Head of Policy and Public Affairs

Closing date:
18 Nov 2025

Location:
Hybrid - one of our Devolved Nation offices, Belfast/Cardiff/Edinburgh & home

Vacancy type:
Fixed Term Contract

Salary:
£64,000 - £67,000 p/a + benefits

Hours per week:
35

Are you a policy and public affairs expert?

Could you lead our work covering all policy and political influencing for British Heart Foundation (BHF) in Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland?

As our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, for the Devolved Nations, you'll have the unique opportunity to represent one of the UK's leading charities, placing it in the most positive light as an authoritative voice in research, health care and public health, which can provide solutions to prevent and treat heart and circulatory disease and support a thriving research environment.

You'll raise awareness and shape political and governmental stakeholders' understanding of heart and circulatory diseases and research policy.

Ensuring that senior management are kept informed of political and legislative trends in the Devolved Nations that impact our priorities, you'll work with key stakeholders to develop and execute strategies and solutions that address these, with a commitment to evidenced based policy making and solutions focussed influencing.

Based at any of our devolved nations offices (Belfast, Cardiff or Edinburgh) you'll form part of the senior management team of the BHF's Medical team, interacting regularly with senior Directors at BHF's London offices.

Working arrangements

Please note this is a 12-month fixed term contract, covering family leave.

This is a blended role, where your work will be dual located between your home and any of our devolved nation offices in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, with regular travel between sites and our London office.

This is a hybrid role, where your work will be split between your home and at least one day per week, on average, at one of our devolved nation offices in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

About you

With a deep understanding of the policy-making and political process in the UK you'll, ideally, also have knowledge of the UK's life sciences research environment, health policy and the European and international landscape.

You'll have a track record of building and nurturing excellent relationships and exerting influence over external stakeholder's agendas, as well as previous experience of having run or managed successful policy and/or public affairs work at a senior level.

With experience of leading internal and/or external stakeholder relations in a high profile and/or complex organisation, you'll be comfortable leading the development and implementation of policy and/or public affairs strategies and plans.

To be successful in this role you'll also have the following skills:

• Outstanding relationship-building and influencing skills.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, able to present with credibility and gravitas to external audiences.
• Excellent writing skills, able to provide concise written and oral briefings on complex issues, often at short notice.
• Ability to work calmly, quickly and accurately under pressure of tight deadlines. Proven leadership skills whilst being a team player.
• Excellent time management and organisation skills.

About us

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. By funding research across six decades, we've helped keep millions of hearts beating and millions of families together. We're investing in ground-breaking research that will get us closer than ever to a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases.

We value and respect every individual's unique contribution, celebrate diversity, and make inclusion part of what we do every day.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, Igniting Change, along with our internal EDI group, Kaleidoscope, and a growing number of employee network groups (our Affinity Groups), help us create an environment where all our colleagues and volunteers can succeed.

What can we offer you?

Our Career Academy provides you with support, inspiration, and opportunities to help you unlock your full potential.

Our generous staff benefits include:

• 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private medical insurance
• Dental health cover
• Contribution towards gym membership
• Pension with employer contribution up to 10%
• Life assurance

Interview process

Interviews will be held, in person, at one of our devolved nations offices.

How to apply

It's quick and easy to apply for a role at the BHF. Just click through to our careers site. All you'll need is an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement, outlining your interest in the role and how you meet the role's criteria.

As part of our commitment to be an inclusive employer, and ensure fairness and consistency in selecting the best candidate for this role, the BHF will use anonymous CV software as part of the application journey.

Should you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us.