Deputy Director of Policy and Influencing

Job Description

We're the UK's specialist blood cancer charity and our vision is clear: we’re here to beat blood cancer. We fund world-class research; provide information and support to patients and their loved ones; and raise awareness of blood cancer. Since 1960 we have invested more than £500 million in blood cancer research in the UK. Where we’ve invested, survival rates and quality of life have improved. We’ve been working to beat blood cancer for over 50 years, and we won’t stop until we do. Be a part of our story and help us change the world. We’re looking for an exceptional leader with the vision, drive and ability to lead our high-performing policy and influencing team and deliver our ambitions in this space. You’ll join at an exciting time following the recent launch of our Blood Cancer Action Plan, which sets out our recommendations for the changes we need to see in the system across the whole pathway to improve outcomes and survival for all blood cancer patients. You’ll bring substantial expertise in influencing the system and delivering policy change through your experience in government, NHS, charity or the wider healthcare and life sciences sector. This role offers the right individual the opportunity to make a real difference in realising our vision of beating blood cancer in a generation.
Majority of our roles can be performed hybrid. For this role you will be required to attend the office 2-4 days per month on average dependent on business needs. Travel costs to your contracted office will be at your own expense. Our culture and benefits package are award winning, and our staff survey tells us that we’re a great place to work. We are committed to actively promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity. In line with our strategy we welcome approaches from individuals from underrepresented groups, including minority communities, and applicants with a disability, to better reflect the community we serve and help broaden our perspectives.

We’re open to applicants who would like to apply for working part time (minimum of 28 hours). If this applies to you, please outline this in your cover letter.

First stage interviews will be held online week commencing 18 November.

Second stage interviews will be held in-person at our London office week commencing 25 November.

Key Responsibilities

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Leadership

• Lead, develop and manage the Policy and Influencing strategic vision with a particular focus on implementation of the recommendations from the Blood Cancer Action Plan.
• Develop an approach to influence decisions at a more local-level to improve outcomes for blood cancer patients, particularly through work with ICBs and Health Boards, Cancer Alliances, and Hospital Trusts.
• Provide policy, public affairs and influencing expertise at both Board and Executive level informing organisational strategy, advising on key external developments and the organisation’s responses.
• Ensure policy developments across broad areas are assessed for potential implications for people living with blood cancer and lead organisational response and policy direction.
• Ensure Blood Cancer UK is positioned as a systems leader in blood cancer across all four nations, driving our activities as a delivery partner, convenor and advocate for blood cancer research, treatment and care.

Affecting change and external representation

• Lead policy development in key areas in the blood cancer field with an overview across the four nations of the UK.
• Lead innovative, engaging, impactful campaigns which people affected by blood cancer have informed and been part of developing, and want take part in.
• Lead on public affairs activity on UK-wide and England-wide issues at a national level
• Lead on our coalition and partnership work with other charities in the policy space, specifically the Blood Cancer Alliance, Cancer 52, National Voices, and One Cancer Voice.
• Build on our relationships with pharmaceutical and other industry partners where there are mutual areas of strategic alignment.
• Develop and maintain networks of key contacts across all relevant spheres for engagement, building effective reciprocal relationships.
• Act as senior representative externally for Blood Cancer UK, including in cross charity coalitions and on senior NHS groups and committees.
• Develop our approach to involving people affected by blood cancer in our influencing work, including our Policy Panel and newly established Scotland Policy Panel. Ensure that we continue to reflect our community's priorities and co-produce work that is informed and influenced by the views and experiences of people affected by blood cancer, particularly those from typically under-represented communities.
• Work with the Fundraising team to develop compelling proposals focused on delivering change for our blood cancer community that could be attractive to funders and that contribute to our overall fundraising ambitions, particularly in the Corporate donor space.

Operational management

• Lead on the delivery of the organisational strategy and priorities in the policy and influencing space, including specific programmes of work which span the whole organisation such as implementation of the Blood Cancer Action Plan.
• Lead and develop the policy, campaigns and engagement team ensuring their work is effectively supported, opportunities to grow and develop are prioritised and shared and performance is effectively managed.
• Work with our Communications team to support the development of our approach to communicating policy-related issues, including the organisation position and response to the changing policy environment.
• Lead the development of positive collaborative relationships across the Research, Policy and Services Directorate, ensuring we are planning and delivering our work in an integrated way across teams.
• Work alongside other directors, deputy directors and heads to form an integral part of the leadership team to design, plan and deliver directorate plans and objectives, and contributing to and leading cross-organisational projects and achievement of strategic objectives.
• Making clear links with organisational and departmental strategy and priorities and using effective project management, lead on business planning, budgeting, delivery, monitoring, evaluation, lessons-learned and reporting.

THINGS WE ALL DO

• Promote Blood Cancer UK’s vision, mission and core values
• We’re all fundraisers. This is slightly different for all roles, and your team will have fundraising KPIs and objectives we all work to
• Attend and assist at Blood Cancer UK events and activities as required (NB this involves evening and weekend work)
• Be an effective ambassador for Blood Cancer UK at any activity you attend
• All staff are expected to adhere to Blood Cancer UK’s policies and procedures
• Do any other reasonable things your manager needs you to do
• We work in partnership with our community by actively involving people affected by blood cancer in the decisions we make about our work – what we do and how we do it.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Skills knowledge and experience

• Significant experience in developing and implementing influencing strategies with clearly defined short term outcomes and longer-term impact, underpinned by a robust approach to monitoring progress against objectives
• Significant experience of building relationships for influence at a senior level in the political, healthcare and related environments that deliver results for the organisation
• Experience of leading teams as well as managing programmes of work across a matrix structure. Strong leadership skills and experience of managing change.
• In depth knowledge of the structures and processes of government, NHS, the three Nations and related healthcare systems and experience of navigating these effectively to access and influence key decision makers at a local and national level
• Understanding of the medical research sector and the key policy considerations in this space
• Demonstrable experience of having delivered highly effective health campaigns affecting positive change
• Highly developed strategic and systems level thinking – able to make connections and understand the best approach for making impact
• Excellent communications skills in all forums, in a high-profile context and with a broad range of stakeholders. Ability to use communication to influence, persuade and build consensus
• Experience of building effective and sustained partnerships pharmaceutical companies or other corporate partners
• Strong leadership and team working skills with experience of supporting and developing colleagues and modelling good practice in collaborative working
• Experience of working with fundraising teams to secure income for policy and advocacy focused programmes of work
• A commercial mindset with the ability to identify new opportunities for collaboration and partnerships that add value to the charity.
• Confident as a media spokesperson, ideally across a number of different platforms
• Fluent with digital collaboration tools to meet, share and collaborate with colleagues
• Commitment to understanding users’ and audiences’ needs and behaviours, and developing products, campaigns, services and communications based on meeting these needs
• A positive attitude to technology, insight and data, including an enthusiasm to use new technologies and ways of working to deliver team/individual objectives
• Understanding of personal data under the principles of GDPR
• A collaborative approach to working with other teams
• Able to consider barriers users might face in using our products and services, and use this insight to make sure they are accessible to everyone