Murray McIntosh is delighted to have partnered with the UK's leading skills charity for engineering and manufacturing, in their search for a Policy Manager.

Our client works at the intersection of data, policy, and skills development, investing over £2 million annually to tackle barriers to entry and progression in the sector - particularly for underrepresented and disadvantaged groups.

This Policy Manager appointment offers a rare opportunity to support an influential policy and public affairs function within a mission-driven organisation, helping to shape the future of the UK's industrial skills landscape.

The successful candidate will be joining a growing, forward-looking policy team at a formative moment, with the opportunity to shape its direction and culture from the ground up.
A key focus for the team in the coming months will be the launch of their National Policy Centre - a collaborative space for beneficiaries and stakeholders in the small and medium enterprise market. This high-profile project offers an exciting prospect for new postholders to play a meaningful role in its development and delivery.

The Role

The Policy Manager will specifically focus on England - including the devolution of English skills policy - leading the development of responses to government consultations and proactively identify opportunities to align the organisation's policy agenda with national and international best practice.

Reporting into the Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager and working closely with internal teams and external stakeholders, the postholder will play a critical role in shaping insight, thought leadership, and political engagement on behalf of the charity.

Key responsibilities include:

Monitoring, analysing, and interpreting key developments across UK and international skills policy.
Leading consultation responses and policy contributions aligned to the skills agenda.
Supporting strategic engagement with government, civil servants, and policy advisors across the four nations.
Representing the charity at industry and political events, building networks across the policy and skills landscape.
Producing high-quality briefings, thought pieces, and policy content for external communications and engagement.
Supporting cross-functional collaboration to align policy insight with research, delivery, and stakeholder engagement.
Managing one direct report and contributing to a collaborative, values-driven team culture.

Candidate Profile

This role will suit a policy professional with experience delivering insight, engagement, and advocacy in complex environments. The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

Minimum of Bachelor degree required, or equivalent qualification
Experience in people management
Experience in public policy, and research, or advocacy - ideally within skills, education, industry, or government.
Excellent writing and communication skills, with the ability to distil and present insight clearly and persuasively.
A strong grasp of the UK political and policy-making environment, including skills frameworks across all four nations.
Confidence in engaging with senior stakeholders including parliamentarians, civil servants, and industry leaders.
An understanding of international skills policy approaches and a curiosity for global best practice.
Strong interpersonal and organisational skills, with the ability to lead and collaborate across teams.
A genuine passion for skills development, workforce equity, and positive social impact.

Why Join Them?

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to systemic change in the UK's industrial skills landscape. In this role you'll:

Work on issues that drive national policy and local impact.
Join a dynamic, inclusive team committed to equity and innovation.
Influence public debate and help shape solutions for the UK's skills challenges.
Be part of a flexible, employee-centric culture, with strong commitment to an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace.

Application deadline: 23:59 Wednesday 20th August
Please apply with a copy of your CV and brief summary demonstrating your motivation and suitability for the role.

Full right to work in the UK is required. Unfortunately, sponsorship cannot be offered, and support for relocation isn't possible.

Ideally, the postholder will be based near to London, but our client operates on a remote basis with whole team meetings arranged on a quarterly basis. There may be some additional UK wide travel for events and stakeholder engagement.

Murray McIntosh is proud to be an equal opportunities employer on behalf of their clients. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability or age.

Murray McIntosh is a specialist Policy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communications and Economics recruitment consultancy, recruiting positions at all levels and across all sectors. Our team boasts over 20 years of experience in this space, with expertise spanning all manner of industry and subject.