Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer

**Title**: Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer

**Location**: London, Albert Embankment - the role is agile which means you will have flexibility to work 2 day from our office and from home

**Salary**: £28,336.13 to £30,734.05 per annum including London Weighting

**Hours**: 35hrs per week

**Contract**: Permanent

We have an exciting opportunity for Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer to join our Policy and Practice team.

Our Policy and Practice team is responsible for defining Rethink Mental Illness policy positions, influencing and working with politicians and senior stakeholders to support and implement Rethink Mental Illness policy positions as well as designing and fulfilling influencing plans to persuade and empower people to bring about our policy goals.

How you will make a difference

As Senior Public Affairs and Policy Officer, you’ll play a vital role in influencing government to improve the lives of people severely affected by mental health. You’ll be influencing politicians and stakeholders to bring about improvements to mental health services and broader support for people severely affected by mental illness, including NHS services, the welfare system, housing, and social care. You will establish relationships with senior political and sector contacts and have effective communication skills to ensure our messages land with those who need to hear them, including through policy submissions.

You will also play a leading role in supporting the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health to ensure mental health is high on the agenda in Westminster. Full of creativity, you will be an excellent writer and have experience of analysing the external policy and political environment and creating credible policy solutions. A passion for politics and mental health are key.

More information can be found in the job description attached to our direct advert.

What we are looking for

**We are looking for an individual who has**:
Experience of successfully analysing the external political environment and identifying policy solutions and influencing opportunities

Demonstrable experience of proactively establishing relationships with politicians and sector contacts, and an understanding of how to grow a network of contacts to support influencing aims

Experience of working with Government and/or Parliamentarians to achieve policy objectives

Ability to quickly grasp complex policy issues and their relevance to an organisation, and turn these into effective key messages for written and oral briefings to senior internal staff

An understanding of quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis skills, such as surveys or focus groups

An understanding of Government, Parliamentary and legislative processes & procedures and how to influence and navigate them to keep mental illness at the top of the political agenda and create policy change

Ability to work on creative, external-facing influencing campaigns that may have involved working with parliamentarians and the media

Ability to engage with people who have lived experience of relevant policy areas

Ability to draft policy reports and consultation responses

**You may also have**:
Detailed understanding of and/or experience of the mental health sector, and issues faced by people severely affected by mental illness

Caring for our people.

We offer a wide range of support. Some of our benefits include:
**Wellbeing support**: our Wellbeing hub gives physical, emotional, and mental health support. We also have a BUPA Employee Assistance Programme with access to appointments.

**Taking time for you**: we work flexibly -you get to choose where you work, managing your own diary. We have generous annual leave, starting at 25 rising to 30 days, plus bank holidays, as well as your birthday off.

**Planning for the future**: We have a contributory pension scheme.

**Structured Induction**: Onboarding you into the Charity supporting your wellbeing along the way.

**£300 when you introduce a Friend**: receive up to £300 when you introduce a friend or family member

Who we are

We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”