12 Policy Roles jobs in the United Kingdom

By joining the University of Lancashire, you’ll become part of a thriving community of talent that’s united by a shared vision – to transform the lives of our students and create prosperity and opportunity in the communities we serve. Every colleague has a vital role to play in helping us achieve this vision.

Our picturesque Westlakes Campus is based on the Westlakes Science and Technology Park in West Cumbria, just three miles from Whitehaven. Westlakes is a beautiful place to work. And when you’re not hard at work, you’ll have some of the country’s most beautiful and dramatic landscapes on your doorstep, just waiting to be explored – from the Lake District to the Solway Coast. 

You’re within easy reach of the many restaurants, bars, supermarkets, high street stores and medical centres in nearby Whitehaven, which you can easily reach by public transport. Whitehaven also offers live music venues and a theatre. The nearby Lake District, England’s largest national park, offers endless opportunities for adventure, including hiking, watersports or just soaking up the breathtaking scenery.

About the role:

We are looking for a Research Fellow in Public Policy and Value who will work within an interdisciplinary team based at our Westlakes campus in West Cumbria. The post holder will be involved in the development and application of high impact outcome-orientated research, teaching, publication, and knowledge transfer, engaging with collaborating organisations in public, private and social sectors and disseminating at regional, national and international levels. 

This is a unique opportunity to undertake a highly career-relevant job in a wider, applied setting and be centrally involved in the design and implementation of an integrated research, dissemination and knowledge transfer programme in public policy and value as a member of one of the UKs largest universities.

It has been created as part of a major investment Westlakes Research Limited, who are jointly developing an applied research initiative with University. Within this academic area the University’s connections with policy and practitioner organisations will embed the researcher in powerful networks and give privileged access to original data and a publication programme relevant to public policy and value.

About you:

You should have substantial experience of research in appropriate settings demonstrated by a record of involvement in and responsibility for research management and related activities on several research/evaluation-based projects. Experience should be reinforced by an awareness of current academic and policy debates associated with the subject area or in cognate fields. You should also have a PhD in a relevant discipline.

The successful applicant will possess excellent oral communication, academic writing and IT skills. A flexible and enthusiastic approach to work combined with an ability to work independently and as part of a team to achieve work targets are also essential skills for success in these posts.

Applicants need to meet all essential criteria on the person specification to be considered for interview. 

 This position is based full-time on site at the University’s campus on Westlakes Science and Technology Park near Whitehaven in West Cumberland. We would strongly recommend that any interested candidates visit the campus before application to fully appreciate the location and surroundings. Alternatively, an informal conversation regarding the working arrangements with Rick Wylie would be strongly encouraged.

What we can offer you:

Our people are our most important asset. We’ll encourage you to make the most of your talents and continually develop your skills and knowledge. As well as realising your career ambitions, you’ll be making a positive difference to other people’s lives. We also offer a fantastic package of rewards and lifestyle benefits – from an attractive annual leave entitlement to access to a comprehensive employee benefits platform.

We are proud to be a diverse, multicultural university. We are committed to building a truly inclusive culture where diversity is championed. Applications are particularly welcomed from individuals who will support the diversification within the University and support its development of a culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all.

The University is committed to providing a safe environment to study, work and visit, protecting children, young people and adults at risk from harm and abuse. Our safeguarding policy and safer recruitment procedure outlines our approach, alongside other internal policies, procedures and guidance which can be found on our Safeguarding page.

Applicants applying for roles in regulated activity and that are listed as an exception under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 will be required to disclose any spent and unspent convictions and undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check at the appropriate level, the University will only ask an applicant to make an application for a DBS check if they are legally entitled to.

Where opportunity creates success.

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

The Community You Will Join
Airbnb's public policy team exists to further the interests of our community of hosts and guests with politicians, regulators, opinion leaders and others who shape the political and legal context for our business, helping them to understand the significant social and economic contributions of our platform. Across the EMEA region, we are engaged in well over a hundred local conversations and negotiations with governments big and small. We engage governments at local, regional and national levels directly and also use innovative advocacy and partnership strategies that actively involve our community and our stakeholders in making the case for fair, progressive home sharing rules and travel affordability.

A Typical Day
The Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy Campaigns (NEMEA), is responsible for developing and executing fully integrated policy strategic engagement plans in the region and leading the local team, under the direction of the Director of Public Policy and Campaigns, EMEA. The successful candidate will use all available strategies, informed by data and insights, that aims to protect and further the legitimacy of Airbnb and our community.

Leadership and Empowerment:
Your primary responsibility is team leadership - line managing an energetic, passionate and diverse group of campaign experts who deliver complementary strands of work to serve the overall strategy. You inspire others to get behind a common vision and you deploy first-rate organisational skills to ensure that your strategy is executed, targets are set, and projects are delivered, on time and on budget.

You create and maintain an inclusive culture and ways of working for your team, in line with Airbnb's Core Values, and you are committed to embracing diversity and fostering belonging. You are accountable for performance management and feedback, and also recruitment and succession planning. You empower members of your team to work on local and regional projects that develop their professional, operational and strategic skills.

Strategy Development:
You determine an appropriate strategy for each priority geography in the region, as determined through close collaboration with the business leader in the territory. You define the ultimate policy goals and priorities, and develop operational plans that deliver measurable progress towards those goals in partnership with your local team. These plans and strategies are always founded on high-quality insights and data analysis, and are well aligned with Airbnb's global approach. You also develop these strategies in close collaboration with colleagues on the wider EMEA team who have expertise in the core campaign functions, and have a regional perspective on best practices and learnings.

Communication and Accountability:
You work with your local Airbnb Leadership (e.g. Country Manager, marketing lead, legal counsel, Comms, etc.) to align Government engagement and campaign plans with other critical business priorities and outcomes. You ensure that internal stakeholders understand the campaign strategy and plans, and that information is flowing smoothly to everyone with a "need to know". You ensure that progress is being reported regularly, and that roadblocks and successes are being flagged appropriately. You are able to confidently communicate with senior leaders about your campaign's priorities, to manage expectations where required and to coordinate with other teams to achieve greater goals.

External Advocacy:
you represent Airbnb at the most senior political levels in your geography, and with the media. You ensure that Airbnb builds and maintains relationships with the widest possible network of contacts in local, regional and national legislative, executive and administrative offices, and also with coalitions who can advance Airbnb's advocacy initiatives.

Your Expertise

• At least 15 years experience working with complex political or regulatory issues in relevant business or non-governmental organisation, or in a political, governmental or regulatory context. Ideally, this experience has been built in travel, urbanism or technology.
• Ability to navigate a complex political or regulatory environment. Advanced knowledge of the political landscape and legislative processes in the UK, the EU and Middle East Africa, is essential.
• Ability to quickly get up to speed on complex technical and regulatory issues, and understand how these can be managed using a broad range of campaigning strategies;
• Senior leadership experience, with track record of managing, supporting and developing diverse multidisciplinary teams; Proven ability in core management skills - effective delegation, empowerment, performance management, coaching and talent development;
• Experience of managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders. Ability to multi-task by prioritizing work and coordinating required support across various functions to achieve project goals and objectives
• Excellent strategist, creative thinker and expert communicator (spokesperson) , with great interpersonal, writing and presentation skills;
• Self-starter with a good sense of humor and the ability to thrive in a fast moving and sometimes stressful environment.
• Candidates must speak fluent English. An additional European language would be an asset. You must submit your application in English.
• This role is located in London but can involve working from home, with frequent travel to countries in EMEA but also our global headquarters in San Francisco.

Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging
Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

This business development assistant role sits within a highly reputed London-based law firm, offering the opportunity to build your experience at a very high level.

In this role, you will work very closely with a supportive senior business development manager who is an excellent mentor and has progressed their way to the firm. This is a great opportunity for a proactive graduate with some knowledge of the legal sector looking to go into a BD role.

Duties will include:

• Supporting the delivery of practice and marketing plans and campaigns  


• Assist with the credentials capture process


• Lead the legal directory submissions and certain award submissions


• Compile client newsletters

This is a great opportunity for a junior BD assistant who is keen to work for a highly dynamic law firm.

The successful candidate should be a great communicator as they will speak with senior stakeholders, and they should be commercially driven.

Exposure to the legal sector is highly desirable.

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation. Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world. We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 100 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy . This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible

We are looking for a Policy and Public Affairs Coordinator to develop and support strategies that support our policy and national influencing capacity. This role will strengthen relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers, and ensure that students voices are heard on the issues that effect them.

The role is full and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office). We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible, and job share basis wherever possible.

Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Professional Membership Body

Hybrid Working (Central London and Home)

Salary: £39,310 plus a generous benefits package

Full Time, Permanent

My client, a leading professional membership body based in Central London with over 19,000 members of all ages, stages or disciplines across the UK, is currently recruiting for a Policy and Public Affairs Officer

If you are a Policy or Public Affairs Officer, Advisor or Executive with experience in advocacy, research, writing, stakeholder engagement, and influencing government or regulatory policy in and around Westminster, parliament, political landscape within a membership or trade association working as part of a team we would love to hear from you.

The Role of Policy and Public Affairs Officer

We’re looking for someone to join our policy and public affairs team to develop the association’s policy on a range of issues, through engagement with members, and deliver joined-up campaigns for policy change across the UK.

We’re looking for an individual with excellent policy and public affairs skills, who is experienced in undertaking research and analysis. You will work on a number of interesting and complex issues, so you’ll need to be able to digest and condense a range of information and material. You will work closely with volunteers and external stakeholders, so excellent communication skills are essential.

To apply to this role of Policy and Public Affairs Officer please send your CV,

Due to the volume of applications we are only able to contact successful applicants. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 10 working days please deem your application as unsuccessful on this occasion.

Membership Bespoke is acting as a recruitment business in relation to this role. Membership Bespoke positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Membership Bespoke is the most experienced membership-focused recruitment firm in the UK, with 10+ years of experience delivering tailored permanent, temporary, interim, and Executive Search recruitment solutions to Trade Associations, Regulatory Bodies, Political Parties, and Professional Bodies.

Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Professional Membership Body

Hybrid Working (Central London and Home)

Salary: £39,310 plus a generous benefits package

Full Time, Permanent

My client, a leading professional membership body based in Central London with over 19,000 members of all ages, stages or disciplines across the UK, is currently recruiting for a Policy and Public Affairs Officer

If you are a Policy or Public Affairs Officer, Advisor or Executive with experience in advocacy, research, writing, stakeholder engagement, and influencing government or regulatory policy in and around Westminster, parliament, political landscape within a membership or trade association working as part of a team we would love to hear from you.

The Role of Policy and Public Affairs Officer

We’re looking for someone to join our policy and public affairs team to develop the association’s policy on a range of issues, through engagement with members, and deliver joined-up campaigns for policy change across the UK.

We’re looking for an individual with excellent policy and public affairs skills, who is experienced in undertaking research and analysis. You will work on a number of interesting and complex issues, so you’ll need to be able to digest and condense a range of information and material. You will work closely with volunteers and external stakeholders, so excellent communication skills are essential.

To apply to this role of Policy and Public Affairs Officer please send your CV,

Due to the volume of applications we are only able to contact successful applicants. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 10 working days please deem your application as unsuccessful on this occasion.

Membership Bespoke is acting as a recruitment business in relation to this role. Membership Bespoke positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Membership Bespoke is the most experienced membership-focused recruitment firm in the UK, with 10+ years of experience delivering tailored permanent, temporary, interim, and Executive Search recruitment solutions to Trade Associations, Regulatory Bodies, Political Parties, and Professional Bodies.

Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Professional Membership Body

Hybrid Working (Central London and Home)

Salary: £39,310 plus a generous benefits package

Full Time, Permanent

My client, a leading professional membership body based in Central London with over 19,000 members of all ages, stages or disciplines across the UK, is currently recruiting for a Policy and Public Affairs Officer

If you are a Policy or Public Affairs Officer, Advisor or Executive with experience in advocacy, research, writing, stakeholder engagement, and influencing government or regulatory policy in and around Westminster, parliament, political landscape within a membership or trade association working as part of a team we would love to hear from you.

The Role of Policy and Public Affairs Officer

We’re looking for someone to join our policy and public affairs team to develop the association’s policy on a range of issues, through engagement with members, and deliver joined-up campaigns for policy change across the UK.

We’re looking for an individual with excellent policy and public affairs skills, who is experienced in undertaking research and analysis. You will work on a number of interesting and complex issues, so you’ll need to be able to digest and condense a range of information and material. You will work closely with volunteers and external stakeholders, so excellent communication skills are essential.

To apply to this role of Policy and Public Affairs Officer please send your CV,

Due to the volume of applications we are only able to contact successful applicants. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 10 working days please deem your application as unsuccessful on this occasion.

Membership Bespoke is acting as a recruitment business in relation to this role. Membership Bespoke positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Membership Bespoke is the most experienced membership-focused recruitment firm in the UK, with 10+ years of experience delivering tailored permanent, temporary, interim, and Executive Search recruitment solutions to Trade Associations, Regulatory Bodies, Political Parties, and Professional Bodies.

Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Professional Membership Body

Hybrid Working (Central London and Home)

Salary: £39,310 plus a generous benefits package

Full Time, Permanent

My client, a leading professional membership body based in Central London with over 19,000 members of all ages, stages or disciplines across the UK, is currently recruiting for a Policy and Public Affairs Officer

If you are a Policy or Public Affairs Officer, Advisor or Executive with experience in advocacy, research, writing, stakeholder engagement, and influencing government or regulatory policy in and around Westminster, parliament, political landscape within a membership or trade association working as part of a team we would love to hear from you.

The Role of Policy and Public Affairs Officer

We’re looking for someone to join our policy and public affairs team to develop the association’s policy on a range of issues, through engagement with members, and deliver joined-up campaigns for policy change across the UK.

We’re looking for an individual with excellent policy and public affairs skills, who is experienced in undertaking research and analysis. You will work on a number of interesting and complex issues, so you’ll need to be able to digest and condense a range of information and material. You will work closely with volunteers and external stakeholders, so excellent communication skills are essential.

To apply to this role of Policy and Public Affairs Officer please send your CV,

Due to the volume of applications we are only able to contact successful applicants. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 10 working days please deem your application as unsuccessful on this occasion.

Membership Bespoke is acting as a recruitment business in relation to this role. Membership Bespoke positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Membership Bespoke is the most experienced membership-focused recruitment firm in the UK, with 10+ years of experience delivering tailored permanent, temporary, interim, and Executive Search recruitment solutions to Trade Associations, Regulatory Bodies, Political Parties, and Professional Bodies.

Lecturer in Social Policy and Public Administration (Fixed Term)

Role: Lecturer in Social Policy and Public Administration

Department: School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences

Grade: Academic Grade 7/8 (£41,086 - £56,567 per annum)

Responsible to: Head of School

Campus: Belfast

(Fixed-Term from 1st January 2026 until 31st December 2026 / Full-Time)

Job Purpose:

The postholder will contribute to a range of full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate social policy and public administration programmes in the School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences, including the BSc (Hons) Social Policy, BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care Policy degrees and the Masters of Public Administration. The successful applicant will demonstrate an ability to develop, market and teach across a range of provision within the academic area where the post resides.

The School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences holds a Bronze Athena SWAN Award in recognition of our commitment to advancing Gender equality in higher education. You can read more about what this means at and on our University website The University has a range of initiatives to support a family friendly working environment, including flexible working.

Closing date: 29th September 2025 at 23.30

If you don't currently have the right to work and live in the UK, we are able to offer sponsorship for Skilled Work Visas subject to UK Visa's and Immigration (UKVI) requirements if the role meets the Home Office eligibility requirements. Details can be found on the Home Office website -

If you have any specific queries regarding this post, please contact the named email address for the vacancy, as listed on the main current vacancies landing page.

If you have any specific queries regarding eligibility to work in the UK, our Resourcing Compliance team may be able to help: Resourcing-

Job ID :

Location :

Belfast

Close Date :

29-Sep-2025