Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer - Wales (5849)

 £34,000 per annum

Full-time, permanent (upon successful completion of a 6 month probation). Flexible hours may be considered. 

Location:  Home based (Wales) or from one of our offices in Newport or Wrexham (the offices are in the process of being secured so we don’t yet have addresses). 

About the Role: 
We are seeking a strategic and proactive Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer to lead our policy and advocacy work in Wales. This role is central to shaping our influence on public policy, strengthening our relationships with key stakeholders, and ensuring our voice is heard across the Welsh political landscape. 

You’ll thrive in this role if you:  

• Are ambitious, passionate and optimistic for change for children and young people 

• Are motivated by policy that is youth informed, evidence-based, grounded in practice, inclusive and delivers change 

• Are excited about delivering on a wide and varied portfolio of work 

• Prioritise and manage your time effectively to meet deadlines  

• Adapt well to different situations including meeting with senior stakeholders   

• Understand and share our values (brave, ambitious, trusted, supportive) 

• Carry out your responsibilities with due regard to The Children’s Society’s commitment to keeping children and young people safe  

• Are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in your working relationships and practice  

We value and promote diversity and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture at The Children’s Society. We also appreciate the best leadership teams reflect the communities they serve. And that effective policy propositions and political influencing adopts an intersectional lens – so the affects and change for people from all parts of our communities are considered. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from people across all groups that are underrepresented. 

Within the Youth Impact domain, we have been undertaking development work to dive deeper into understanding the backgrounds of the young people we support. This started with an intersectionality evaluation and a series of developments to respond to the emerging fundings. We have provided staff across the whole of the Youth Impact domain training on anti-racist practice and have developed a Youth Impact domain Anti-racism Statement of Intent that includes a range of actions and commitments we have made on our journey to become anti-racist. This work is always evolving and we are open to review, feedback and development. 

We know that this work takes time, but is worth every second we invest, talk, and develop within it.  

Key responsibilities 

• Lead the development and implementation of policy positions and public affairs strategies specific to Wales. 

• Monitor and analyse political, legislative, and policy developments in Wales, providing timely insights and strategic recommendations. 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with Welsh Government officials, Members of the Senedd, local authorities, and other key stakeholders. 

• Represent the organisation at external meetings, events, and consultations, acting as a senior spokesperson in Wales. 

• Draft high-quality policy briefings, consultation responses, position papers, and public affairs materials tailored to the Welsh context. 

• Coordinate cross-organisational input into Welsh Government consultations and Senedd inquiries. 

• Develop and deliver campaigns to influence public policy and raise awareness of key issues in Wales. 

• Support the development of evidence-based policy through research, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration with academic and sector partners. 

• Work closely with communications colleagues to ensure consistent messaging across media, campaigns, and stakeholder engagement. 

• Provide expert advice and guidance to senior leadership on Welsh policy matters and political engagement. 

• Contribute to internal planning, reporting, and evaluation of policy and public affairs activities in Wales. 

• Represent the organisation in Welsh policy forums, coalitions, and working groups to amplify our influence and build alliances. 

Essential Criteria 

• High level of both oral and written communication skill including the ability to present complex information to a wide range of audiences.  

• Ability to build and sustain strong working relationships.   

• Ability to manage people as required.  

• Understanding of the social justice challenges facing children and young people in Wales.   

• Understanding of the Welsh political context.   

• Understanding of effective influencing strategies.   

• Experience of policy influence in Wales at a range of levels, including to policymakers, politicians and working in collaboration with other organisations to achieve change  

• Experience in representing an organisation with senior political stakeholders.  

• Experience of working in partnership or collaboration with other organisation(s) to work towards achieving a joint objective.   

• Ability to work collaboratively with The Children’s Society services to develop and evidence policy positions grounded in practice.  

• Experience of policy influence in Wales at a range of levels, including to policymakers, politicians and working in collaboration with other organisations to achieve change  

• Experience in representing an organisation with senior political stakeholders.  

• Experience of working in partnership or collaboration with other organisation(s) to work towards achieving a joint objective.   

• Ability to work collaboratively with The Children’s Society services to develop and evidence policy positions grounded in practice. 

• Politically aware with experience of working in a policy and/or public affairs environment and lobbying with senior national and local politicians   

• Strong analytical skills using both quantitative and qualitative evidence to inform decision making.   

• A high level of IT, project management, and prioritisation skills.   

• The ability to be pro-active and self-sufficient with limited guidance.  

• Ability to build and sustain strong working relationships.   

Desirable 

• Proficiency in Welsh (spoken and written). 

• Experience working in or with the third sector, public sector, or advocacy organisations in Wales. 

Why Join Us? 
This is a unique opportunity to shape policy and drive change in Wales. You’ll be part of a passionate, mission-driven team working to make a real difference in people’s lives. 

The Children’s Society runs over 100 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we campaign to get laws and policies changed to make children’s lives happier and safer. 

Every day we’re changing the lives of children in this country for the better – and with your help, tomorrow we can be there for even more. 

The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across our services. 

Therefore, candidates applying for work in our Youth Impact Domain will be required to complete full employment history as part of the application process.

The closing date for this vacancy is midnight on Sunday 17th August 2025. If, after 14 days, we receive enough applications we reserve the right to close the vacancy from Friday 8th August onwards. 

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