Waythrough
External Affairs and Strategy Specialist
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External Affairs and Strategy Specialist
External Affairs and Strategy Specialist
Location: Home Based, Expectation of travel
Working Hours: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £38,960.00 - £48,960
Flexibility in terms of hours and possible part-time hours to be considered.
Please note: The salary listed reflects the full earning potential for this role. Starting salaries depend on experience and progression within the band.
About Waythrough
Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we’ve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England.
Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services – and it’s all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.
Make a real difference in your community
Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.
About the Role
As the External Affairs and Strategy Specialist, you will help shape Waythrough’s external influence, ensuring the organisation understands and responds to an increasingly complex political, policy and social environment. Working closely with senior leaders, you will support strategic decision-making, build key partnerships and drive campaigns and policy projects that create positive change for the people we support.
This is a home-based role with some travel required, including attendance at our joint All Party Parliamentary Group (five or six times per year), and service visits, team away days and wider meetings as required. You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation, particularly the Communications team, to ensure our external voice is informed, impactful and rooted in lived experience.
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Key Duties
- Monitor and interpret political, policy and sector developments, identifying emerging risks, opportunities and trends.
- Build strong relationships across Waythrough to identify subject matter experts and ensure external positions are informed by operational and lived experience.
- Lead and coordinate elements of national campaigns, maintaining momentum and working collaboratively with Communications colleagues to maximise impact.
- Brief senior leaders on external affairs issues and provide high-quality research, papers and recommendations to support organisational decision-making.
- Represent Waythrough at parliamentary groups, policy alliances, external forums and partnership meetings.
- Develop policy submissions, consultation responses, speeches, presentations and campaign materials.
- Build and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders, including parliamentarians, sector bodies and partner organisations.
- Ensure the voices of the people we support remain central to all advocacy, policy and campaign activity.
About You
You are a confident and proactive relationship builder who thrives in a complex and fast-moving environment. Working as part of a small team, and with support and coaching from the Director, you'll be comfortable seeking out expertise across the organisation, collaborating with a wide range of colleagues and influencing senior stakeholders.
You have excellent communication skills, a strong understanding of politics and policy, and the confidence to work closely with directors and executive leaders. You can balance multiple priorities while maintaining focus on what matters most, and you are motivated by ensuring that campaigns, policy positions and external messages are genuinely informed by the experiences and voices of the people we support. Above all, you'll bring initiative, curiosity and a willingness to get stuck in and make things happen.
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What We Offer
We value the people who make a difference every day. Alongside meaningful work, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package:
- 27 days’ annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays)
- Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5%
- Life assurance (3× annual salary)
- Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly pay
- Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days’ annual leave
- Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications
- 24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme
- Recognition and long service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals
- £500 Recommend a Friend bonus
- Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership
- Discounts via Blue Light Card, Charity Discounts, Extras and Tickets for Good
- Free will writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year
Inclusion and Accessibility
Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.
We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme - all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.
If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: recruitmentteam@waythrough.org.uk
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