Influencing and External Engagement

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with government departments, regulators, healthcare organisations, professional bodies and other stakeholders.
• Support the organisation and its spokespeople in policy discussions, forums, consultations and stakeholder meetings, as appropriate.
• Draft policy positions and recommendations with influence in mind - clear priorities, practical recommendations, and alignment with organisational strategy.
• Respond at pace to political, regulatory or clinical developments, producing timely analysis and advice.
• Draft and support member-facing communications explaining the relevance of policy developments to clinical practice.

Cross-Organisation Collaboration

• Work closely with colleagues across the Policy and Standards team to ensure a coherent and impactful policy approach.
• Collaborate with the Campaigns and Press team to ensure policy insight informs influencing, media and public affairs activity.
• Provide policy advice, briefings and analysis to senior leaders, clinicians, committees and spokespeople.

Contribute to Team Effectiveness

• Support planning, reporting and evaluation across the policy function.
• Contribute to peer review, knowledge-sharing and continuous improvement of policy methods and outputs.
• Support the commissioning and management of external research or analysis where required.

About You

• Degree or equivalent experience in public policy, health policy, economics, data science, social sciences, or a related field.
• Experience developing policy in a health, governmental, regulatory, or professional context.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse complex evidence, data and expert opinion and translate it into clear, actionable policy recommendations.
• Experience contributing to policy outputs that influence decision-makers.
• Some experience working with government departments, healthcare stakeholders or regulatory bodies.
• Strong drafting skills, with experience producing clear policy documents and briefings for senior or specialist audiences.
• Understanding of policy development methods, including evidence review, consultation processes and horizon scanning.
• Understanding of UK health policy.
• Good collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively with clinicians, colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate complex issues clearly and persuasively.

What’s in it for you?

• 27 days paid holiday + bank holidays and up to 4 college closure days over the festive period & other leave entitlements (carers leave, fertility treatment leave, etc.)
• Hybrid and flexible working. We require staff to spend a minimum of 20% of their time in the office, subject to role requirements.
• Opportunity to work from outside the UK (up to 2 weeks) (dependent on eligibility)
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Equal access to enhanced parenthood leave
• A range of staff and peer networks
• Employee health and wellbeing committed (Healthcare cash plan, menopause friendly, disability confident employer, mental health first aiders, EAP etc.)
• Retail discount platform
• Sabbatical and volunteering opportunities
• Variety of learning and development opportunities

Interested Candidates

If you wish to apply or if you have any questions about this position, please email your CV together with a cover letter to RCSHR@rcseng.ac.uk.

Any personal data collected from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us in accordance with our recruitment processes. If unsuccessful in your application, your information will be held by us on our database for a period of 6 months before deletion. If you would like your information removed sooner, please contact RCSHR@rceng.ac.uk

Closing date: Friday 28 August 2026.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are open to all talent and we actively ensure that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regards to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to protecting your privacy. We are registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). All College employees are responsible for records held, created and used as part of their work for the College including patient/client, corporate and administrative records. Records are managed according to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and ensure confidentiality. The College ensures that staff are trained to handle the information you submit to us with care and discretion, seeking advice where necessary.