Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full-time

Compensation: £75,000 (including London Weighting) 

Comprehensive pension scheme (up to 6% employer contribution), cash plan healthcare package, and professional development budget.  

Location: London/Hybrid. This role requires regular travel to London and attendance at external events, including some evening commitments 

After passing probation, up to four weeks ‘super remote’ working per year, where you can work anywhere in the world as long as you’re online for four hours of the UK work day.

Holidays: 38 days per year, including our 3-day winter shut down and eight flexible bank holidays. 

Start Date: As soon as possible (to be agreed with the successful candidate.) 

Applications close: Monday 16 March (10 am)

About the Role

The Director of Policy, Public Affairs and Influence is a senior leadership role, responsible for shaping how the Fair Education Alliance engages with policy, public debate and decision-making at national, regional and local levels. Reporting to the Co-Chief Executive Officers and working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, the role provides strategic leadership for FEA’s policy positioning, public affairs and campaigning work, and plays a central role in the Alliance’s external presence. 

Operating across a cradle-to-career agenda, the post holder will lead a cross-departmental policy approach, engaging not only with the Department for Education but also with departments such as DCMS, DWP, MHCLG and the Cabinet Office, reflecting the systemic drivers of educational inequity. They will ensure that FEA’s positions are informed by insights from across the Alliance, including data from our Ecosystem Map and Report Card, and that these insights are translated into credible, well-judged contributions to public and policy debates. 

The Director will be trusted to make informed judgements about where the Alliance should focus its attention and how it engages in complex and evolving political environments. This includes shaping cross-party relationships, identifying opportunities for innovative policy and influencing models, representing the Alliance in external forums, and ensuring that the perspectives of members, partners and young people are brought into national conversations in ways that shift both policy and public understanding.  

Operating across a large and diverse system, the Director will work closely with colleagues across the organisation to connect national policy debates with place-based insight and lived experience. They will help draw together evidence and perspectives from across the Alliance, supporting a collective voice that reflects both the diversity of the membership and FEA’s role as a trusted convener.