Head of Policy (7 month sabbatical cover, secondment considered), WEBRECRUIT

Guardian Jobs; London; Hybrid; GBP 73,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading charity in education is seeking a Head of Policy for a 7-month contract. This role involves promoting evidence-informed policy, managing key relationships, and leading strategic initiatives to tackle educational inequality. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills and a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Benefits

Flexible working opportunities

27 days’ holiday a year

6% employer pension contributions

Life insurance cover

Interest-free season ticket loan

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years’ experience in a senior education policy or research-related role.
• Experience delivering collaborative, multi-disciplinary projects.
• Proven ability to lead and manage high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the promotion of evidence-informed education policy.
• Manage relationships with the Department for Education.
• Develop policy positions and represent the organization externally.

Skills

Leadership

Project Management

Organizational Skills

Equity and Inclusion Commitment

Education

Experience in senior education policy or research-related role

Job description

Head of Policy (7 month sabbatical cover, secondment considered), WEBRECRUIT

Join to apply for the Head of Policy (7 month sabbatical cover, secondment considered), WEBRECRUIT role at Guardian Jobs

Head of Policy (7 month sabbatical cover, secondment considered), WEBRECRUIT

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Head of Policy

Central London (Hybrid - minimum one day per week in the office)

Head of Policy

Central London (Hybrid - minimum one day per week in the office)

The Organisation

Our client is an independent charity working towards better education.

They achieve this by supporting educators and institutions to enable better practices and generate research that supports their efforts with results that closes the educational gap and benefits children of all ages.

They are now looking for a Head of Policy to join them on a full-time basis for a seven-month fixed-term contract. A secondment will also be considered.

The Benefits

• Salary of £72,250 per annum (pro rata)
• Flexible start and end working times (core hours between 10am and 4pm)
• Flexible working opportunities
• 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays including 3 which can be taken flexibly and 2 festive season closure days) (pro rata)
• 6% employer pension contributions, minimum 3% employee contribution
• Life insurance cover
• Interest-free season ticket loan and cycle scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave pay (conditions apply)
• Confidential access to Employee Assistance Programme
  
  
  

This is a high-impact opportunity for a talented, high-calibre education or research policy professional to join a mission-driven organisation.

In this career-defining role, you will have the chance to elevate the voice of evidence within policymaking, championing the role of research in tackling educational inequality.

What's more, you will be enabled to enhance your professional network, collaborating with key stakeholders, expanding your influence and positioning yourself as a trusted leader in national education reform.

So, if you're ready to lead change where it matters most, our client would love to hear from you.

The Role

As Head of Policy, you will lead our client’s work to promote evidence-informed education policy, whilst managing their relationship with the Department for Education.

In this pivotal role, you will work with policy makers ensuring national policy is informed by robust evidence across the early years, schools and post-16 sectors.

You’ll proactively identify opportunities to influence emerging policy and ensure our client’s insights help drive strategic decisions that improve outcomes for disadvantaged students.

Leading the development of policy positions, you will ensure they provide clear, authoritative perspectives on key issues. Alongside this, you will lead work on professional development policy, overseeing contributions to national frameworks and ensuring reforms are grounded in the best available research.

Additionally, you will:

• Represent the organisation externally through presentations, events and public engagements with senior stakeholders
• Monitor and respond to relevant policy developments
• Provide policy briefings to the CEO and executive team
  
  
  

About You

To be considered as a Head of Policy, you will need:

• A minimum of three years’ experience in a senior education policy or research-related role
• Experience of delivering collaborative, multi-disciplinary projects to tight deadlines
• Proven ability to lead, manage and develop high-performing teams
• The ability to manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• A strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of work
  
  
  

The closing date for this role is 8th June 2025.

Other organisations may call this role Head of Education Policy, Education Policy Lead, Senior Policy Manager, Education Policy Lead, or Policy Director.

Webrecruit and our clients are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you want to become our client’s next Head of Policy and help shape evidence-informed national education policy, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.

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