Policy and Public Affairs Manager - National Charity£37,000 to £39,000 per annum. Fixed term contract until 30th April 2027. Happy to talk about flexible working such as part-time working or flexible working hours.
ABOUT USSomebody goes missing in the UK every 90 seconds. Missing People exists to ease the heartache experienced by those missing someone, and to help people who are away from home find their way back to safety. Our vision is for every missing child, adult and family left behind to find help, hope and a safe way to reconnect. We are a non-judgemental, highly skilled team of staff and volunteers working for everyone who needs us. We provide free, confidential support, help and advice by phone, email, text and live chat.
Missing People’s Policy and Research Team is a small team with a big impact, both within the charity and externally. We aim to create local, regional and national change to improve the response to missing people. We work in an evidence-based way, centring the experiences of those who have been or are affected by missing. As the Policy and Public Affairs Manager, you will lead work to influence improvement in the response for missing children, adults and their families at a national and local level.
THE IMPACT YOU WILL HAVE Make a national impact on the lives of missing children, adults and their families.
Joining our Policy and Research Team, you will help influence local and national policy, ensuring that the voices and experiences of missing people and their families are heard at the highest levels. Your work will directly shape how the UK understands and responds to missing people — and will help protect those at greatest risk of harm. You will learn from and work with people who have been missing, and people who have reported a loved one missing, to shape workplans and to call for change.
You will act as Co-Secretariat for the APPG for Missing Children and Adults, and build relationships with key stakeholders in government, parliament, the police and safeguarding agencies, finding ways to engage and motivate policy makers to better understand the issues affecting missing people and their families, and to make positive changes.
You will become expert in the issue of missing, including the risks that cause people to go and the harm they experience while away. This will also involve monitoring the policy landscape for opportunities to influence changes in the response to missing people, and provide expert insight and guidance to help shape improvement.
You will represent issues facing some of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities. This might include people who face sexual or criminal exploitation, people experiencing mental health problems or people who face discrimination in the response they receive from statutory services when they seek help in relation to the issue of missing, amongst others. This will sometimes include engaging with and challenging professionals in organisations and systems that exist with embedded discrimination.
ABOUT YOU You will have:
- Right to work in the UK.
- Previous experience of working in a policy or public affairs role;
- Experience of successfully influencing change at a local and/or national level;
- Experience of building and maintaining relationships with politicians and other policymakers, including quickly building rapport and establishing trust;
- Experience of working with Parliamentarians in All Party Parliamentary Group/s
- Experience of sensitively representing complex issues in communications with professionals or the public, particularly issues which impact on marginalised people;
- An understanding of political systems across the UK and how to influence policy within those systems;
- Knowledge of missing or linked issues, for example mental health, care experience, exploitation, homelessness, or adult social care;
- Understanding of the experiences of marginalised communities and how to ensure that those who are marginalised are included and given the opportunity to influence change;
- Proven ability to communicate complex information in a clear manner to different audiences, including some information that might challenge existing perceptions and perspectives;
- Able to work autonomously, with proven ability to move projects forward when working independently.
WHAT WE OFFERWorking for Missing People means living our values. It’s a place where people are encouraged to ‘let fly’ so you can ‘make things happen’. We know you’re more than just a job title, and ‘be human’ is an important value here. Missing People is an independent charity that relies on donations.
For further details, please see attached job description/person specification and letter to applicants.
HOW TO APPLYPlease include your CV and a brief supporting statement that demonstrates how you are a good fit for this role. We look forward to receiving your application. We reserve the right to withdraw this advert early if we receive sufficient applications, so please apply promptly.
Closing date: 23:59 on 19th April 2026
Interviews: 22nd April 2026
Start date: 11th May 2026
You may have experience of the following: Public Affairs Manager, Policy Manager, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Public Policy Manager, Policy and Parliamentary Affairs Manager, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Policy and External Affairs Manager, Government Affairs Manager, Public Affairs and Engagement Manager, Policy and Influencing Manager, Parliamentary Affairs Manager, or Policy and Research Manager.
REF-227 878
