Senior Policy Officer
Bristol, home or hybrid working available
Full time, £31,500 - £34,999 dependent on experience
2-year fixed-term contract
*CV & cover letter required to apply*
Meningitis Research Foundation is an international health charity headquartered in the UK, driven by a passionate mission to prevent the devastating impact of meningitis. Founded by individuals whose lives were profoundly affected by meningitis, we are dedicated to enabling positive change by uniting people and knowledge to save lives.
The Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) is our worldwide network of people and groups who are driven by a shared purpose to defeat meningitis. By coming together to share their diverse experience and expertise, they are a formidable global force against this life-threatening condition.
Role purpose
The Policy Officer will play a key role in using health insights to shape our policy positions and make a meaningful difference to the lives of people affected by meningitis. This position involves a combination of research, analysis, strategic foresight, and policy development to enable evidence-based decision making.
This role reports to the Head of Health Policy and Insights
Responsibilities
Strategic Foresight & Horizon Scanning
* Monitor UK and global meningitis policy and provide analysis to identify trends and priorities.
* Help maintain the policy foresight dashboard, organize quarterly scanning sessions, and present findings to senior leadership and trustees
Policy Analysis & Development
* Analyse UK meningitis policies, focusing on immunization and support for affected individuals.
* Track UK immunization developments, vaccine policies, and public health initiatives related to meningitis prevention.
* Provide global meningitis policy analysis, including WHO’s Global Roadmap to Defeat Meningitis and brain health initiatives.
* Draft briefings, position papers, and reports on key meningitis-related topics for internal and external use.
* Support responses to health-related consultations in the UK and globally.
Collaboration & Engagement
* Build relationships with UK policy stakeholders, including government bodies, NHS England, and advocacy groups.
* Work with Advocacy, CoMO, and Support teams to ensure the insights reflect the experiences of those affected by meningitis
* Collaborate with Research colleagues to align research findings with policy development.
* Partner with the Communications team to share policy positions externally.
* Represent MRF at events, conferences, and network meetings.
Policy Strategy & Operational Plans
* Assist in delivering operational objectives for Health Insights & Policy.
* Support other international and national policy activities as needed.
Qualifications and Experience
* Experience in health policy in the UK and internationally, especially infectious diseases.
* Conducted policy research, written reports and briefs, and evaluated their impact.
* Understanding of UK government, healthcare system, health policy landscape, and parliamentary processes.
* Experience in international development or global health is desirable.
* Able to build strong relationships quickly.
* Can translate complex arguments for varied audiences.
* Experience presenting to stakeholders in various forums.
* Strong analytical, writing, and proofreading skills.
* Proficiency in a second European language, ideally French or Spanish.
What we offer you
* £31,500 to £34,999 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience.
* 2% employee pension contribution + 6% employer pension contribution.
* Flexible working arrangements between work and home. Fully remote working is also available.
* 25 days' holiday.
* This position is a 2-year fixed-term contract. This post is currently funded from reserves. If funding allows, the post could be made permanent following the end of this contract
Application Process
Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and cover letter detailing their relevant experience and interest in the position. CVs sent through without a covering letter will not be considered.
Applications should be submitted by 5 pm on Friday, 25th April 2025.
Equal Opportunities
Applications are particularly encouraged from candidates who may previously have, or feel like they have, experienced being excluded from generally advertised roles due to their gender, ethnicity, disability status or sexual orientation.
Safeguarding
Meningitis Research Foundation is committed to safeguarding, and any advertised role will require references, confirmation of your identity and your right to work in the UK. Following receipt of satisfactory references, the successful candidate will be able to start work soon after receiving their offer of employment.