Advocacy & Campaigns Manager

The Advocacy and Campaigns Manager will play a crucial role in shaping and delivering Put Children First, the advocacy and campaigning initiative of Alder Hey Children’s Charity. The post holder will be responsible for influencing decision-makers, engaging stakeholders, and leading impactful campaigns to ensure children’s health and wellbeing are prioritised in public policy. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong public affairs expertise, policy understanding, and excellent communication skills. The campaign is child led and will involve working with children to raise their voice. The post holder will also work with politicians, policymakers, clinicians and internal stakeholders, partner organisations, and the public to advocate for change, ensuring that Alder Hey Children’s Charity is a leading voice in children’s health policy and advocacy. This role is one of the first with a charity aligned to an NHS Trust and will appeal to someone with a strong desire to pioneer advocacy and campaigning in a unique setting.

Main Duties / Tasks

• Advocacy & Campaigning Strategy: Work with the Head of Marketing & Communications to develop and deliver a proactive and inclusive advocacy and campaigning strategy to drive meaningful policy change that benefits children’s health. Identify and respond to policy developments, advising on how Alder Hey Children’s Charity can influence key decision-makers and stakeholders. Lead campaign planning and execution, ensuring activities engage supporters, stakeholders, and policymakers effectively. Develop and manage partnerships with other charities, organisations, and networks to amplify the impact of the charity’s advocacy work. Work with external agencies where necessary to develop and deliver plans, being the key point of contact.
• Public Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong relationships with MPs, government departments, local authorities, and policymakers at national and Stateal levels. Represent Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Put Children First in parliamentary briefings, policy roundtables, and stakeholder meetings. Monitor political and policy developments relevant to children’s health, providing insightful briefings and recommendations to senior leadership. Support senior leaders and Trustees in their engagement with political and policy stakeholders, ensuring they are well-briefed and strategically positioned. Engage with children and families to ensure their voices are central to the advocacy work, developing plans to engage under represented communities.
• Policy Development & Thought Leadership: Translate complex policy issues into clear, compelling narratives that drive awareness and action. Work with colleagues to develop policy briefings, reports, and consultation responses, ensuring Alder Hey Children’s Charity is a credible and informed voice in the sector. Work with the Head of Marketing & Communications to position the charity as a thought leader on children’s health policy, ensuring its voice is heard in key debates and discussions. Identify opportunities to influence policy discussions through submissions, evidence-gathering, and research collaborations.
• Media & Communications: Collaborate with the Marketing & Communications team to develop compelling messaging that supports advocacy goals. Work with the charity’s Communications Advisory agency to secure media coverage on key issues, providing expert commentary and ensuring children’s health remains a priority in public debate. Develop engaging and inclusive content for Put Children First, including press releases, blogs, social media, film and supporter communications. Work with campaigners and families to amplify lived experiences in advocacy efforts, ensuring their voices are central to campaigns.
• Internal Collaboration & Leadership: Work closely with the fundraising teams, grants team, marketing and communications and the Trust’s Communications team to ensure advocacy work aligns with broader charity and Trust objectives. Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on policy and public affairs matters, in consultation with the Head of Marketing and Communications where required. Support the development of staff and volunteers as advocates for the charity’s policy positions. Ensure all campaign activities align with Alder Hey Children’s Charity’s values and meet ethical and legal standards. Any other reasonable duties as required by your line manager.

Person Specification:

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• Essential: Proven experience in advocacy, campaigning, or public affairs, ideally in a charity, healthcare, or political environment. Strong understanding of UK political systems and policymaking processes. Experience in stakeholder engagement, including working with politicians, government officials, or partner organisations. A track record of developing and delivering impactful campaigns that influence decision-makers. Strong media relations skills, including experience securing high-profile coverage.
• Desirable: Experience working on health policy or children’s health advocacy. Knowledge of NHS policy, funding, and service delivery. Familiarity with digital advocacy and media and grassroots campaigning tools. Experience of working with children or young people as advocates. Experience of using a CRM system or database.

Skills and Attributes:

• Essential: Commitment to principles of equality, diversity and collaborative working. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex policy issues into clear, compelling messaging. Excellent networking and influencing skills. Ability to build strong working relationships internally and externally at all levels. Ability to work in a logical and organised manner. Ability to work effectively as part of a team as well as independently. Self-motivated and positive attitude with the ability to work under pressure, prioritise workloads, and respond quickly to political or media developments. Excellent IT skills including Microsoft packages. Excellent presentation skills with the ability to get information and ideas across clearly and succinctly. A creative and lateral thinker with the ability to look for innovative solutions to problems.
• Desirable: Experience of public speaking/ presenting at Board or Committee level.

Additional requirements

• Essential: Committed to continuing professional development. Passion for improving children’s health and wellbeing through policy change. An understanding and commitment to the values of Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Willingness to get involved with activities across the charity.
• Desirable: Willingness to occasionally work outside of normal office hours.

Our Values

Here at Alder Hey Children’s Charity, our values guide the way in which we work. By being courageous, working together, being passionate about our work, and making sure that we are creative in what we do, helps us to deliver the support necessary so that our Hospital can continue to deliver the very best care for our young patients and their families. Our values are:

• Courage: we try new things and take risks to innovate and drive forward new ideas. We have the courage to speak up and take a stance. We are accountable, responsive and responsible. We are unstoppable.
• Together: we work together as one team, sharing our knowledge and learning. We work in partnership with patients, families, supporters and colleagues. We are respectful, celebrate diversity and empower each other to achieve our aims.
• Passion: we are passionate about what we do and why we do it. We work together to share and grow. We inspire others.
• Magical: we are fun, creative and child led. We create special moments, provide little extras and go further for our brave young patients.

In April 2025, the charity adopted a four-day working week policy, meaning staff previously working 37.5 hours a week are now working 30 hours a week to enable a four-day working week. We are confident that by embracing a more flexible and balanced approach to work, we can continue to create a thriving and fulfilling work environment while driving growth and success for our charity.

This job description is intended to outline the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this role. It is not exhaustive and may be subject to change or modification as required by the needs of Alder Hey Children’s Charity.

IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.

Alder Hey Children’s Charity will make every endeavour to make any reasonable adjustments for applicants who require assistance in carrying out their duties due to a disability. Alder Hey Children’s Charity is committed to equal opportunities and positively welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Alder Hey Children’s Charity is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

The post holder may be required to complete an enhanced DBS disclosure check.