Deputy Director - Policy and Engagement

Duration: Two-year contract, renewed subject to funding.

Location: Home-working but based in or near London. We are a remote team, with most colleagues based outside London. This role requires regular access to Westminster, so you will need to be based in or within easy reach of London. We work flexibly and understand the realities of balancing work with caring commitments. We trust you to manage your time but expect that most of your hours are worked within core office hours to fulfil the requirements of the role. To support fluent remote working, we require all staff to work on Thursdays.

This is a dual role, delivering our policy, engagement and public affairs strategy while also supporting the Executive Director to grow the Coalition as an organisation and movement. You will play a central role in shaping the Coalition’s strategy, culture and growth. This is a senior, outward-facing role, suited to someone who can think strategically, build influence at the highest levels, and remain hands-on within a small and ambitious team.

About You

You are a senior public affairs professional with a strong track record of strategic influencing and engagement to shape policy. You bring robust judgement and credibility and are motivated by the opportunity to deliver meaningful change in a high-profile policy area and may have experience on public-service reform. You are equally comfortable setting direction and delivering through others as you are rolling up your sleeves to respond to fast-moving political developments. You are a confident relationship-builder who can operate effectively at senior levels, while working collaboratively across a diverse coalition. You should have previous experience of managing functions and teams and working in senior leadership teams. Ideally you will be live to the challenges of working in a small, but high-impact national organisation and have experience of scaling teams and functions.

What You Can Expect To Be Doing

• Executive leadership: This will include supporting the ED with key senior stakeholder relationships including funders, ministers and policymakers. You will be required to deputise for the ED during periods of leave or when directed to do so. This is a pivotal role which straddles the executive and senior leadership functions. Consequently, you will be expected to make decisions that balance multiple interests and help scale and grow the Coalition as a sustainable organisation.
• Lead the Coalition’s policy and influencing function: Work with the Senior Leadership Team and Coalition members to turn evidence into clear, credible policy positions and priorities, ensuring members are aligned, informed and able to contribute.
• Develop and deliver a cross-party influencing strategy: Building on the Coalition’s profile, you will further nurture and maintain relationships with MPs, peers, special advisers, civil servants and key stakeholders, ensuring strong reach across Westminster, local government and the wider policy community. Identify and respond to opportunities in the parliamentary and policy cycle to maximise influence, including producing briefings, consultation responses and submissions.
• Oversee policy-related events to support engagement: Lead activity such as events, roundtables and party conference attendance to strengthen the Coalition’s visibility and impact.
• Align policy, public affairs, research and communications: Work closely with the Head of Communications and Campaigns, and the Associate Director of Research to ensure a joined-up approach across research, influencing, media and campaigning.
• Represent the Coalition externally: Act as a senior spokesperson at high-level meetings, events, and in the media where appropriate.
• Strengthen how we measure impact: Work with the Executive Director to further develop our impact framework, improving how we track, evaluate and communicate influence.
• Lead and develop the team: Provide support to team members, fostering a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing culture.

Person Specification

• Experience of leading a team or working at executive/senior leadership levels where you have managed budgets and had to make decisions related to organisational effectiveness. This should also include demonstrable experience of building and nurturing teams that can deliver an organisational strategy.
• Proven experience leading influencing functions in an advocacy or policy environment and delivering change.
• Experience turning research and insight into clear, credible and persuasive policy positions.
• Knowledge of system change approaches, ideally within public service reform or similar.
• Knowledge of how Government, Parliament, Whitehall, political parties and the wider policy community operate, and how to navigate them effectively.
• Able to operate confidently in complex, fast-moving and politically sensitive environments, working across party lines with diplomacy.
• Demonstrable experience building and maintaining trusted relationships with politicians, advisers, officials and sector leaders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing high-quality briefings and representing organisations externally.
• Experience of supporting fundraising activities either through relationship-building or bid-writing.
• Understanding of early education and childcare policy in England and the challenges currently facing the system.
• Experience working in or with coalitions, membership organisations or alliances.
• Proven ability to work flexibly as part of a small, remote team.

EEO Statement

The EECC is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. We use anonymous recruiting during the application process and we use positive action under section 159 of the Equality Act in relation to disability or race. This means that if we have two candidates of equal merit in our process, we will seek to take forward the disabled or Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidate in order to diversify our staff team.