Policy and Public Affairs Manager - National Literacy Trust

Key information

Closing date: 10am, Thursday 25 September 2025
Salary: £44,000 per year
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Location: Based in London SW8 / home and flexible working
Interviews: Online, Tuesday 7 October 2025

We empower people with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Together we're helping people change their stories. You could join us and help shape our work on Government policy around literacy and disadvantage.

What Youll Be Doing

You will be part of a small policy team and work with colleagues across the organisation as well as with senior internal and external stakeholders. You will work on a range of policy and public affairs issues relating to literacy and disadvantage, including mapping and responding to Government policy, writing internal briefings, helping to develop external facing policy reports, organising Parliamentary and party conference events, serving as the key contact for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Literacy and arranging meetings with MPs and Peers. You will also help shape plans and identify new opportunities.

You will be based at our office in London but able to work regularly from home if you prefer. However, you will need to be able to be in London when necessary for in person meetings and events, approximately once or twice a month on average.

What Were Looking For

You will have experience of working in a policy-related role and managing policy and public affairs activity, and an understanding of literacy and the wider education sector. You will also need excellent writing skills, including drafting policy papers and briefings, and the ability to understand and articulate academic research and policy papers. Experience of senior stakeholder management, cross-sector campaigns and event management would be an advantage.

Why our work is so vital

Literacy changes everything. It gives you the tools to get the most out of life, and the power to shape your future. Its the key to knowledge, confidence and inspiration. Its better results at school, and better jobs. If children grow up without the tools to communicate, without books to read or opportunities to write, its harder to get where you want to go.

The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity helping people overcome these challenges and change their life chances through the power of words reading, writing, speaking and listening. From first words, through school days to training, jobs and beyond.

What we offer you

Our team are passionate about our mission and we have a strong and positive working culture, based on shared values and respect. We offer a range of flexible working options and promote a workplace where you can be yourself and contribute to our success, whoever you are.

As well as a competitive salary, we offer benefits including a generous leave allowance totalling 39 days (including bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year), pension contributions of 8% of annual salary, a cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme and other health and wellbeing benefits.

Application details

Our people are our most important asset and we value and respect diversity in all its forms (seen and unseen). We particularly welcome applications from those from Black and Asian backgrounds, as well as candidates with disabilities and from the communities in which we work. We would like to increase representation of these groups among our staff as we know greater diversity will lead to an even greater impact for our work.