We need a health policy geek with a talent for storytelling to help drive our engagement with policymakers and influence their thinking on health in the UK and across the world.

The post holder will be responsible for maximising our impact through high quality policy analysis and research on health in the UK and across the world.

There is a lot going on and plenty of opportunities to help deliver our ambitious plans.

• The UN and WHO are leading the Decade of Healthy Ageing;

• The Westminster Government has committed to supporting 5 years of extra “healthy years”.

• This year, the EU’s budget line for EU4Health programme 2021-2027 is €835EUR, almost double that of the budget for the seven-year health programme from 2014-2020.

But the context is a challenging one.

For example, in the UK:

• Inequalities in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy have grown and there are differences of up to 15 years in health expectancy between the healthiest and least healthy areas.

• The Government’s State Pension Age review may recommend further increases in the age we receive our state pension. But a million people already fall out of work before they become eligible. Ill health is one of the biggest drivers of this trend.

• Health inequalities are often driven by smoking.

And globally:

• Climate Change and antimicrobial resistance threatens progress made over the past 25 years.

• Over recent decades, life expectancy has significantly improved across the G20 but reducing deaths from cancer and cardiovascular diseases along with other largely preventable diseases offers significant opportunities for further improvements.

• G20 economies lose more than $1 trillion a year from preventable health conditions

Over the last five years ILC has become a leading voice on the importance of preventative health in supporting ageing societies. In this role, you will have the opportunity to be part of our large global health and prevention programme of work and to travel the world to directly influence and engage with policy makers and world leaders on important health and longevity issues. As part of our prevention and global health programme, we have:

• Engaged with G20 world leaders at the G20 Health ministers meeting in Okayama, Japan

• Held a policy discussion at the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Sydney, Australia

• Ran a two-day global health summit at the Les Pensières Centre for Global Health in Annecy, France

In 2023, we want to hold a high-level event alongside the 76th World Health Assembly, influence G20 and G7 leaders in India and Japan.

*Key responsibilities*

**Develop and lead on high quality and impactful policy projects**

1. Identify policy opportunities for influence in the UK and across the world

2. Review and analyse academic and other literature and produce policy reports.

3. Work independently and autonomously on multiple complex policy and research projects simultaneously, ensuring projects are managed within timeframes and budgets, and writing a diverse range of content at pace.

4. Work closely with our Research Fellow to maximise the impact of our research.

**Make the case that investment in health contributes to wealth**

5. Help us tell the story of how and why we should improve population health across the life-course.

6. Contribute policy thinking across all of ILC’s workstreams

7. Help drive the strategic direction of the organisation, by contributing to team discussions on past ILC research and past, present, and future trends and contributing to team discussions on the big issues for today’s society

8. Turn ideas into funding proposals for new research which furthers our understanding and creates opportunities for impact (including academic, private and public sector funders)

**Engage the right people**

9. Undertake stakeholder mapping, thinking carefully about who we engage, how we engage and when to maximise impact

10. Ensure policy work is well-informed and has the input from a diverse range of perspectives.

11. Build relationships with our stakeholders to gain understanding of the interests and expertise of others and how you can involve them in your work.

**Communicate research**

12 Develop and deliver plans to maximise the impact of our research

13. Develop innovative and accessible ways of presenting policy arguments

14. Manage relationships with funders and other stakeholders.

*Person specification*

1. Good health policy knowledge

2. Excellent oral communication

3. Excellent written communication

4. Ability to translate complex messages to policymakers

5. Ability to tell a story in a multitude of ways

7. A good knowledge of global and UK health issues as well as awareness of opportunities to influence