Senior Public Affairs and Policy Manager at Royal College of Physicians (RCP)

Are you looking for a policy role where you can make a difference? We’re looking for a senior public affairs and policy manager at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) to grow the RCP’s influence with government and in UK parliament to ensure the voice of physicians effectively influences the national policy agenda.

You’ll be part of the policy and campaigns team, responsible for ensuring the RCP maintains its position as a credible, influential stakeholder in the eyes of government, NHS systems and our physician members.  

You’ll join the organisation just as it publishes a new strategy and decides new areas of policy focus. You’ll play a critical role in developing and delivering the public affairs strategy to ensure that the RCP is an effective advocate for its members.

You will lead and manage our public affairs work, designing and delivering influencing strategies and contributing your expertise to policy development and campaign planning for a range of policy issues. You’ll maintain a proactive awareness of issues within the UK health sector, politics and the media and identify opportunities for influencing and policy development. You will have demonstrable experience of developing and delivering successful influencing strategies, using a range of parliamentary influencing tactics to achieve policy change.

You will lead and manage the organisation’s stakeholder engagement. You will ensure we have the right relationships at the right level to achieve our influencing aims and maintain a network of contacts across the sector, in parliament, including political advisers, and the civil service.

You will be as comfortable speaking to parliamentarians and briefing senior leaders for meetings as you are writing consultation responses and policy briefings. You will be able to engage with the policy detail, while appreciating the bigger political picture and our place in it.

You’ll need a sharp eye for detail and be able to quickly and accurately interpret and communicate complex information. You will provide the president, senior officers and senior staff with public affairs advice, brief them for meetings and play an active role in engaging external stakeholders in NHS systems and the wider sector yourself.

The RCP represents around 40,000 members and fellows in the UK and internationally. Our members and fellows work across over 30 medical specialties such as cardiology, neurology, infectious diseases, geriatric and respiratory and acute internal medicine - working in hospital and community settings.

The policy and campaigns team – which is part of the wider communications, policy and research directorate – is a fast paced, collaborative and innovative environment. You will help us shape our objectives and continuously improve how we work.