About us

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Pro Bono Economics (PBE), an organisation that prides itself on its flexible working environment, culture of learning, focus on employee wellbeing and the strength of our employee relationships. PBE offers a strong benefits package, opportunities for development and a team working at the top of their game.

PBE’s mission is to end low personal wellbeing in the UK. We do this by helping charities and social enterprises understand their economic and social impact, so they can improve their overall effectiveness. We enable professional economists from the private and public sectors as well as academia to volunteer their skills to tackle some of the most pressing issues in society. We have worked with over 500 charities since our inception in 2009.

Having successfully delivered a major programme of ground-breaking work on the condition of the charity sector in the form of the Law Family Commission on Civil Society at the start of 2023, PBE is entering a new phase in its development. Building on its growing research and policy expertise and its strong association with the social sector, the organisation is taking a bottom-up and top-down approach to exploring, understanding, and tackling the causes and consequences of low personal wellbeing in the UK that uses the insights and perspectives of charities and community groups as a unique jumping off point. PBE is focused on delivering high quality research that both translates into real policy and practice impacts for people with low wellbeing and supports a more effective social sector to help deliver that change.

About the role

Reporting directly to Pro Bono Economics’ Director of Policy and Communications, you are responsible for public affairs and influencing activity in the organisation, as well as some policy development.

You will work closely with the charity’s Research and Policy team and the Media and Communications Manager to ensure that PBE’s publications are as impactful as possible with policymakers; to build relationships with policymakers as PBE establishes itself as a leading thinktank; and to embed policy impact throughout the whole organisation through upskilling and awareness. Ultimately, you will play a crucial role in ensuring that the research and policy work that PBE undertakes continues to turn into real change – delivering the policies that are needed to support the charity sector to unleash its potential, and to improve the lives of those in society with the lowest wellbeing.

 This is a varied and exciting role requiring an agile individual who is responsive to the ever-changing circumstances of the political world and has a strong awareness of political audience and circumstances. The successful candidate should have a genuine interest in current affairs and the role of charities in tackling social issues. This role puts a premium on having excellent communication skills, relationship building skills, interest in the policy environment, and some confidence in policy development.

Post type: Full-time, Permanent. Flexible arrangements will be considered.

Key Accountabilities

• Persuading policymakers of the importance of the charity sector, and the need to enact policy changes to unlock the potential of the sector.

• Building and utilising a network of policymakers to champion the importance of policy change that unlocks the potential of the charity sector.

• Guiding and supporting internal research teams and external charities, economic associates, research consultants and communications professionals to ensure that PBE’s work is as impactful as possible with policymakers.

• Building networks and relationships throughout the UK political and think tank world to support PBE’s growing presence as a leading think tank.

• Undertaking policy development to further PBE’s mission.

• Upskilling colleagues and supporting ongoing awareness of the political environment.

• Reporting on PBE’s policy impact, including to the funders which make it possible.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Relationship and coalition building

• Engaging with political stakeholders including politicians across the parties, advisors, thinktanks, civil servants and regulators.

• Encouraging political stakeholders to take up PBE’s policy ideas, champion the charity sector and speak out about the need to adopt policies that unlock the sector’s potential.

• Working with charities, Grant-Making Trusts and Foundations, philanthropists, umbrella organisations, academics and businesses to understand the issues experienced by charities and to bring together groups of supporters to champion policy solutions.

• Organising PBE’s activity at party conferences to ensure their effectiveness.

• Organising roundtables and other events with political stakeholders, including to bring political stakeholders and charities together to build consensus for solutions.

Influencing

• Monitoring the political environment and researching the policy positions of political stakeholders and parties, and using that information to shape PBE’s outputs and communications to be as impactful as possible.

• Seeking out the opportunities for PBE’s policy positions to be heard by political stakeholders.

• Writing briefings, submissions to consultations, policy papers, blogs and articles as needed as part of influencing activity.

• Undertaking research and policy development in partnership with the research and policy team where appropriate.

Internal development and support

• Supporting press and social media activity and interventions, with a particular mind to supporting the growth of political actors following PBE’s social media accounts and policymakers speaking out publicly in support of PBE’s policy agenda.

• Training, upskilling and increasing the political awareness of the whole of the PBE team.

• Enabling and supporting members of the research and policy team with their political engagement.

• Supporting SMT in their engagement with political stakeholders, including briefing the CEO and Chair.

• Reporting and recording PBE’s policy and influencing activity, for the board, funders, and internal awareness.

Other Duties

• Miscellaneous - Pro Bono Economics is a fast growing and dynamic organisation, so there may be tasks that fall outside of these core responsibilities that the Policy and Public Affairs Manager would be expected to support.

 About you

The Policy and Public Affairs Manager will report directly to the Policy and Communications Director and will be responsible for the organisation’s influencing efforts and delivery of real policy change, with a particular focus on securing the changes and commitments needed to deliver a more impactful charity sector following the Law Family Commission on Civil Society.

Ideal characteristics include:

• Strong political nous and influencing abilities.

• Good communication and interpersonal skills, including strong writing skills and relationship building ability.

• Able to work flexibly as part of a small team in a fast-moving environment.

• Creativity, innovation and a commitment to continuous improvement.

• Interest in social policy issues and issues that impact the charity and social enterprise sector.

• Some experience of organising events is desirable but not essential.

• A passion for PBE’s mission to unleash the potential of civil society and use economics to support the social sector and drive wellbeing improvements in the UK.

PBE is unable to apply for work sponsorship for this role.

PBE is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We encourage applications from all parts of the community, and we give all applicants and employees fair and equal treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality. We also guarantee an invitation to interview for all applicants with disabilities who show evidence that they can meet the role’s ideal criteria.

For details of our applicant’s privacy policy, please see https://www.probonoeconomics.com/policies