Policy and Public Affairs Manager

Policy and Public Affairs Manager

Location:  Remote (with some travel to Cannock, London and other locations as required)

Salary:  £42,000 - £45,000 per annum – dependant on experience

Contracted hours:  37.5 hours per week

About our Charity

As one of the UK’s leading charities providing essential specialist equipment to children with disabilities, Newlife is dedicated to making life better - for the families we serve, and for the people who help us to make that happen.

Through grants and emergency equipment loans, we ensure children get the vital equipment they need, when they need it, while our free nurse helpline offers crucial support and information – as well as a listening ear. Our campaigns help to give children with disabilities and their families a voice, advocating for change to benefit the families we serve. And we support adults with additional needs with volunteering and employment opportunities, providing an introduction to the workplace and a means for career development.

Across the whole of Newlife, our teams are crucial to our success – it’s not just a job; here you’ll be helping us to change lives every day.

About the role

As Policy and Public Affairs Manager, you will lead Newlife's policy, influencing and public affairs work, ensuring the voices and experiences of disabled children and their families drive meaningful change across education, health and social care systems.

You will provide strategic and operational leadership for Newlife's policy, campaigns, public affairs and lived experience activity, identifying opportunities to influence policy, practice and public understanding. Working closely with families, professionals, policymakers and sector partners, you will develop evidence-based policy positions and campaigns that improve outcomes for disabled children and their families.

A key focus of the role will be building Newlife's profile as a leading voice on disability equipment, early intervention, family support and inclusion. You will oversee the delivery and development of the APPG for Access to Disability Equipment, working with parliamentarians, government departments and sector partners to raise awareness of key issues and influence policy development.

You will ensure lived experience sits at the heart of Newlife's influencing work, enabling disabled children and families to share their experiences and shape policy, services and campaigns. Working closely with colleagues and partners, you will gather insight, evidence and stories that strengthen Newlife's voice and credibility.

The role will also lead Newlife's campaigning activity, managing campaigns, external partners and freelance support to deliver impactful influencing initiatives that raise awareness, challenge barriers and drive change. You will build strong relationships with decision-makers, sector leaders and coalition partners, ensuring Newlife is recognised as a trusted and influential voice within the disability sector.

As a member of the Charity Leadership Team, you will contribute to organisational strategy and growth, lead strategic projects and represent Newlife externally to increase the charity's influence, impact and reputation.

This is an exciting opportunity for a values-driven leader who is passionate about creating systemic change for disabled children and families and who wants to shape national conversations, policy and practice through evidence, lived experience and partnership working.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Policy Development

• Lead the development, delivery and continuous improvement of Newlife's policy, public affairs, campaigning and influencing strategy.
• Develop and implement annual policy and influencing plans that support organisational priorities and increase Newlife's reach and influence across the UK, including the devolved nations.
• Monitor developments across education, health, social care, disability and wider public policy, identifying opportunities to influence change.
• Contribute to the wider strategic leadership of Newlife as a member of the Charity Leadership Team.

Policy, Research and Lived Experience

• Develop evidence-based policy positions informed by research, service delivery, sector intelligence and lived experience.
• Ensure the voices of disabled children and families are embedded throughout Newlife's policy, campaigning and influencing work.
• Manage Newlife's lived experience programme and associated roles, ensuring meaningful participation and co-production.
• Lead the development of policy briefings, consultation responses, reports and position papers.
• Gather and utilise evidence, impact data and lived experience insight to support influencing and advocacy objectives.

Public Affairs, APPG and Campaigning

• Oversee the delivery and development of the APPG for Access to Disability Equipment, working closely with parliamentarians, secretariat partners and sector organisations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with MPs, Peers, government departments, local authorities and national stakeholders.
• Lead campaigns and influencing activity that raise awareness of issues affecting disabled children and their families.
• Manage campaign delivery, including external agencies, consultants and freelance support where required.
• Build compelling cases for change that drive national and local policy change and encourage stakeholder engagement with Newlife's policy priorities.
• Represent Newlife at parliamentary events, conferences, roundtables and sector forums.

Partnerships and External Influence

• Develop strategic partnerships and coalitions that strengthen Newlife's influence and collective impact.
• Work collaboratively with disability, health, education and social care organisations to advance shared priorities.
• Act as an ambassador for Newlife, promoting its vision, values and policy priorities.
• Support organisational funding bids and partnership proposals where policy, research or influencing expertise is required.
• Identify opportunities to increase Newlife's profile, reach and impact through strategic influencing activity.

Leadership, Governance and Risk

• Provide effective leadership and management for policy, campaigns and lived experience activity.
• Ensure all policy, campaigning and public affairs activity complies with relevant charity, lobbying, governance and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the identification and management of risks within areas of responsibility and ensure appropriate controls are in place.
• Contribute to organisational planning, performance reporting and strategic decision-making.

General Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively across the organisation to support strategic objectives.
• Demonstrate commitment to Newlife's values and mission.
• Attend meetings, training and organisational events as required.
• Undertake other duties reasonably required to support organisational priorities.

What we are looking for

• Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to policy, public affairs, campaigning or leadership.

Please review the job description attached for further information.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checking may be necessary for this role.