Location (UK): Office Hybrid - Cardiff
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Benefits: Read more about the excellent benefits we offer on our profile page
Travel: Travel in and around Wales, with a willingness to travel to Versus Arthritis offices on occasions (London, Belfast, Glasgow.)
Join us and use your skills, knowledge, passion and energy to help us achieve a future free from arthritis.
We are the leading influencer for change in Wales and are seeking an experienced Senior Policy Officer to join our dynamic Partnerships and Influencing team in Wales. You will be part of a passionate team dedicated to bringing about lasting change for people with arthritis and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, identifying creative policy solutions, influencing decision-makers and campaigning alongside people with arthritis.
With the establishment of the MSK Strategic Clinical Network in Wales, along with a policy framework setting MSK as a government priority, this is an exciting time to join Cymru Versus Arthritis. We are optimistic about the future but there is still more to do.
About the role
As part of our influencing team, you will play a critical role in shaping and influence policy thinking, managing time-sensitive projects across our policy priority areas, and building relationships with stakeholders and decision-makers across Wales.
You will gather, analyse, and share information about external policy developments and their implications for people with arthritis, developing policy positions, producing evidence-based briefings and reports and contributing to consultation responses.
As well as working closely with nation influencing colleagues and teams across the Services & Devolved Nations Directorate, you will work closely with the UK Advocacy & Health Intelligence team, Research Directorate and strategic communications teams, including representing us on cross-sector policy groups and participating in events and conferences.
We ll give you autonomy, variety and challenge with opportunities to lead projects, to work together with inspirational campaigners and people with arthritis, as well as collaborate with senior Welsh Government and NHS Wales stakeholders. We re a supportive team who will value your well-being and professional development.
About you
If your knowledge, skills and experience include the following then we d love to hear from you:
You will have ready-made resourcefulness, be a creative thinker, with strong analytical, written and verbal communications skills. An enthusiastic, adaptive and flexible approach is important, together with an ability to work with autonomy and across teams as well as:
* Experience of influencing and external policy and decision making within Wales.
* Understanding of current healthcare policy issues relevant to people with long-term conditions or disability.
* Experience of drafting policy papers and briefings, and the ability to understand and articulate academic research and policy papers.
* We value the importance of the Welsh language in our work and the ability to speak Welsh or the commitment to learn Welsh is encouraged.
As a hybrid worker the expectation is that you will spend around 40% of your working time in our office spaces or working in community settings. As an inclusive employer we will consider home-based working for anyone where office-based hybrid working would be a barrier to being able to work for us, for example for someone living with a long-term health condition or disability.
You must be based, and hold the right to work, in the UK to apply for this position.
We do not wish to receive contact from agencies or media sales.
Please note that we do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) during our recruitment and selection processes, and we would respectfully ask that you also refrain from using AI during the selection process. Whilst we do recognise that AI may be a beneficial tool for some when aiding research and preparation for an application or interview, we want to maintain a fair, inclusive and positive recruitment experience at Versus Arthritis where candidates can feel supported to demonstrate their experience, knowledge, and skills without the use of AI generated answers.
Interview
Interviews expected: Thursday 23 October 2025 at Cymru Versus Arthritis Office, Cardiff.
As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee you will be offered an interview if you disclose a disability and demonstrate sufficient evidence within your application that you meet the essential criteria for this role. We will also make any reasonable adjustments you may require for your interview.