Policy and public affairs assistant

About the Role

Our client is looking for a motivated and capable individual to join their dynamic Policy and Public Affairs Team, supporting the development of credible, evidence based policy proposals and helping to influence UK governments and NHS organisations to adopt them.

Key tasks and responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Monitoring the political and policy environment to keep track of things like Government / NHS initiatives and influencing opportunities.
• Collating and helping to analyse existing quantitative and qualitative research to produce briefings, help generate policy proposals and facilitate their implementation.
• Assisting the Head of Policy and Public Affairs and Policy and Public Affairs Officer to devise and implement influencing plans directed towards Politicians, the NHS or relevant stakeholders.
• Preparing and drafting responses to consultations and reports relevant to the work of the organisation, ensuring responses are evidence-based and in line with on-going policy work and strategy.
• Assisting with designing and conducting new research, such as survey work or interviews, in support of policy and influencing work.
• Becoming the team's main expert on policy work in one of the UK devolved nations – likely Northern Ireland – and represent the Policy and Public Affairs Team on the organisation's board for that nation.
• Providing general administrative support to the Team, including producing agendas for meetings and keeping track of contacts with stakeholders.

About You

To succeed in this role, you will need to deliver high quality work at pace, be well organised, eager to learn and able to build strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. You should have a sound understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, what makes impactful policy proposals and how research can be used to influence policymakers. Insight into the UK health policy landscape, including government and NHS priorities, is also important.

This role is well suited to someone starting their policy career, and while previous policy experience is beneficial, it is not essential as full support and development will be provided.

What the Organisation Wants to Achieve

Our client wants to see an NHS that delivers good outcomes for patients and makes the best use of available resources. Their role in this relates to the anaesthetic workforce, and they have two specific priorities:

1) Boosting the anaesthetic workforce. Most operations require an Anaesthetist in order to take place, but each of the four UK nations faces a chronic shortage of Anaesthetists. Unfortunately, at present, no UK government is funding enough anaesthetic training places. Our client is determined to see this changed.

2) Optimising the surgical pathway. Anaesthetists don't just work in the operating theatres, they are often involved with the care patients receive before and after their operations – known as 'perioperative care'. Good perioperative care can prevent surgical cancellations, complications, and unnecessarily long hospital stays. To this end, our client hosts a dedicated Centre for Perioperative Care. This centre advocates policies such as 'prehabilitation' to ensure that patients arrive in hospital on the day of their surgery in the healthiest state possible – so their operation can go ahead without problems, and they can recover quickly. Our client is doggedly pushing for such polices to be adopted.

The Package

This is a full-time, permanent position with a competitive employee benefits package, which includes (but is not limited to):

• 26 days of annual leave, plus bank holiday.
• 1 additional paid day of leave for the purpose of celebrating your birthday.
• Healthcare support through Benenden Health.
• Up to 12% pension contribution.
• Hybrid and flexible working.
• Wellbeing hour once a week.
• Cycle to work and employee discounts schemes.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Access to Mental Health First Aiders and Employee Assistance Programmes.

About the Organisation

Our client is the professional body responsible for the anaesthetic specialty throughout the UK and is the third largest medical royal college in the UK by membership. With a combined membership of more than 24,000 Fellows and Members, they ensure the quality of patient care by safeguarding standards in the three specialties of anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our client's culture, and it is important to them that this is reflected in everything they do. They welcome applications from all individuals irrespective of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, marital status, or parental responsibilities to ensure they actively embrace an inclusive and representative culture that encourages, supports and celebrates differences.

How to Apply

If you believe that you are the right person for this role, please submit your CV and cover letter by Tuesday 30th June. In your cover letter please address clearly how your experience meets the essential criteria in the job description in no more than 750 words.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications, it will not be possible to provide detailed feedback to candidates on their application. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted after the closing date.

Applicants must reside and have the right to work in the UK. No agencies please.