Policy Director

LABOUR TOGETHER; Greater London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A progressive think tank in the UK is seeking a Policy Director to set direction and lead significant projects. The ideal candidate will have over ten years of experience, excellent understanding of policy and political environments, and strong skills in project management and stakeholder engagement. Responsibilities include identifying key government questions, collaborating with teams, and crafting compelling narratives to influence policy decisions. The role offers an annual salary ranging from £75,000 to £85,000 and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds.

Qualifications

• More than 10 years of experience in a relevant field.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to deliver high-quality outputs to tight deadlines.
• Meticulous and reliable, with strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Identify big questions the government needs answered and the political arguments.
• Work with political strategy team to frame questions and commission polling.
• Build and maintain relationships across various sectors.
• Organize events and convene coalitions to advance ideas.
• Conduct data work and write crisp, compelling narratives.

Skills

Excellent understanding of the current policy and political environment

Experience of developing policy and analysis

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Strong skills using both quantitative and qualitative evidence

Strong project management skills

Demonstrable writing skills for political audiences

Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with senior stakeholders

Tools

LLMs

Job description

Policy Director

Labour Together is not your normal think tank: we help Labour govern and win. Not only do we do work, but we craft the strategy and consider the politics to make good ideas happen. Many of our staff have gone into government roles recently, so we are now excited to be recruiting more outstanding people for our policy team.

We’ll shape the role around the right person. But depending on experience, we will appoint at the following levels:

• Policy Director (salary range £75,000 - £85,000) - sets direction and leads big chunks of the project; a go-to strategic adviser for very senior people. You’ll probably have more than 10 years of experience.

Who we’re looking for

We prioritise hiring good people over particular areas of expertise. But given the current mix of the team, we are particularly keen to hear from people who work on welfare, migration, innovation, the family, crime, law and foreign policy.

Most importantly, you support the aims and values of the Labour movement. You care about building relationships with others and working with innovative organisations. You value rigour, arguments and thinking in systems. You might already be in Westminster or Whitehall, or have built things in business, civil society or elsewhere. Wherever you are now, you dislike boilerplate policy-speak that hides hard choices.

You also know that our problems will not be solved by analysis alone. They require making big political arguments about it and working with others. You are excited by the prospect of how to use focus groups and polling to hone your argument and by building coalitions to get change.

What you’ll actually do

The exact mix will depend on what you’re great at, but it’s likely to include:

• Identifying the big questions the government needs an answer to and the political argument they should make to answer it. That means owning one or more chunks of work - a policy area, a big project, or a set of questions - and delivering it.
• Working with our political strategy team to frame questions, commission polling/focus groups and pull out what really matters for strategy and policy.
• Building and keeping warm relationships that make this work possible - in government, Labour, think tanks, unions, campaigns and beyond. If you have them already that’s a plus. LT works in the shifting sands of politics - enjoying building relationships is key.
• Being strategic about convening people and building coalitions to advance your ideas. You are likely to look forward to, rather than dread, organising a private dinner with advisors and experts on your topic.
• Doing the unglamorous bits that make good policy happen: data work, writing crisply and stress‑testing assumptions. If you’re adept at using LLMs or other tools to support your work then that’s all to the better.

Essential skills required

The exact mix of essential skills will depend on each person and the level they are appointed to. It will include but won’t be limited to:

• Excellent understanding of the current policy and political environment, with experience advising senior leaders
• Experience of developing policy and analysis
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong skills using both quantitative and qualitative evidence
• Strong project management skills with the ability to deliver high‑quality outputs to tight deadlines
• Demonstrable writing skills for political audiences, with the ability to craft compelling narratives
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with senior stakeholders

Desirable skills

The exact mix of desirable skills will depend on each person and the level they are appointed to. It may include but won’t be limited to:

• Meticulous and reliable, with strong attention to detail
• Experience of leading teams in a policy or political environment
• Strong IT skills, including using LLMs or other tools to support your work
• Experience of working closely with elected officials
• Media handling experience and comfort with broadcast interviews

How to apply

To apply, please send us the following information to [e-mail]

• Your CV and a cover letter (no more than two pages) explaining why you would like to work for Labour Together in this role
• A short note (fewer than 600 words) on a policy you believe the Labour government should adopt. This should include an explanation for why it has not already been implemented, and how you would use LT to build the case with Labour to do it. We want to understand your approach to policy, politics and influencing.

Please state clearly which role level you are applying for and why.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 14th January.

We are an equal opportunities employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic.