Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager
Location: London (hybrid)
Salary expectation: £40,000 to £50,000 Per Annum
Job Type: This is a full-time / Permanent role
Our charity
We are a 'small but mighty’ charity with one big ambition, to stop leukaemia devastating lives. Over the next 10 years we want to help save and improve the lives of more people with leukaemia through funding life-changing research and campaigning for change. Despite decades of incredible progress, only half of leukaemia patients live longer than five years after their diagnosis. We will not stop until we change this.
We are looking for a Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager to join the Policy and Advocacy team. At a pivotal moment for Leukaemia UK, they will lead and manage our political influencing work, ensuring our profile and reputation remains high and we are able to influence political decisions.
With our new strategy period beginning in 2027, over the next 5 years we plan to increase our investment into ground-breaking research and campaigning to improve diagnosis, treatment and care. We are in a period of significant growth, investing to grow our income, profile, influence, engagement and impact.
Having developed our policy, public affairs and campaigns function over the current strategy period, this role will help take this to the next level and play a key role in strengthening our ability to influence change across the UK.
Our team
We are a close-knit team, who are all passionate about Leukaemia UK and putting those affected by the disease at the heart of everything we do. We are all focused on pragmatic, practical solutions, as well as ensuring that our charity gets the funding it needs to continue to help those diagnosed with leukaemia and related conditions.
As a small organisation with just over 30 employees, every role counts. We have ambitious plans and we rely on individuals being self-starters, resilient and used to working at pace to maximise our collective impact. We are all about delivering exceptional expertise and making a real change to people’s lives.
Leukaemia UK and you
We are looking for a self‑motivated Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager to join our team, taking a leading role in shaping and delivering Leukaemia UK’s influencing and campaigning activity to drive policy change. The successful candidate will be an innovative, driven and forward‑thinking individual with a proven track record of delivering impactful public affairs and campaigning work within the health charity sector. You will work closely with the Head of Policy and Advocacy and the Policy Officer to ensure a coordinated, insight‑led and strategically aligned approach to policy development, public affairs and campaigning activity across the organisation.
The Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager will be instrumental in strengthening and growing the charity’s profile, influence and impact among political stakeholders and senior civil servants across all four UK administrations. This role will ensure that the ‘patient voice’ is heard and acted upon by key decision‑makers, while also ensuring that the needs and priorities of individuals affected by leukaemia are understood, represented, valued and embedded within our influencing and campaigning strategies.
Alongside this, you will lead the development of creative and innovative campaigning approaches, using a range of tactics to effectively engage supporters, partners and policy makers in our work. You will create compelling opportunities for stakeholders to join our efforts to drive policy change, and ensure that our campaigns are visible, impactful and aligned to our policy priorities.
You will work closely with the Communications team to ensure that campaigning to drive policy change is clearly understood, amplified and embedded across digital channels and content strategies, maximising reach, engagement and impact. You will also support with identifying and developing new opportunities for PR, media engagement and thought leadership to strengthen Leukaemia UK’s position as a credible and influential voice in the sector. You will be representing Leukaemia UK in multiple charity coalitions and forums to ensure that leukaemia is represented on the political agenda.
The successful candidate will be adept at articulating evidence‑based policy positions to policy makers, healthcare professionals, researchers, effectively representing the perspectives of those affected by leukaemia. They will have the ability to influence a wide range of senior stakeholders to drive progress and bring about meaningful change. A strong understanding of the external political landscape, coupled with exceptional communication skills and attention to detail, is essential.
This role does not currently include direct line management responsibility but will play a key role in coordinating activity across the Policy and Advocacy function, with potential to take on management responsibilities as the team grows.
Experience
Essential:
* Experience of working within public affairs and/or campaigning, with demonstrable impact in influencing policy or driving change (candidates should have strong experience in at least one of these areas, with an understanding of how they work together).
* Experience of influencing government, policy makers and/or decision makers, preferably within the health, research or charity sector.
* Experience of developing and delivering public affairs and/or campaigning strategies, including planning, delivery and evaluation.
* Experience of engaging and managing a range of stakeholders, including policy makers, partners, and supporters.
* Experience of producing high‑quality written outputs such as briefings, consultation responses, or campaign materials to influence decision makers.
* Experience of working collaboratively across teams, particularly with communications functions.
* Experience of monitoring and evaluating activity to assess impact and inform future approaches.
* Experience of delivering multiple projects and programmes in a fast‑paced environment.
Desirable:
* Experience of integrating campaigning with digital, PR or communications strategies.
* Experience of identifying PR, media or thought leadership opportunities.
* Experience of working in the cancer or wider health policy environment.
* Experience of line management or supporting others’ development.
Knowledge
Essential:
* Strong understanding of the UK political and policy landscape, including how decisions are made and influenced.
* Understanding of how public affairs and campaigning can work together to drive change, including supporter engagement and mobilisation.
* Ability to think strategically and identify opportunities to influence policy and public debate.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex issues clearly to different audiences.
* Strong relationship‑building skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders with differing perspectives.
* High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
* A strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and an understanding of the importance of engaging with patients and under‑represented groups.
* A proactive, collaborative and solutions‑focused approach, with the ability to work at pace.
Desirable:
* Knowledge of the cancer, research or NHS policy landscape.
* Experience of working with patients or in an advocacy capacity.
Working Hours
Full time – 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
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