12 jobs in The Health Foundation

The Health Foundation is seeking a policy-focused lead to drive welfare-to-work initiatives and shape better welfare policies for those with long-term health conditions or disabilities. You will work with senior colleagues to generate evidence and practical recommendations for decision-makers.

You will develop external outputs, engage with stakeholders, and commission research projects while representing the Foundation at events.

The Health Foundation in the United Kingdom is seeking a senior policy professional to lead welfare-related work that helps working-age people, including those with long-term health conditions or disabilities, remain in or return to work.

You will shape policy direction, commission and oversee research projects, develop external outputs, and build strong relationships with stakeholders to inform evidenced-based recommendations for decision makers.

Policy Manager (maternity cover)

Date posted: Thursday 2 June 2026

Salary: £60,697 per annum plus excellent benefits

Contract type: 12 months, full time

Hours per week: 37.5 hours per week. All staff are required to work in person for a minimum of two days per week, in line with our hybrid working policy. The post-holder may be required to undertake some work outside normal working hours.

The Health Foundation is an independent charitable organisation with a mission to build a healthier UK. We work to achieve this by generating high‑quality research and analysis; developing practical solutions to the biggest problems in health and health services; engaging, convening and building coalitions to build understanding, inform debate and drive action; and developing the long‑term capability needed to transform health and care.

Our values are impact, evidence, integrity, and collaboration, and we are committed to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation.

The Health and Inequalities Directorate aims to put health and inequalities at the heart of decision making. By 2030 we are aiming to have achieved three outcomes:

• Mobilised cross-sector action and achieved policy change to secure a whole-government approach to health
• Driven improved public health prevention strategies at national, regional and local level
• Strengthened preventative action so that we can see improved working age health and economic prosperity in the long‑term

The Supporting the Delivery System Unit underpins work on these objectives and focuses on building the capability of local and regional systems to take effective action to improve health, while generating learning from implementation to inform the Foundation’s wider work.

The Policy Manager will play a key role in shaping and delivering the Health Foundation’s work to support local authorities and Strategic Authorities to improve health and reduce inequalities. The postholder will help translate the Foundation’s insights into practical support for local systems, while generating learning that informs wider influencing and policy development.

• Lead the production of high-quality blogs, reports, briefings and practical resources translating evidence into actionable insights for local and regional audiences.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with local government, Strategic Authorities, national partners and other stakeholders to support collaboration and maximise impact.
• Design, commission and manage funding programmes that build capability and generate practical learning for local systems.
• Lead the dissemination of learning from funded programmes, ensuring insights inform future Foundation work and wider policy debates.
• Lead external engagement activity including webinars, newsletters, workshops and advisory groups.
• Identify emerging policy opportunities and contribute to the development of new programmes of work relating to prevention, neighbourhood health and place-based approaches.
• Support the ongoing development of the Foundation's work on devolution and Strategic Authorities.
• Contribute to policy development, consultation responses, publications and wider influencing activity.
• Monitor policy developments relating to local government, devolution, prevention and health inequalities, identifying opportunities and risks for the Foundation.

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process where every candidate has the chance to showcase their unique skills and experience in an accessible and supported environment. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, and encourage those from underrepresented groups to apply.

Programme Officer (Health & Inequalities)

Salary: £45,168 per annum with excellent benefits.

Contract type: Permanent.

Hours per week: 37.5 hours per week. All staff are required to work in person for a minimum of two days per week, in line with our hybrid working policy. The post-holder may be required to undertake some work outside normal working hours.

Health is our most precious asset. Good health enables us to live happy, fulfilling lives, fuels our prosperity and helps build a stronger society. Yet good health remains out of reach for too many people in the UK, and health and care services are struggling to provide access to timely, high-quality care.

The Health Foundation is an independent charitable organisation with a mission to build a healthier UK. We work to achieve this by generating high-quality research and analysis; developing practical solutions to the biggest problems in health and health services; engaging, convening and building coalitions to build understanding, inform debate and drive action; and developing the long‑term capability needed to transform health and care.

We expect everyone who works with us to be committed to our values and to share our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. Our values are impact, evidence, integrity, and collaboration. You can read more about them in our five‑year strategy. We also expect everyone to share our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation and to help deliver our EDI Strategy.

The Programme Officer role sits within our Health & Inequalities Directorate, which is focused on the ‘building blocks’ that make up good health and how health can be promoted outside of formal health systems and services, especially for those experiencing the greatest inequalities. You will work as part of the Health & Inequalities Directorate’s embedded Portfolio Management team to support the delivery of our Health & Inequalities programmes and projects.

The role will act as programme support on a suite of projects and programmes, working closely with content leads on aspects of the design, implementation, delivery and management of a range of projects within our three overarching Health & Inequalities themes: Health and the Economy; Public Health Led Prevention and Cross Sector Action (including our Health Equals campaign).

As Programme Officer, you will work closely with our expert colleagues, supporting them to navigate our internal funding and procurement processes, and in setting up projects for success by implementing and overseeing a project management approach. You will be involved in a variety of projects and programmes, from projects focused on research and analysis, to events, test and learn programmes, agency contracts and partnerships.

You will be responsible for ongoing programme/project oversight and governance, and updating internal systems, such as on project progress, budget management and risks. You will also support the wider governance of our three overarching themes, supporting the leads with preparing and delivering oversight meetings and maintaining records on how our portfolio of work is progressing.

You will be part of an enthusiastic and friendly team, who are strongly committed to putting health and inequalities at the heart of decision making and building a healthier UK. You will also be part of a cross‑organisation community of project and programme managers, working together to share expertise and drive best practice across the organisation.

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process, where every candidate has the chance to showcase their unique skills and experience in an accessible and supported environment, to ensure that we can make the best appointment for each opportunity on merit. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage those from underrepresented groups in this field to apply to us. We have identified three key areas to improving diversity. Our aim is to achieve a more balanced representation across our organisation, with a particular focus on increasing the number of women in leadership, enhancing the representation of people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds and welcoming more people with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we strongly encourage applications from these groups.

Date posted: 6 July 2026

Salary: £ 67,752 per annum with excellent benefits

Contract type: Permanent

Hours per week: 37.5 hours per week (part time over 30 hours considered). All staff are required to work in person for a minimum of two days per week, in line with our hybrid working policy. The post-holder may be required to undertake some work outside normal working hours.

This role will lead our agenda around the role of welfare to support the working age population to maintain good health and support people with long term health conditions or disability when they are unable to work or participate. The Commission for Healthier Working Lives identified a number of issues with welfare support which effectively disincentivise people from accessing and staying in work and the purpose of this role is to make the case for change and point to potential solutions.

The post holder will have a strong understanding of the current welfare agenda, and particularly what this means for people with long term health conditions and disability. Working with the Senior Fellow, you will identify the opportunities to shape better policy, providing decision makers with the evidence and clear recommendations. As well as conducting your own analysis, you will help commission policy research projects from internal and external experts and provide oversight for these projects.

Developing your own profile as an expert, you will also lead or support drafting of external outputs, speak at external events and grow and maintain external stakeholder relationships. The role provides a real opportunity to have a voice to influence the future shape of health and welfare policies and practice.

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process, where every candidate has the chance to showcase their unique skills and experience in an accessible and supported environment, to ensure that we can make the best appointment for each opportunity on merit. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage those from underrepresented groups in this field to apply to us. We have identified three key areas to improving diversity. Our aim is to achieve a more balanced representation across our organisation, with a particular focus on increasing the number of women in leadership, enhancing the representation of people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds and welcoming more people with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we strongly encourage applications from these groups.

Closing date: Sunday 26 July :59

Interview dates: Week commencing 10 th August 2026

The Health Foundation in the United Kingdom is seeking a Deputy Director for Health and Care Policy. This senior role leads policy research and engagement to shape the future of health and care in the UK.

The role is based in hybrid working policy with 37.5 hours per week and in-person minimums, and involves some work outside normal hours. You will work with the Director of Policy and Research to oversee a large portfolio of health and care policy work, lead high-quality research, and use

Deputy Director, Health and Care Policy

Posted Monday 6 July 2026. Salary: £94,592 per annum with excellent benefits. Contract type: Permanent, full time or part time. Hours per week: 37.5 hours. All staff must work in person for a minimum of two days per week, in line with our hybrid working policy. Some work outside normal hours may be required.

Health is our most precious asset. Good health enables us to live happy, fulfilling lives, fuels our prosperity and helps build a stronger society. Yet good health remains out of reach for too many people in the UK, and health and care services are struggling to provide access to timely, high‑quality care.

The Health Foundation is an independent charitable organisation with a mission to build a healthier UK. We generate high quality research and analysis, develop practical solutions to the biggest problems in health and health services, engage, convene and build coalitions to build understanding, inform debate and drive action, and develop the long‑term capability needed to transform health and care.

We expect everyone who works with us to be committed to our values and to share our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. Our values are impact, evidence, integrity, and collaboration. We also expect everyone to help deliver our five‑year strategy and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

This role is one of three key Deputy Directors in the Health and Care Policy team. The team focuses on shaping the future of the health and care system in the UK to ensure the best care for all, by supporting more evidence‑informed policy and decision‑making.

You will work alongside the Director of Policy and Research and other senior staff to oversee and manage our large portfolio of work on health and care policy. This will include leading high‑quality research and analysis and using evidence to inform policy and decision‑making – including through direct engagement with policymakers, events and convening. You will also be directly responsible for overseeing our thematic programme of work on health system reform and neighbourhood health, working with staff in the Health and Care Policy team and other teams across the Foundation.

• Working with the Director of Policy and Research and other senior members of staff to oversee and lead the health and care policy team’s work
• Lead the development and delivery of high-quality research and analysis, and communicate our messages to external audiences
• Lead the delivery of our thematic programme of work on health system reform and neighbourhood health
• Build and maintain strong networks with relevant health and social care policy stakeholders
• Be a visible and credible senior leader for our work on health and care policy, setting high standards for the quality, rigour, and impact of our work, and supporting others to meet them

Our priority is to find the right individual for each opportunity. We are dedicated to building an inclusive workplace that values diversity.

Applicants are invited to submit responses to the following:

• Why are you well suited to this role? What leadership skills and experience would you bring to the Senior Leadership Team of the Health Foundation? (max. 300 words)
• What skills and experience do you have in generating and using high-quality research and analysis to influence and inform national policy? What experience do you have in leading teams to do this effectively? (max. 400 words)
• Based on your experience, what are some of the key ingredients for effectively using research and analysis to influence policy decisions? (max. 400 words)

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process, where every candidate has the chance to showcase their unique skills and experience in an accessible and supported environment, to ensure that we can make the best appointment for each opportunity on merit. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage those from underrepresented groups in this field to apply. We aim to improve diversity by increasing the number of women in leadership, enhancing the representation of people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds and welcoming more people with disabilities.

Apply to join our team and help build a more diverse and inclusive workplace together. If you require any support through this process, please contact us.

Closing date: Friday 24th July 2026. Interview date: Week commencing 17th August 2026.

The Health Foundation is seeking an Engagement and Policy Manager to lead a public affairs programme, engage with parliamentarians, and influence government policy. This hybrid role requires flexibility and collaborative relationship building with a diverse coalition.

Applicants should have strong experience in stakeholder engagement and public health policy. The estimated salary is £60,697 with excellent benefits and a contract type of 12 month fixed term maternity cover.

Engagement and Policy Manager – Health Equals (maternity cover)

Date posted: 2nd July 2026

Salary: £60,697 with excellent benefits

Contract type: 12 month fixed term (maternity cover)

Hours per week: 37.5 hours. All staff must work in person a minimum of two days per week, in line with our hybrid working policy. The post-holder may be required to undertake some work outside normal working hours.

The Public Affairs and Policy Manager plays a key role in delivering a dynamic public affairs programme, engaging cross‑party parliamentarians and managing a strong network of over 100 parliamentary champions. Working closely with colleagues and external partners, you’ll develop and implement strategies to influence government policy, organise high‑impact events, and produce compelling briefings and materials.

You’ll also work with our diverse coalition of members to mobilise collective action, ensuring their voices help shape and drive policy change. Alongside this, you’ll oversee agency support and ensure public affairs activity is effectively integrated with wider communications and campaigning.

We’re looking for an experienced policy professional who is excellent at stakeholder engagement across all levels, with a strong understanding of public affairs, parliamentary processes, and public health policy. You’ll be a confident relationship builder, able to work collaboratively across sectors and manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process, where every candidate has the chance to showcase their unique skills and experience in an accessible and supported environment, to ensure that we can make the best appointment for each opportunity on merit. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage those from underrepresented groups in this field to apply to us. We have identified three key areas to improving diversity. Our aim is to achieve a more balanced representation across our organisation, with a particular focus on increasing the number of women in leadership, enhancing the representation of people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds and welcoming more people with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we strongly encourage applications from these groups.

Closing date: Wednesday 15th July :59

Interview date: 21/22 July 2026, tbc