Head of Policy & Public Affairs

Head of Policy & Public Affairs
London
Circa £50,000 per annum (dependent on skills and experience)
Permanent

Join the Royal College of Anaesthetists to work on some of the biggest issues facing our members, healthcare and the work of anaesthetists - the largest single specialty group of doctors within UK hospitals. The Royal College of Anaesthetists is committed to improving patients’ safety, wellbeing and outcomes through the maintenance and advancement of standards in anaesthesia, critical care and pain medicine. Through our services, anaesthetists are well trained and supported, and we uphold a central role in the development and delivery of high quality healthcare across the UK, and increasingly internationally.

Anaesthetists have overall responsibility for patients’ wellbeing before, during and after surgery and work across the hospital setting, in the operating theatre, A&E, critical care and obstetrics. 16% of all hospital consultants are anaesthetists and over two-thirds of hospital in-patients will see an anaesthetist. The Royal College of Anaesthetists supports over 18,000 members and fellows and over 4,000 from the College’s associated Faculties of Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine.  

Reporting into the Director of Communications and External Affairs, this role will be responsible for effecting change through policies, public affairs and public engagement. The College has a growing influential profile with policy makers and parliamentarians, and this is an exciting time to join us to lead and further develop our policy and public affairs work as we embark on launching a new Centre for Perioperative Care.

Your work will involve providing specialist knowledge and insight to develop robust policies on key external issues for the College. Proactive and collaborative in your approach, you will foster a range of high level contacts, working with them regularly to build positive working partnerships.

As a line manager, you will effectively manage a small Policy and Public Affairs function, as well as being a member of the broader senior management team.

The ideal candidate for this position will have experience of working in a similar position with responsibility for developing policy outputs and managing a range of projects simultaneously ideally within the medical/health sector although this is not essential. As a result of this, you will ideally be able to demonstrate an excellent understanding of the current health agenda in the UK and the challenges that affect our members, the specialty and wider healthcare. You will also have a sound knowledge of public affairs processes and will have a high level of political awareness. Ideally, you will have experience within membership organisations.

Educated to degree level (or equivalent), you will have good experience of building and maintaining relationships both internally and externally as well as managing budgets and working to tight deadlines.

Closing date: Monday 11th February 2019 at 9:00am