Teach First are looking to hire a Public Affairs Officer in London, who will be responsible for helping us to achieve our mission of challenging educational disadvantage. A child's background can limit what they are likely to achieve in education and life. We are working to change this.

Your role

The Public Affairs Officer will help deliver Teach First’s government relations and policy influencing work. They will be responsible for supporting work to build and maintain relationships with key political and policy stakeholders including the Department for Education, local English MPs, think tanks, unions and the Welsh Government. They will help build awareness and support of our work, influence policy to support young people from low income communities and play a key role delivering the public affairs activities of Teach First’s social mobility campaign in 2017.

Responsibilities

• Identify and support in building positive relationships with political and policy stakeholders who Teach First needs to work with
• Support each of our local offices to deliver their influencing plans, working with local political and policy stakeholders
• Lead on public affairs activities, launches and events for Teach First’s 2017 social mobility campaign
• Provide specific support on working with devolved Governments, including Wales, to manage relationships, and secure funding and long term support
• Coordinate our Westminster engagement, including relationships with the Education Select Committee, rising star MPs and involvement in groups such as the APPG on teaching
• Develop and deliver influencing plans, activities and meetings linked to our policy work, to achieve policy change in support of young people from low income communities
• Prepare briefings, papers and speeches for senior colleagues in advance of meetings with senior stakeholders and ensure follow up actions are completed

Required Skills

• Proven experience in public affairs with good political acumen
• Writing concise briefings, consultation responses, correspondence and speeches
• Analysing and summarising complex information for senior colleagues, adapting style and content for different audiences
• Proactive relationship management and managing the systems to support this