Job title: Senior Public Affairs and Policy Manager
Salary: Circa £43,000 per annum, depending on experience
FTE: Full-time, working 37.5 hours per week
Duration of Contract: Permanent
Location: Hybrid, with a contractual minimum of two days per month in central London and an expectation of around one day per week in practice.
University Alliance (UA) is seeking an ambitious and experienced Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager to lead our policy, government and parliamentary affairs activity. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping higher education policy, raising UA’s profile and influencing decision-makers across government, Parliament and the wider sector.
The successful candidate will lead UA’s work on international higher education and admissions policy, developing evidence-based positions and serving as the key contact for associated member networks. You will also support policy development across funding and regulation, providing the research, data and insight that underpins UA’s work.
Working closely with colleagues, members and external stakeholders, you will help strengthen UA’s parliamentary engagement, producing high-quality evidence, briefings, and parliamentary questions. This is a strategically important area of growth for UA, offering significant scope for the postholder to shape and develop our approach. You will also be responsible for delivering UA’s political engagement programme, including party conference activity and related events.
In this role, you will:
- Lead and coordinate UA’s public affairs, parliamentary engagement and external relations activity.
- Identify and pursue opportunities to influence policy development and decision-making.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with parliamentarians, government officials, sector bodies and key stakeholders.
- Work collaboratively with UA members to ensure their expertise and perspectives inform policy positions and advocacy activity.
- Develop clear, persuasive and evidence-based policy recommendations and briefings.
- Monitor political, legislative and policy developments, assessing their impact on the higher education sector.
- Draft parliamentary briefings, consultation responses, evidence submissions and political communications.
- Support and facilitate member networks relating to international higher education and admissions policy.
- Deliver UA’s programme of political engagement events, including party conferences and stakeholder roundtables.
About you
We are looking for someone who is:
- An experienced policy or public affairs professional with a strong understanding of the UK political landscape.
- A strategic thinker who can analyse complex issues and translate them into practical policy solutions.
- A confident communicator, able to engage effectively with senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Skilled in building productive relationships and influencing outcomes.
- An excellent writer, capable of producing clear, concise and compelling briefings and policy documents.
- Proactive, organised and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
- Passionate about higher education and motivated to make a tangible impact.
Additional Information
This role will involve travel to member universities across the UK and will occasionally require evening and overnight stays.
For further information, please view the full job description here.
Benefits
- 30 days annual plus bank holidays (pro rata for part-time) as well as additional time off between Christmas and New Year (pro rata for part-time)
- Generous pension scheme with a 9% employer contribution
- Flexible working options
- £250 wellbeing fund to support your health and wellbeing
- Life cover providing lump sum payment equivalent to 3 times basic annual salary
- Interest free loan for season tickets
- A commitment to investing in and developing staff.
How to Apply
Closing Date: 11.59pm, Sunday 27th October 2026
Interview Dates
- 1st round interviews: Via Microsoft Teams, w/c 2 November 2026.
- 2nd round interviews: In person in Central London, w/c 16 November 2026.
To apply, please email the following documents to info@unialliance.ac.uk with the subject line “Senior Policy & Public Affairs Manager”:
- An up-to-date CV of no more than two sides of A4.
- Please answer the following questions:
Motivation (max 200 words)
Why are you interested in this role and in University Alliance, and what do you think you would bring to it?
Public affairs and political judgement (max 300 words)
University Alliance is looking to strengthen its parliamentary and political engagement. Tell us about your experience of influencing government, Parliament or other decision-makers. How have you identified opportunities to influence, built relationships with stakeholders, and decided when and how to intervene? Please draw on examples from your experience.
Policy and member engagement (max 300 words)
Tell us about your experience of developing policy positions and building support for them among stakeholders with different perspectives. This role focuses particularly on international higher education and admissions, but we welcome examples from any relevant policy area. Please explain the role of evidence, data, research or stakeholder insight in your work.
Total: max 800 words.
Please also state:
- Your right to work status in the UK.
- Where you saw the role advertised. Application guidance is available here.
We encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible. University Alliance reserves the right to close this vacancy before the advertised closing date should a suitable number of applications be received.
If you have not heard from us within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful at the shortlisting stage.
Right to Work in the UK
If you are successful in your application, you will be required to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on the UK Government website here
Please note that University Alliance is unable to sponsor visa applications for this role.
