic direction.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 5 October, 23:59

The Youth Endowment Fund

Assistant Director of Public Affairs and Partnerships

Reports to: Director of Change, with significant engagement with Director of Public Affairs and Comms and CEO

Salary: £75,500 per annum

Location:  Central London or Hybrid

Contract: 2-year fixed term – potential to extend. Open to 0.8 FTE for the right candidate

Closing date: Friday 26th September by 12pm

About the Youth Endowment Fund

We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.

Last year, 244 people in England and Wales tragically died after being assaulted with a knife. Of these, 32 were children. Every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to protect them. Even when violence doesn’t strike directly, we know that the fear of violence has a terrible effect on children’s lives.

The Youth Endowment Fund exists to try and permanently change things. To succeed, we must build an exceptional body of knowledge about violence affecting young people and how we reduce it. This knowledge has to be both rigorous and highly relevant to those making decisions about how to support vulnerable young people. We need to find out what works and what doesn’t through evidence synthesis, data analysis and qualitative research into children’s lives. We need to convert this into highly accessible content on what works, how delivery organisations need to change their practice and how the systems they operate in need to be reformed. We then need to work with the right people that can make change happen, across systems, policies and practice, to have a real impact on reducing violence affecting children’s lives.

We can’t do this alone, we have to build and maintain brilliant partnerships across government, with other funders and with wider society. We are looking for an exceptional individual to lead on this work. We also need to have an eye for the future. Our present endowment must be spent down by April 2029. We need someone who can lead on planning for the future.

Key responsibilities

You ensure that we:

· Are ready for the future: Born with a ten-year endowment, the YEF has become the leading authoritative voice on how to reduce violence affecting children. We must spend down this endowment by April 2029, so need to start thinking about after this date. You will lead on ensuring we have a great plan for post 2029. You will spot the best opportunities, assess them and, over time, take them. This includes both building great external relationships and also ensuring there’s a clearly articulated, inspiring narrative – filled with facts, examples and case studies - of what has been delivered to date and what needs to happen between 2029 and 2039 to double down on our mission. To do this, you will orchestrate the expertise and knowledge of colleagues across the organisation – ensuring that what you need comes together perfectly.

· Build and maintain great relationships across government: We have an increasingly large number of relationships across government – providing advice and support on what works to prevent violence. You will be ready to offer advice to colleagues on those relationships where needed. You will build new relationships and maintain them where they are needed so we are ready for the future. You will be really well organised too ensuring that internal colleagues know which relationships they own and making sure that key regular meetings are in place. We have a simple process that tracks these relationships; you will make this process work well for us – with minimum bureaucracy and maximum effectiveness. You will also provide help and advice and coaching as YEF colleagues think through how best to get system changes to happen that will ultimately reduce violence.

· Build great relationships with other organisations that will be key to the future: As the lead organisation on reducing violence affecting young people, we increasingly receive and see a host of opportunities to partner with other organisations including funders on projects, co-funding and research. You will support this work – leading on relationships that are essential in making us ready for the future. You will spot the opportunity, build relationships, bring in other YEF colleagues, pull together key information, write brilliant documents where needed, win others over. In short, you will make great things happen.

As a senior member of staff in the organisation you also:

• Lead on culture: Build and maintain a culture where it is natural to perform well and support colleagues brilliantly.
• Deliver on strategy: Contribute to setting the strategy, delivering results, and building and modelling the culture that we need to succeed.

About you

You are this sort of person:

· You make things happen. You’re organised, delivery-focused, and produce high-quality work, even under pressure. You work independently and to a high standard. You are quick at really understanding something so you can make good decisions quite fast. You put plans together and make them happen. Wherever you work, people think of you as someone who makes things happen. You do it in a generous, kind way that means people are feel delighted to see you succeeding, never trampled upon.

· You like bringing order and clarity to a big project that involves lots of people. You are at home bringing order to a big project: working out who is going to do what by when, having a regular steering group to ensure progress, keeping everyone on side and delivering a great result at the end.

· You understand how government works – as in really understand. You understand the nuance of how decisions are made within government. You understand that there is no such thing as ‘the department’s position’ (instead there are different views competing) and that while some decisions are very rational, some are more about personalities and politics. You find the process of how decisions get made within government departments, and with Number 10 and the Treasury, fascinating.

· You are fantastic at spotting how to get something done in Whitehall or Westminster. You are really good at thinking about how to make change happen. To some, Westminster and Whitehall can seem like a blob but you are brilliant at spotting how to make change happen there. You can think through the intricacies of who to get onside, who to get advice from, who to persuade and how to get the job done. You have a track record of doing this.

· You write really well. The idea of writing one or two pivotally important longer documents (30-40 pages) for the organisation that makes the case for something and pulls in content from lots of colleagues, synthesising and making it all fit together sounds interesting. You know – from experience – that you would be good at it.

· You win people over. People tend to warm to you and respect you. You easily build good relationships with both very senior and very junior people. You can be at ease talking to a senior politician or a 15 year old. It is important to you to be humble. You acknowledge how much you don't know as well as how much you do.

· You are great at building lasting partnerships with other organisations. You have experience of building partnerships or collaborations with other organisations, winning them over, doing conflict well when you need to, communicating clearly so that the work gets done and people feel as good as possible about it.

· You are a team player. You work brilliantly in a team. You are not motivated by being the individual winner. You want the team as a whole to succeed. You enjoy coaching other people so that they perform excellently in a meeting. You are not possessive of your contacts. You don’t care who gets the credit as long as things get done. You like the idea of being part of a small, well-motivated team and are ok with the downside of this – that we don’t have a lot of junior admin staff to do the jobs we like less.

· You think and communicate really well from the big picture to practical reality. You’re a strategic thinker who can see the big picture without losing sight of the detail.  You find it quite easy to summarise in a few sentences, a few pages or a few words a complex argument or case. Whether speaking or writing, you break down complicated concepts in ways that make sense to different audiences – without oversimplifying. You bring clarity where others bring jargon.

· You care about our mission. You can be easily motivated to do work to prevent violence. This is something that matters to you. You believe in getting people to do things that are most likely to save lives, rather than just things that sound good.

· You’re committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Not just in theory – but in how you work, who you listen to, and what you prioritise.

While it’s not a criterion, we are especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of violence affecting young people.

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background. 

Secondments

We are open to candidates that would prefer to join us on a 2-year secondment or career break. Secondment candidate should ensure that their current organisation is in support of this in principle, all candidates will go through the full interview process. Candidates should state clearly in their covering letter if they would like to join us as secondee.

Hybrid Working Details

The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office for a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at the interview stage.

To Apply

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter, and complete the monitoring form click on "Apply for this" button by Friday 26th September 2025.

When applying for this role, please ensure that your cover letter can answer, within a maximum of 1000 words (there is no need to be this long though) the following questions:

1. Tell us in two paragraphs about something you made happen. We are keen to find someone who is good at be a self-starter, organised and finding the way to make something happen. Tell us what you were trying to get done, how you organised the task and how you made it happen.

2. Summarise in one or two paragraphs your experience of working with or in central government. We are keen to find someone who knows how decisions are made in government and has seen them being made.

3. Tell in two paragraphs about someone or an organisation you won over or built a good relationship with.Tell us how you went about it. We are keen to find someone who quite easily builds good relationships with other organisations.

Interview Process

This will be a two-stage interview process. The first stage interviews will take place in the week commencing 13th October 2025. Second stage interviews are currently scheduled for the week commencing 20th October 2025

PLEASE NOTE: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Benefits Include

· £1,000 professional development budget annually

· 28 days holiday – 3 of which are taken between Christmas and New Years - plus Bank Holidays

· Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support

· Volunteering days - 4 half days per year

· Death in service - 4 times annual salary

· Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm

· Financial support including travel and hardship loans

· Employer contributed pension of 5%.

Personal Data 

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.   

You will be part of a small policy team and work with colleagues across the organisation as well as with senior internal and external stakeholders. You will work on a range of policy and public affairs issues relating to literacy and disadvantage, including mapping and responding to Government policy, writing internal briefings, helping to develop external facing policy reports, organising Parliamentary and party conference events, serving as the key contact for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Literacy and arranging meetings with MPs and Peers. You will also help shape plans and identify new opportunities.

You will be based at our office in London but able to work regularly from home if you prefer. However, you will need to be able to be in London when necessary for in person meetings and events, approximately once or twice a month on average.

What we’re looking for

You will have experience of working in a policy-related role and managing policy and public affairs activity, and an understanding of literacy and the wider education sector. You will also need excellent writing skills, including drafting policy papers and briefings, and the ability to understand and articulate academic research and policy papers. Experience of senior stakeholder management, cross-sector campaigns and event management would be an advantage.

Why our work is so vital

Literacy changes everything.

It gives you the tools to get the most out of life, and the power to shape your future. It’s the key to knowledge, confidence and inspiration. It’s better results at school, and better jobs. If children grow up without the tools to communicate, without books to read or opportunities to write, it’s harder to get where you want to go.

The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity helping people overcome these challenges and change their life chances through the power of words – reading, writing, speaking and listening. From first words, through school days to training, jobs and beyond.

• We work collaboratively in local communities, focusing our work in 20 areas of the UK that are facing the biggest challenges.
• We support schools, developing the most effective tools and techniques and providing resources and programmes to engage and inspire children.
• We campaign to make literacy a priority for politicians and decision-makers.
• We support vulnerable adults, people in the criminal justice system and young offenders’ institutions to build their literacy skills

What we offer you

Our team are passionate about our mission and we have a strong and positive working culture, based on shared values and respect. We offer a range of flexible working options and promote a workplace where you can be yourself and contribute to our success, whoever you are.

As well as a competitive salary, we offer benefits including a generous leave allowance totalling 39 days (including bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year), pension contributions of 8% of annual salary, a cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme and other health and wellbeing benefits.

£50,076 per annum, rising to £52,711 after 12 months in London (or £45,760 per annum rising to £48,396 after 12 months outside of London).  

Full-time (35 hours per week) and job share applications are also welcomed.

Temporary (12-month fixed term contract)

Home based, or office based at Society Building, 8 All Saints Street, London N1, in line with NCVO’s flexible working policy or home working policy.

About the role:

We are looking for a Strategic Relationships Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping NCVO’s strategic influence and reach. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with deep voluntary sector knowledge, excellent stakeholder mapping skills and the confidence to connect with leaders across civil society.

The successful candidate will lead the way in identifying, mapping and strengthening our most important relationships, from infrastructure bodies and policy influencers to members and strategic partners. You will bring structure and insight to how we engage, using data and intelligence tools (including CRM systems) to ensure we act with clarity, purpose and impact.

This role will also convene and connect stakeholders around key sector issues, sometimes at short notice, enabling NCVO to act with agility and authority. You will support colleagues across the organisation to build confidence in stakeholder engagement, embedding a culture of collaboration and shared ownership.

We are seeking someone who is proactive, strategic and highly networked, with a proven track record of building trusted partnerships that deliver results. If you thrive on connecting people, shaping strategy and influencing change, we would love to hear from you.

About the Voice and Impact directorate

​This role sits within the Voice and Impact directorate; a team focused on amplifying the voices of charities in civil society and making positive change for the future. Voice and Impact comprises NCVO’s policy and public affairs team; strategic communications, campaigns and marketing team; creative content team and membership and engagement team.

​About the Membership & Engagement team 

Membership and Engagement is a newly evolved team that exists to grow, connect and convene NCVO’s membership. The team acquires roughly 1,400 new members a year and offers care and support to retain 90% of its current 17K members.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

NCVO is fully committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in our sector. We want this to be reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and identities. We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups in the voluntary sector and those with diverse, lived experience. As part of our commitment to employing disabled people, all disabled candidates who meet the minimum requirement for all competencies on the person specification will be guaranteed an interview.

​If you have access needs or require reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a pre-interview task and will have one week to complete the exercise. Interview questions will be shared in advance. 

NCVO is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from everyone. Charity No. 225922.

Would you like to make a difference?

We are looking for a highly organised and motivated individual to join our team as Executive and Policy Assistant. This is a varied and rewarding role, working directly with the CEO and closely with our Communications and Impact team.

You will provide vital support to the CEO by managing diaries, coordinating meetings and events, preparing briefings and presentations, and acting as a key contact for staff, funders, supporters and the Board. You will also play a hands-on role in our policy and campaigning work — carrying out research, drafting communications and helping to ensure the voices of children, young people and adults with dyslexia are heard at every level.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a busy, purpose-driven environment, can balance multiple priorities, and wants to use their skills to make a meaningful difference for the dyslexia community.

Please carefully review the job description (attached below) for full responsibiliites of the role and essential skills required.

Location - Hybrid - this role is primarily home-based (UK), with the requirement to work from our office in Bracknell once a month, and to travel to London at least once a week, or as needed. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Interview schedule - first stage will take place on Monday 13 October 2025, with second stage taking place on Thursday 16 October 2025.

Are you interested in working with a reputed international sustainability organisation to influence policy developments on sustainability globally? ISEAL is hiring a Senior Policy Officer to join our team responsible for public engagement and policy influencing. This is the perfect role for someone who is keen to work in an increasingly dynamic regulatory and policy landscape to strengthen the role of voluntary sustainability tools alongside emerging mandatory measures. 

The core objective of the Policy and Engagement team is to support governments, civil society and other business influencers to understand, identify and use credible sustainability systems.  We do this through direct engagement with relevant government bodies in priority countries, engagement with individual businesses and business platforms and building member awareness and knowledge about relevant policy files and implications of new policies for their schemes and impact. The team focused on the UK, Switzerland, EU-wide policy and key EU members states, as well as on countries in the global south, including Colombia, Indonesia, India and Brazil.

The Senior Policy Officer will help drive engagement with policymakers in key countries in which ISEAL and its partners have a strategic policy interest, with a view to influencing the policy narrative on sustainability and specific policies. The role will identify policy engagement opportunities and provide insightful analysis of policy developments and trends.  In addition, the role will work closely with ISEAL members based in these regions to combine efforts and align on policy influencing.

The ideal candidate will have had exposure to working in an international policy context, either working as part of civic society with governments or as part of a government department. A strong grounding in sustainability issues and related key political and policy debates will be essential, along with some working knowledge of key policy trends in the human rights, climate and sustainability standards space. Prior experience in working in the EU, UK at policy and regulatory landscape or public affairs level will be an advantage. The Senior Officer reports to the Director, Policy and Engagement.

Key Responsibilities we will entrust you with:

Policy and government engagement

• Support ISEAL´s strategic engagement with identified key policymaker targets and audiences from a policy influencing and role of voluntary tools perspective
• Keep track of policy developments in key areas and jurisdictions and provide insights and analysis to inform ISEAL’s policy engagement work
• Help identify opportunities for engagements with relevant policymaker audiences and government agencies in key jurisdictions and engage with them as delegated and supported by other colleagues
• Set up direct meetings and other engagement opportunities for ISEAL, coordinate ISEAL’s input, advise and engagement and prepare briefs, reports and submissions for engagement purposes
• Contribute to establishing engagement and influencing strategies and to the development of ISEAL’s policy positions
• Provide internal advisory support to other teams on critical policy files based on own subject matter and jurisdiction knowledge
• Support team in development of policy papers, position papers, press releases, strategic messaging on policy issues
• Facilitate webinars and workshops on policy related topics

Other

• Track policy developments and analyse how they  affect sustainability systems, ISEAL and its members
• Help shape ISEAL’s work on global policy engagement and outreach in the next strategy period
• Conduct or support other team members with background research on specific regulatory proposals and policy frameworks and related topics
• Support ISEAL’s member-facing policy activities liaising with the rest of the team
• Provide policy advice and analysis as requested on priority topics
• Participate actively in team and organisational planning and activities
• Participate in internal staff management processes such as performance reviews, supervisory meetings, etc.

Experience, Knowledge and Attributes

• Postgraduate degree in a relevant subject (e.g. sustainability or environmental studies, human rights, law, int. development/ social policy, EU policy etc.) and/or equivalent work experience
• Proven experience working in a policy context as part of civic society or within a government department supporting policy engagement
• Good working knowledge of the sustainability policy landscape and key debates in the space
• Strong skills in policy analysis and policy intelligence
• Excellent written and spoken English communication skills
• Excellent writing skills and ability to synthesise information
• Prior exposure to sustainability standards, passionate about sustainability linked policy issues such as human rights, climate, nature, due diligence  
• Some experience and comfortable with public speaking, e.g. facilitating webinars or workshops
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with cross-functional teams in a largely remote, international environment, including occasional international time-zone calls
• Confidence in using IT systems, familiarity with virtual meeting tools (e.g. MS Teams, Skype, GoToMeeting, etc), use of contact management databases (e.g. Salesforce) and proficiency in MS Office

Additionally desirable

• Other languages: Spanish
• Prior experience working with remote manager and team
• Exposure to working on strategic policy questions
• Experience in tracking, engaging in development issues in global south countries

About ISEAL

ISEAL supports ambitious sustainability systems and their partners to tackle the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges – from the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis to human rights and persistent poverty. ISEAL Community Members include many of the most respected sustainability schemes worldwide and are active across a diverse range of sectors. Read more about us on our website iseal(.)org. 

ISEAL´s culture and how we will help you thrive

Our values are Connection, Empowerment, Inspiration, Well-being, Creativity and Celebration.

These are traits we value in each other and in the organisation overall and we instil these in all our processes and interactions.

The issues we work on are of a global nature and our team reflects this, with individuals from many different backgrounds and nationalities. We know this diversity adds to the high quality of work we deliver as an organisation and through our commitment to diversity and inclusion we want to add strengths and perspectives in our team with each recruitment. Diversity for us includes race and gender identity, age, disability status, sexual orientation, religion and many other areas forming part of someone´s identity. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer.

As an organisation, we also support our people in their personal and professional development, with specific budgets and processes enabling individuals to take advantage of growth and development opportunities.

We offer 25 days of annual leave, to which we will add a day a year after 2 years (to a maximum of 30 days), as well as an extra five days as a one off once you have been with us for a full five years.

We recognise individuals’ preferences when it comes to where and when to work through a hybrid working model with a minimum of 4 days per month in the London office as well as the opportunity to apply for flexible working arrangements to suit individual´s needs.

Other relevant information

Term: This is a fixed term 12 months contract from December 2025 / January 2026

Salary: £40,000-£45,000 p.a. depending on experience (full time, 37.5 hours per week)

Location: London is the preferred location. An ability and willingness to work in a hybrid work environment is required.

International travel: The post holder will be required to undertake a fair amount of international travel and should ideally have the passport (UK, EU) to enable this smoothly

How to apply

Specific enquiries about this role and the application process can be sent to the recruitment(atisealalliance(.)org.

Deadline for applications is 24 September 2025

Please note that we will only contact shortlisted applicants.

Interview process

Please see below the planned interview process (please note that we will endeavor to keep to this schedule, but some dates may be subject to change)

First interviews (Teams): 1-3 October

Pre-interview timed exercises (between 60 – 90 minutes from home): 7-9 October

Panel interviews (Teams): w/c 13 October

Decision: w/c 20 October

Accessibility

If candidates require additional time or other considerations for the interview process, we are committed to accommodating any reasonable requests.

Please note that ISEAL will cover travel expenses for in person interviews for candidates travelling from outside of Greater London. ISEAL also covers caring expenses for candidates who are carers and need to arrange of cover for the duration of the interview/exercises

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Philanthropy Manager to work as part of our Fundraising Team.

Imagine being part of an organisation whose common purpose is to help those who are severely impacted by mental illness. We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity – and that’s why equity is one of our core values. We draw on the expertise, unique perspectives and lived experience of our people – regardless of who they are or their background – to help us become inclusive and anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider that reflect the diverse communities we support as a mental health charity.

The Fundraising team is a dynamic group of fundraisers who are passionately committed to raising money for our life-changing work in the mental health and mental illness space. We have a diverse portfolio of income streams spanning Events, Community, Individual Giving, Legacies, In-Memoriam, Philanthropy, Trusts & Grants, and Partnerships.

As a newly established programme, Philanthropy demonstrates exciting potential for both Rethink and MHUK, with initiatives spanning major donor and mid-value engagement. Trusts & Grants have a strong track record at Rethink Mental Illness and a growing portfolio of supporters at Mental Health UK. The team is well-positioned to develop innovative funding propositions that support the future ambitions of both charities, working to achieve both in-year cornerstone grants and long-term, transformational funding. Corporate Partnerships have launched several exciting partnerships across both charities and the portfolio and team continues to grow.

How you will make a difference

Are you an excellent relationship manager looking for a new and exciting challenge? We are looking for an ambitious individual, who is passionate about making a difference to the lives of people affected by mental illness to join our small, growing Philanthropy team.

Philanthropy is developing income stream for Rethink Mental Illness and Mental Health UK. This role will support the Interim Head Trusts and Philanthropy to lay the foundations for the future of high value giving for both charities, helping carve out relationships and ideas that form the basis of our transformational giving. It’s an exciting opportunity for an experienced relationship builder who is inspired by the prospect of building a high impact philanthropy programme.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. 

We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation 

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation. You can read more about our progress here. 

The role is within our Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns team. You'll play a vital role in supporting disabled Londoners to campaign for affordable, accessible transport, and influencing decision-makers to act on the barriers and extra costs we face.

The role will lead on engagement in London, building relationships with our members, Disabled People’s Organisations, and decision makers. You’ll organise campaigns and forums, represent Transport for All at events, and work with TfL, London Councils and boroughs to make transport fairer and more equitable.

We are a small, committed and disabled-led team working to make sure that disabled people’s voices are heard in politics, the media and beyond. This role is central to ensuring lived experience drives systemic change in London’s transport system.

You must be disabled to apply for this role

This role has a genuine occupational requirement of lived experience of disability. This explicitly includes those of us who are Deaf, neurodivergent, chronically ill, have a mental health condition, have age-related impairments, and people with both visible and non-visible impairments. If you do not meet the genuine occupational requirement, your application will not be shortlisted for an interview.

What happens next?

The deadline for applications is 22 September 2025, 9am

Interviews will take place via Zoom on 13-21 October 2025

For an informal discussion about the role, or to receive the documents in alternative formats, please visit our website.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Senior Philanthropy and Research Officer to work as part of our Fundraising Team.

Imagine being part of an organisation whose common purpose is to help those who are severely impacted by mental illness. We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity – and that’s why equity is one of our core values. We draw on the expertise, unique perspectives and lived experience of our people – regardless of who they are or their background – to help us become inclusive and anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider that reflect the diverse communities we support as a mental health charity.

The Fundraising team is a dynamic group of fundraisers who are passionately committed to raising money for our life-changing work in the mental health and mental illness space. We have a diverse portfolio of income streams spanning Events, Community, Individual Giving, Legacies, In-Memoriam, Philanthropy, Trusts & Grants, and Partnerships.

Trusts & Grants have a strong track record at Rethink Mental Illness and a growing portfolio of supporters at Mental Health UK. The team is well-positioned to develop innovative funding propositions that support the future ambitions of both charities, working to achieve both in-year cornerstone grants and long-term, transformational funding. As a newly established programme, Philanthropy demonstrates exciting potential for both Rethink and MHUK, with initiatives spanning major donor and mid-value engagement. Corporate Partnerships have launched several exciting partnerships across both charities and that portfolio and team continues to grow.

How you will make a difference

Reporting to the Prospect Research Manager, you will identify and qualify new prospects across Philanthropy, Trusts & Grants, and Corporate Partnerships. You will carry out in-depth research using a wide range of sources, manage due diligence processes and ensure accurate data is maintained on our CRM systems. You will also work closely with the Interim Head of Trusts and Philanthropy to steward donors and deliver exceptional supporter experiences.

To be successful in this role, you will be an inquisitive, proactive and data-driven fundraiser who enjoys uncovering insights through research and crafting compelling communications that make a meaningful difference to donors.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. 

We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation 

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation. You can read more about our progress here. 

Together, the charities Sands and Tommy’s have formed a Joint Policy Unit (JPU) focussed on achieving policy change that will save more babies’ lives during pregnancy and the neonatal period and on tackling inequalities in loss, so that everyone can benefit from the best possible outcomes.

The JPU’s mission is to secure policy change that will reduce rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term birth and neonatal death, and to work to eliminate inequalities in these outcomes.

While there is widespread agreement on the need for change to improve the safety of maternity and neonatal services, what that change looks like is not clear.  To save more babies’ lives we believe that a continued focus is required, and that governments should set new commitments to reduce perinatal mortality and preterm births, focused on matching the best-performing countries in Europe.

This role will be crucial to the continued success of the JPU unit; leading, shaping and coordinating all the unit’s work. 

We are looking for an independent and assertive problem-solver, a policy expert who can manage multiple priorities, take the initiative, lead the national conversation and is as excited as we are about taking the helm of this venture for both of our organisations.

The successful candidate will need to have a substantial track record of effectively leading and implementing national policy and influencing programmes, driving change and achieving the desired impact.

You will have considerable experience across research, data analysis, policy development, public affairs and communications.  Additionally, you will be well-versed in research and data management, including analysing complex data and evaluating policy developments.

Experience of being a member of a senior management team with successful, significant and relevant management and leadership experience is also essential.

We are seeking a dynamic Policy Officer to join our policy team, to support our lobbying and advocacy work, raise the profile of specialist FE with parliamentarians and represent the views of members. The work is varied, including monitoring parliamentary activity, undertaking research, meeting with members, helping to prepare consultation responses and analysing government proposals and published policies. The postholder will also take a lead in communicating Natspec’s policy positions to members and other stakeholders.

The main duties of the role include:

• Monitoring parliamentary and media activity to alert the Natspec team to relevant issues
• Maintaining and developing Natspec’s parliamentary database, increasing links with MPs and ministers
• Undertaking research to support Natspec’s policy work
• Preparing news stories, press releases and social media content, and identifying media opportunities to promote Natspec’s work and policy positions
• Working with Natspec member colleges, supporting them in their local lobbying work, and establishing network meetings
• Supporting the Senior Policy Manager and Senior Policy Officer with consultation responses, reports, publications, articles and data analysis.

We are looking for a self-motivated, innovative, dynamic and enthusiastic individual with good written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to develop strong working relationships. You don’t need to have a background in learning difficulties or disabilities or further education, although a demonstrable interest in these areas would be welcome. You should, however, have some prior experience of policy work, including undertaking research and analysis, understand parliamentary processes, and be able to quickly develop your understanding of education and funding policy relevant to specialist FE.

While you will be home-based, you will be in frequent contact with your colleagues both online and in-person and there will be plenty of opportunities to work outside of the home, attending meetings and visiting colleges. You will need to travel to London on a regular basis. You must be able to work flexibly, sometimes under pressure, and thrive on the unpredictability of policy work.