The National Lottery Community Fund has two exciting opportunities available—we are looking to recruit one Public Affairs and Policy Manager each for Northern Ireland and England to join our newly restructured communications function.
Please be clear which role you are applying for when writing your supporting statement.
- Public Affairs and Policy Manager (Northern Ireland)
- Public Affairs and Policy Manager (England)
This role is part of our ambitious transformation as we implement a significant pivot in our communications approach – building on our support for grant-making to demonstrate the powerful impact communities have in strengthening society and improving lives.
This role offers an exceptional opportunity to shape our political engagement during a time of exciting change. You will build the Fund's influence with government and political stakeholders, advancing community priorities through evidence-based advocacy and public affairs that demonstrates how our funding strengthens communities and delivers policy objectives.
Your insight into the political landscape will help shape both regional funding decisions and national policy positions, as you drive engagement with elected representatives, ministers, and officials. By providing timely intelligence and analysis of policy developments affecting our work, you will position the Fund as an authoritative voice on social change. Your understanding of devolved politics will be crucial in helping colleagues navigate distinct policy contexts while maintaining a coherent UK-wide approach.
Working with colleagues across communications and funding teams, you will identify and act upon opportunities to demonstrate the impact of our funding on communities and how it aligns with government priorities.
The ideal candidate will bring strong political analysis skills combined with practical experience of public affairs and stakeholder engagement. You should have a solid understanding of parliamentary processes and government structures in either Northern Ireland or England and be able to translate complex policy into actionable communications strategies. Your background might include roles in public affairs, policy analysis, or government relations, ideally with exposure to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. You should excel at building relationships with diverse stakeholders and be adept at navigating complex political environments.
Key responsibilities
- Build and manage relationships with elected representatives and political stakeholders in your country
- Develop effective influencing strategies to advance the Fund's aims through stakeholder mapping and coordinated political engagement
- Create policy and positioning papers tailored to your country's context that drive positive change
- Provide high-quality briefings and messaging for senior stakeholders
- Monitor policy and political developments, providing actionable insights to colleagues
- Lead consultation responses that articulate the Fund's positions effectively
- Organise events that promote our objectives and celebrate community power
- Manage relationships with external political monitoring and specialist agencies
Location: You will be expected to be based in the country you will be supporting. We have a hybrid approach to working with work pattern and exact location agreed with the successful candidate. Our offices are in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Newtown.
Interview Date: Week commencing 23rd June - Virtual
If you would like an informal conversation about the role specifically or ask anything about the process, please contact: [email protected]
On application, please be clear which role you are applying for and align your supporting statement to the criteria below
Essential criteria
- Significant experience working with elected representatives, officials and other public affairs activities
- Evidence of ability in political analysis with parliamentary and legislative knowledge
- Experience in analysing policy developments and horizon-scanning to identify relevant opportunities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills that influence audiences
- Experience in writing public affairs and policy briefings for senior stakeholders
- Demonstrable experience of project management
- Experience working in a matrix organisation with competing deadlines
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Desirable criteria
- Relevant professional qualification
- Understanding of VCSE sector in relation to public affairs
- Experience working in a devolved administration and/or with regional stakeholders
- People management experience
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.
We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)