Overview

Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Officer

London HQ with hybrid working

Contract type: 21 hours, Permanent

Salary range per annum: £36,705 - £41,466 pro rata* plus inner London weighting of £5,094 per annum pro rata if applicable*

Ref: RCN02741

There is more to the RCN than you might think. We’re a trade union with a membership of over half a million nurses, midwives, nursing support workers and students. We support their practice, represent them, lobby on their behalf, and develop them. We exist to make a positive difference – to the working lives of our members and ultimately to standards in patient care. Our employees are drawn from many walks of life – we are nurses, marketers and communicators, administrators, IT professionals, policy and finance experts, lawyers… together we are so much more. We couldn’t do what we do without our people.

As our Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Officer you’ll bring energy, creativity, and a keen eye for detail to support the College’s work in influencing policy makers, external stakeholders and the public—always with our members at the heart of what we do.

Responsibilities

• Support the College’s work in influencing policy makers, external stakeholders and the public, with membership interests at the heart of activities.
• Build relationships with stakeholders and write briefings for Parliamentarians.
• Organise events to engage members.
• Support monitoring and administrative systems that keep the Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement teams running smoothly.
• Help build campaigns on issues that matter to nursing staff and patients.
• Contribute to shaping health and social care policies and promoting excellence in nursing practice.

What we’re looking for

• Proactive, highly organised, and skilled at building strong relationships.
• Sound political judgement and the confidence to communicate effectively—both in writing and face-to-face.
• Previous experience in public affairs or stakeholder engagement isn’t essential, but a solid grasp of the UK political and policy environment and a genuine interest in addressing issues affecting our members is crucial.
• We particularly welcome applications from nursing staff or individuals with experience working closely with them.

What we offer you

We offer an impressive range of benefits, a broad range of learning development opportunities and an award-winning health and wellbeing programme. We offer annual leave up to 32 days plus bank holidays and three additional days for the Christmas break plus generous maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave packages.

*We offer a competitive pay structure with annual pay progression until you reach the top of the salary scale. We normally offer new employees the first point of the salary range, although you may be able to negotiate a higher starting salary depending on your skills, experience and current salary.

We are a diverse organisation and understand everyone has different needs and many of our employees enjoy flexible working enabling them to deliver results whilst having a good work life balance. Our hybrid working model allows for up to 60% of your working time to be carried out from home. At least 40% of your working time will be spent working in person.

Our selection process

Please click the ‘apply now’ button to submit a CV and answer the supporting questions online demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this role. You may not be shortlisted if you don’t. Please ensure your CV is in a simple format with minimal tables and sections. Any identifying information in your application will automatically be anonymised for shortlisting purposes.

Closing date: 11.59pm, 5th October 2025.

Selection Interview dates: 15th and 16th October 2025.

We want your experience applying for a job with us to be the best it can be. We may hold our interviews and assessments in person or by video call. If you foresee any problems, please let us know.

Equal opportunities for everyone

Equity, diversity and inclusion are a priority for us and we aim to foster an inclusive environment so our people can bring their authentic selves to work. This is integral to our mission to enable you to support our members and ensure their voice is heard by all UK governments to get the best outcomes for them and their patients. We actively encourage applications from people with disabilities as a proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme.

Contact details

For more information or for an informal discussion about the role please contact Beth Knight-Yamamoto, Public Affairs Manager at beth.knight-yamamoto@rcn.org.uk

For more information about the recruitment and selection process please contact recruit@rcn.org.uk