Policy and Public Affairs Officer

National Pharmacy Association; St Albans; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company Pension

Healthcare

Life Insurance

Travel/Season Ticket Loans

In House Training

Recognised Qualifications

Job summary

The National Pharmacy Association is seeking a Policy & Public Affairs Officer to develop high level relationships and understand decision-making across Whitehall, Westminster and the devolved nations. You will engage with NPA members, support influencing campaigns, and prepare briefings for politicians and civil servants. The role is hybrid, with 35 hours per week and immediate availability.

Qualifications

• Understanding of developing high level relationships with stakeholders.
• Knowledge of decision-making processes across Whitehall, Westminster and devolved nations.
• Clear and confident communication to diverse audiences.
• Ability to analyse complex issues and exercise sound judgement.

Responsibilities

• Identify key external stakeholders and build relationships aligned with NPA priorities.
• Engage with NPA members to showcase policy and public affairs work.
• Support delivery of influencing campaigns in line with priorities.
• Disseminate emerging information across the team from government and other institutions.
• Develop briefings and support engagement with politicians and civil servants.
• Support NPA research projects, reports, and working groups.
• Collaborate with other pharmacy bodies to maximise advocacy impact.
• Prepare Committee papers and minutes as directed by the Head of Policy & Public Affairs.

Skills

Stakeholder relations

Policy analysis

Public affairs

Communications

Attention to detail

Time management

Collaboration

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

Job description

Policy & Public Affairs Officer (Full-time, Permanent)

Do you have an understanding of how to develop high level relationships?

Do you have an understanding of the decision-making processes in Whitehall, Westminster, and the devolved nations?

Do you have the ability to communicate clearly and confidently to a range of audiences?

Do you have the ability to demonstrate sound judgement and critical thinking skills in order to analyse and work with complex issues?

Then we have the perfect role for you!

The role

• Identify key stakeholders in the external environment and contribute to the building of effective relationships to support alignment of NPA work streams with stakeholder priorities.
• Engage with the NPA membership showcasing the policy & public affairs work undertaken by the NPA.
• Support the delivery of influencing campaigns in line with NPA priorities.
• Identify emerging information relevant to the NPA from across government and other relevant institutions and disseminate information across the team as appropriate.
• Develop briefings and support arrangements for engagement with politicians, civil servants, and other external stakeholders, including pharmacy visits by politicians and other key stakeholders.
• Support the organisation in delivering NPA research projects, reports, working groups, and other relevant workstreams.
• When required, work closely and collaboratively with other pharmacy bodies and other relevant organisations to maximise the impact of NPA advocacy.
• Develop Committee papers and produce Committee minutes as directed by the Head of Policy & Public Affairs.

Key facts

Hybrid-working pattern: Home working blended with at least 1 day per week working at the NPA's Head Office, just outside of London.

Availability: Immediate or very short notice.

The candidate

Your key attributes:

• An understanding of how to develop high level relationships.
• An understanding of the decision-making processes in Whitehall, Westminster, and the devolved nations.
• Ability to communicate clearly and confidently to a range of audiences.
• Demonstrate sound judgement and critical thinking skills in order to analyse and work with complex issues,
• Excellent written communication and presentation skills.
• Knowledge of the healthcare sector and the current public policy issues.
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of attention to detail.
• Able to produce high quality outcomes to deadlines.
• Pro-active and able to show initiative, with ability to organise and prioritise own time and workload.
• High level of computer literacy across Microsoft packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and other digital tools.
• A flexible working attitude and willingness to go the extra mile.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to working.

The organisation

The National Pharmacy Association is the representative body for the independent community pharmacy sector across the four nations of the UK and the provider of support, services and activities to community pharmacies and their teams.

We encourage applications from all sections of the community. Furthermore, qualifications and/or experience identified are indicative. We will consider applications from candidates who have comparable qualifications and/or experience for the role advertised.

Contract type

Permanent

Hours

35

Competitive

Company Pension, Healthcare, Life Insurance, Travel/Season Ticket Loans, In House Training, Recognised Qualifications

Closing date for applications

18th October, 2026