Policy and Engagement Officer

Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Newcastle University is seeking a Policy and Engagement Officer to support Insights North East (INE) within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. You will connect research, policy and practice to promote evidence-informed decision-making across the North East and lead INE’s events and engagement programme.

Secondments from public authorities and non-academic settings are welcome. The post offers a university environment with opportunities to influence regional policy and outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience working in a public policy environment.
• Understanding how decisions are made in policymaking.
• Ability to turn evidence into actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Organise and deliver workshops, events, and networking opportunities linking research, policy and practice.
• Build and manage relationships with policymakers, researchers and partners to strengthen knowledge mobilisation.
• Deliver INE's communications including digital channels, newsletters and event outputs.
• Monitor regional and national policy developments and identify implications for INE's work.
• Coordinate and support projects across the INE workplan within budgets and timescales.
• Produce and support dissemination of policy briefings, reports and blogs.

Job description

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Salary: £32,722 to £33,662 with progression to £35,302 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 3 December 2026

Policy and Engagement Officer

Insights North East

HASS

Secondments from public authorities, VCSE and other non-academic settings of up to 12 months will be considered.

About Insights North East

Insights North East (INE) is a collaborative hub for place-based policy insights, based at Newcastle University. We work with policymakers, practitioners, academics and communities to turn evidence into action, while building the systems, relationships and networks that make evidence-informed decision-making sustainable and embedded across the region.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a team of boundary-spanners, connecting research, policy and practice to support better decision-making across the North East. You will work alongside experienced public policy professionals who understand the realities of policymaking, as well as academic researchers with expertise in evidence synthesis and knowledge mobilisation. Together, we bring rigorous analysis, practical insight and collaborative working to some of the region's most complex challenges, helping to shape policy and improve outcomes and create meaningful change for the region.

INE is based within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty is currently developing an exciting approach to public policy engagement across Newcastle University. This role provides an opportunity to be part of both INE and Faculty developments in this important work.

The Role

This role is ideal for someone with experience working in a public policy environment who understands how decisions are made and wants to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking across the North East.
We're looking for someone who understands policymaking from the inside and can help turn evidence into action. You will work with policymakers, practitioners, academics and communities to identify emerging challenges, develop actionable insights and support evidence-informed decision-making across the region. You will lead INE’s popular events and engagement programme to continue building our reach and connection across the region and beyond.

This is a role for someone who thrives on collaboration, enjoys complexity, and is motivated by the potential of evidence to drive long-term, systemic change.

• Organise and deliver workshops, events, learning activities and networking opportunities that connect research, policy and practice.
• Build and manage relationships with policymakers, decision-makers, researchers and partners, helping to strengthen INE's networks and knowledge mobilisation activities.
• Deliver INE's communications and engagement activity, including management of digital channels, quarterly newsletters and promotion of events and outputs.
• Monitor regional and national policy developments, identifying opportunities, emerging priorities and implications for INE's work.
• Coordinate and support projects and activities across the INE workplan, ensuring delivery against agreed objectives, budgets and timescales.
• Produce and support the dissemination of policy briefings, reports, blogs, presentations and other evidence-informed outputs.
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of INE's services and public policy engagement more broadly, supporting networks and knowledge mobilisation approach.

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.