Senior Policy Officer

Youth Employment UK is seeking a Senior Policy Officer to join our Policy and Research department at an important moment for youth employment policy. The Senior Policy Officer will strengthen Youth Employment UK's policy and insight capacity by helping gather, analyse and communicate evidence from young people, employers, members and the wider youth employment system. Working with the Policy and Research Director, the role will support Youth Employment UK to develop high-quality policy positions, recommendations, briefings and reports, and to strengthen our reputation as a leading source of insight and practical solutions for youth employment. This is a policy-focused role with strong research literacy. It is not a technical academic research post, but the postholder will need to be confident in interpreting evidence, drawing out implications, writing clearly, and translating insight into practical recommendations for different audiences.

Summary of responsibilities:

• Monitor, analyse and respond to youth employment-related policy developments through written briefings, articles, guidance and formal evidence submissions.
• Support the development of Youth Employment UK policy positions, recommendations and messages.
• Work with Youth Ambassadors and young people to gather insight that informs policy positions, reports and recommendations.
• Support delivery of our Youth Voice Census by writing up findings for a wide range of audiences.
• Support Youth Employment UK's Good Youth Employment Benchmark by conducting employer interviews and writing employer-facing reports.
• Support Youth Employment UK's public affairs activity, including APPG, Connected Communities and other policy forums.
• Work closely with the Policy and Research Director, Policy and Research Coordinator and wider team in an agile, fast-paced working environment.

About you:

We are looking for someone with strong policy judgement, excellent writing skills, professional curiosity and a commitment to improving systems for young people. You will bring:

• Experience in policy, public affairs, research, youth employment, education, skills, employment support, social policy or a related area.
• Research literacy and confidence working with evidence, data, reports and lived experience insight.
• Ability to turn complex information into clear briefings, recommendations and practical outputs.
• Confidence in engaging with a range of stakeholders, such as young people, employers, members, policymakers, charities, NGOs, think tanks or public bodies.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to adapt communication to a wide range of audiences.
• A high level of self and project management skill, able to work effectively as part of a team and independently.
• A clear passion for improving education, employment and transitions outcomes for young people through policy activity.

What we will provide to you:

• Competitive salary.
• Standard company pension.
• 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 26 days after 12 months' service.
• 2 volunteering days per year.
• 2 additional wellbeing days per year.
• Onsite parking, available on a first come, first served basis.
• Personal development opportunities.
• Free breakfast and lunch options when in the office.
• Team activities and events.
• Dog-friendly office.

Please note that this is a full-time (37.5 hour) role, with some flexibility over working hours. Our main office is in Kettering, right next to the train station. However, we are open to discussing remote and hybrid working arrangements with the right candidate.