Policy and Public Affairs Officer in City of Westminster

Location: London / Hybrid

Contract: 12 Month / Full Time

Salary: £33,840.00 per Annum

Purpose of the job

UK Youth exists to widen the reach and deepen the impact of youth work and outdoor learning. As we enter an exciting new phase of our five-year strategic period, we are looking for a Policy and Public Affairs Officer to help us build on political momentum around young people and youth work to inspire lasting change. You will support the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, within the Impact department (covering research, evaluation, service design, policy and public affairs, and communications), working closely with colleagues across the organisation to build and develop UK Youth’s relationships with a broad range of external stakeholders, including Westminster government (e.g. ministers, officials and special advisers), parliamentarians, the devolved administrations, NGOs and third-party organisations, while shaping and responding to a wide range of public policy issues. The role will require a strong understanding of complex policy issues and an interest in the political landscape and how it interacts with third sector organisations. You will have a can-do attitude, excellent written and oral communication skills, strong time management and organisational skills and an ability to develop positive relationships with colleagues internally and externally to support our goals.

Key responsibilities

• Public Affairs support
• Produce briefings and speaking notes for UK Youth leadership and trustees relating to important policy issues and external events.
• Manage relationships with politicians, civil servants, and staff in local authorities and regulatory bodies to brief them on matters relating to UK Youth’s policy objectives.
• Identify opportunities for UK Youth to publicly intervene on key policy priorities – including responses to government consultations, speaking at events, meeting with key influencers, etc.
• Develop written content, including blogs, and support colleagues in our Communications team to respond to breaking news relating to UK Youth’s policy priorities.
• Work closely with the Communications team to support the development of influencing plans that promote our policy messages on public channels.
• Political monitoring and policy development support
• Coordinate with monitoring services to ensure proactive monitoring of relevant announcements and developments in Parliament and the devolved nations that relate to youth work and young people.
• Work with colleagues across the Impact Function to understand trends and innovations in the youth and outdoor learning sectors that have implications for policy.
• Ensure that there is a clear record of UK Youth’s policy positions on key issues, along with rationale and suggested messaging.
• Contribute to external-facing policy reports and briefings on topics relating to UK Youth’s work.
• Stakeholder engagement and event management
• Build strong working relationships with policy professionals across the youth sector and identify opportunities to work in partnership, where appropriate.
• Develop relationships with key external stakeholders including other policy and public affairs teams in the youth sector and civil servants.
• Work closely with young people and youth workers to help refine UK Youth’s policy positions and influencing plans.
• Lead on day-to-day management of UK Youth’s secretariat role for the Back Youth Alliance, with oversight and support from the Head of Policy and Public Affairs.
• Project manage UK Youth’s involvement in key influencing events, such as party conferences, with oversight and support from the Head of Policy and Public Affairs.
• Represent UK Youth at meetings and events – helping to disseminate insights from our work, tell the story of youth work’s impact to inspire lasting change.

Experience we are after

• Experience working in the area of policy and public affairs or equivalent experience in other areas (such as through an apprenticeship, volunteering role, or university).
• Experience of project management.
• Experience of understanding and communicating with different audiences.
• Strong relational and stakeholder engagement skills.

What we can offer you

• We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:
• Flexible/Agile Working.
• 27 days annual leave (24 days + 3 days winter closure) plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees).
• Funded training provided in Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity.
• Other training available in support of your personal and professional development.
• Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%).
• Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary.
• Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally.
• 20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.
• IT equipment provided for the duration of contract.
• CycleScheme and TechScheme.

Notes

As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment verification.