Policy and Influence Development Worker in Manchester

Purpose of the role
Manchester’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector is made of thousands of organisations and individuals who use their time, skills, creativity and energy to improve the quality of life in the city. They have knowledge, insight and ideas to offer which can help shape policy and decision making locally, regionally and nationally.

Manchester Community Central’s Policy and Influence Team helps this happen by supporting a wide range of conversations and relationships at a strategic level on key areas of public policy including equalities, health and care, climate change, funding and commissioning and social value.

The VCSE Policy and Influence Development Worker helps to create and deliver a programme of activities to enable the local VCSE sector to be a strong voice on significant issues.

Manchester Community Central’s role is to work collaboratively with partners in the VCSE, public and private sectors to influence thinking, debate, planning and decisions, working strategically and with practical outcomes for local people always in mind.

Salary: £29,963 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week. Flexi-time system with core hours 10am-3pm
Location: St Thomas Centre but job offers some working from home flexibility
Contract: Permanent (subject to funding)
Reporting to: Policy and Influence Manager

Who we’re looking for
We're looking for someone who's organised, reliable and genuinely good at working with others.

This role sits within a small team, often juggling several projects at once, so you'll need to be confident managing your own workload, meeting deadlines under pressure, and keeping track of how activities are progressing against what they're meant to achieve.

Collaboration is central to this role. You'll be working with a wide range of partners — sometimes leading, sometimes supporting — and you'll need the ability to bring people's different skills and ideas together in creative ways. Facilitation skills are important and the ability to engage people, hold a room and inspire others to get involved. Whether that's a one-to-one conversation or a group session, you'll need to understand how to enable people to participate fully, particularly people whose voices aren't always heard in formal settings.

Building relationships is a core part of the job. We're looking for someone with a genuine ability to build trust across different social and cultural backgrounds - whether that comes from direct experience working with communities of place, identity or interest, or from lived experience and a strong instinct for this kind of relationship-building.

We're less interested in how many years you've spent doing policy work and more interested in whether you've got a good head for it — someone who can spot an emerging issue, understand why it matters, and think clearly about what response it needs. If you've got that instinct, we can help you build your knowledge. Some understanding of the VCSE sector will help, particularly the everyday challenges and opportunities it faces, but this role is genuinely open to people without a long track record in policy work.

Key information

• Employer: Manchester Community Central
• Locations: Manchester
• Role Type: Permanent
• Working Hours: Full-Time

More about this role

• Employee Benefits: At Manchester Community Central, we are committed to being an inclusive and supportive employer. We believe in creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, and we offer:
• Flexible working: We value flexible working and offer options such as adjusted working hours, hybrid or home working. We have office space at our St Thomas Centre base in Ardwick but our approach balances personal choice, building teamwork and the needs of the people we work with.
• Wellbeing support: Our dedicated Health and Wellbeing team works to create a culture that supports everyone’s health and wellbeing at Manchester Community Central. This includes access to confidential, in-house mental health first aiders and regular team social activities. We also offer ‘Re-energise Afternoons’ – monthly sessions where staff can take time away from work to rest and recharge.
• Carers support: We are committed to supporting carers in the workplace, and we offer five days paid carers' leave per year for those with ongoing caring responsibilities, along with other support.
• Menstrual Health and Menopause friendly workplace: We are proud to be Menstruation and Menopause Friendly employers, providing a range of support to help staff to manage symptoms, as well as educating employees on these topics.
• Professional development: Personal Development Plans (PDPs) and dedicated budgets for external training and growth.
• Volunteering leave: Staff are entitled to up to 2 days per year (pro rata) with pay to engage in voluntary activities.
• Active travel incentives: Support for public transport season tickets, a Cycle to Work scheme, and travel expenses for cyclists.
• These benefits reflect our commitment to supporting staff while working together to strengthen Manchester's communities.
• Flexible Working Options: Flexitime
• Working Pattern Details: 35 hours per week. Flexi-time system with core hours 10am-3pm
• Would You Consider A Job Share For The Role?: Yes

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