Public Affairs Officer

Travel: Occasional travel within London and UK venues

Join us and use your skills, knowledge, passion and energy to help us achieve a future free from arthritis.

The UK Advocacy team focuses on creating lasting change for people with arthritis. We identify the policy changes that are needed, and influence decision-makers with engaging public affairs tactics and by campaigning alongside people with arthritis.

This role will support our public affairs work targeted at Westminster to make real change happen. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with the team to increase our profile and raise our key policy areas with decision-makers and drive forward the goal of putting the needs of people with arthritis on the political agenda.

About the role

In this exciting role, you will be a critical member of our influencing team, helping to bring the voice of people living with arthritis right into the heart of Westminster. Working with the Public Affairs team, you will help to deliver the charity's public affairs activities, building a strong profile with decision-makers to ensure our messages and policy priorities are front and centre of their thoughts.

You will support the delivery of exciting and engaging influencing strategies, working with colleagues to combine policy, public affairs, campaigning, media and social media in order to influence policy change. You will also play a key role in organising and delivering the charity's activities at Parliamentary events and political party conferences.

About you

If your knowledge, skills and experience include the following then we'd love to hear from you:

• Strong communicator to help build external relationships with politicians, civil servants and other decision-makers, coupled with good understanding of the Westminster Parliamentary process, UK Government and the wider influencing environment to produce engaging materials and organise events.
• Excellent organisational skills are essential, to deliver a programme of events, politician visits and other activities in Westminster and across the devolved nations.
• Excellent attention to detail, and ability to adapt written and verbal communication styles for different audiences.
• Ability to work with colleagues to develop external briefings, internal briefings and engaging materials for Parliamentarians and policy-makers, with the ability to synthesize often complex policy information.
• Proven ability of monitoring and analysis of the external policy, political and Parliamentary landscape across the UK nations, alerting breaking news and important developments.
• A flexible approach.

As a hybrid worker the expectation is that you will spend around 40% of your working time in our office spaces or working in community settings. As an inclusive employer we will consider home-based working for anyone where office-based hybrid working would be a barrier to being able to work for us, for example for someone living with a long-term health condition or disability.

Benefits

Your excellent benefits include:

• Flexible hours, environments and working practices to promote a healthy work/life balance.
• Health and wellbeing support - including the Employee Assistance Programme (free confidential 24/7 support with mental health, legal and financial queries).
• Simplyhealth cash plan.
• Supportive and inclusive culture, with a wide range of employee networks and support groups available to join.
• Learning and personal development opportunities.
• Competitive annual leave, with the option to buy/sell up to five days per year.
• Generous pension plan, with employer contribution of up to 10%.
• Life Assurance plan (4 x salary).

You must be based, and hold the right to work, in the UK to apply for this position.

Application deadline and shortlisting:

• We advise candidates to apply early as we reserve the right to close applications ahead of this date.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

We do not wish to receive contact from agencies or media sales.

Please note that we do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) during our recruitment and selection processes, and we would respectfully ask that you also refrain from using AI during the selection process. Whilst we do recognise that AI may be a beneficial tool for some when aiding research and preparation for an application or interview, we want to maintain a fair, inclusive and positive recruitment experience at Versus Arthritis where candidates can feel supported to demonstrate their experience, knowledge, and skills without the use of AI generated answers.

Interview

Interviews expected during the week commencing 08 September 2025.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee you will be offered an interview if you disclose a disability and demonstrate sufficient evidence within your application that you meet the essential criteria for this role. We will also make any reasonable adjustments you may require for your interview.