Public Affairs Officer
$33,000–$33,000 year
HybridCambridge, England, United Kingdom
Job Summary
Build and maintain relationships with parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, and civil servants across Westminster and Whitehall while monitoring the UK policy and legislative landscape. Draft briefings, consultation responses, and select committee evidence to translate research findings into clear messaging for policymakers. Prepare briefing packs and speaking notes for researchers ahead of policy meetings, hearings, and events, and organize engagement activities with government departments and All-Party Parliamentary Groups. Maintain the stakeholder database, track engagement history, and ensure public affairs and media messaging remain aligned. Support researchers in reaching select audiences including select committees, EU institutions, and international policy stakeholders.
Required Qualifications
- Experience in public affairs, government relations or parliamentary engagement, gained in-house, in an agency, in Parliament or in government
- Strong understanding of UK legislative and policy processes, including how Parliament, select committees and government departments work
- Strong writing skills, with the ability to turn research findings into clear, policy-relevant messaging for non-specialist audiences
- Experience drafting briefings, consultation responses or parliamentary evidence submissions, with strong copy-editing skills
- Ability to build and sustain relationships with senior stakeholders
- Ability to work effectively with colleagues at all levels, including researchers
- Proficient MS Office skills
- Degree-level education, or equivalent professional experience
Desired Qualifications
- Familiarity with EU institutions and policy processes
- Experience of public affairs in a research, academic or other evidence-focused setting
- Experience using stakeholder management or political monitoring tools
- Knowledge of policy areas relevant to RAND Europe's research, such as defence and security, health and healthcare, science and technology, or home affairs
- Politically astute, analytical thinker, able to read how an issue will land with different audiences and see it both strategically and at a practical level
- The networking and communication skills to build trust with parliamentarians, officials and researchers, and to represent RAND Europe credibly in a room
- Hands-on team player with a strong commitment to rigorous, independent research, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and work to tight deadlines
- Enthusiastic about learning new skills and subject matter, across policy areas from defence and security to health and technology
- Self-starter with high energy levels, comfortable working with ambiguity as well as process, and quick to spot an opening in the policy cycle
- Open minded, with the humility to recognise success in others and to take direction from researchers who are the experts on the substance
- Sound judgement about confidentiality, tone and impartiality when dealing with sensitive material and political audiences
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