Senior Policy Advisor (Scotland)

Permanent, Full Time (35 hours per week)

JRF’s mission is to work to speed up and support the transition to a future free from poverty, in which people and planet can flourish.

Within that, we recognise that change doesn’t happen in the same way across the UK and that is why we have established teams in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as maintaining a long-term relationship with the Bevan Foundation in Wales.With Scottish Parliament elections on the horizon, this is an exciting time to join us and help push for a Scotland where everyone is free from poverty.

About the role

The Senior Policy Advisor is a crucial part of the Scotland Team. Our team of 5 (the Associate Director, two Senior Policy Advisers, a Lead Analyst and Policy and Research Adviser) design, lead and deliver JRF’s work in Scotland. This role will be key in helping to deliver our work in advance of the Scottish election and then be a vital part of designing what we do after that.

You will work closely with the Scotland Team to agree our strategy, come up with ideas for projects and will have significant autonomy to deliver the projects you lead and deliver the change you demand.

About you

As our Senior Policy Advisor, you will have significant knowledge of one of more policy issue related to the causes and consequence of poverty and the social and economic conditions on which it rests (ideally in a Scottish context).With a strong understanding of how policy making works in Scotland (and the implications of devolution arrangements, alongside reserved matters), you will have an awareness and engagement with relevant political, policy and intellectual debates, especially in Scotland, plus models and approaches to social change.

You will be able to analyse and unpick complex policy dilemmas; drawing on key literature, research evidence, leading-edge practice and everyday experience with the ability to think critically and creatively, analyse and problem solve, and contribute to the generation of new ideas and alternative ways of approaching an issue.

A strong communicator, able to communicate arguments and ideas persuasively, via writing and speaking, you will be able to contribute positively and effectively in a team environment with experience of engaging with a range of stakeholders around policy issues.

How to apply

If you share our passion and this role sounds like you, then we’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Please submit your CV and answer the questions to support your application via our online application platform. Those questions will be the main evidence we use to support your application so please use those as your opportunity to highlight your motivations, knowledge, skills and experience.

The closing date for applications is 10th August 2025.

Interviews will take place between 20th and 22nd of August 2025.

We reserve the right to bring the closing date forward should enough quality applications be received prior to the current closing date.

Additional Information

Applications are welcome from all, regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status or socioeconomic background.

We positively encourage applications from people from marginalised backgrounds, including but not limited to those with experience of living in poverty.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and operate an anonymised recruitment process so that bias is eliminated from the shortlisting process.

In support of our approach to flexible working, we are happy to receive applications from those seeking full-time employment, as well as those who may want to share the role on a part-time basis. When making your application, please state whether you want to be considered for either full or part-time work and, if part-time, the number of hours per week you would be looking for.

The Scotland Team is based in our office in Glasgow, and we meet there once a week (on a Tuesday) to spend time together as a team. For the rest of the week the postholder will be able to either work in the office or work from home depending on what suits their needs and the needs of the role.

At JRF we’re at our best when we’re continually building on trust, showing we care and making a difference – and hope others will do the same. So, for those roles which allow it, we’re developing a more blended approach to how and where you work. This means you can expect to work flexibly between the office and home (with an expectation of two days a week in your home office).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. This means that we are committed to the recruitment, progression and retention of disabled individuals. We shall also offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the job. If you have a disability, please tell us if you would like to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you have any additional needs and need reasonable adjustments to be made to the interview process, please let us know.