Head of Policy and Public Affairs

Business Disability Forum

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

Business Disability Forum (BDF) is a UK-based non-profit membership organization that helps businesses become more inclusive and accessible for disabled employees and customers. It provides guidance, resources, and networking opportunities to ensure that organizations can confidently recruit, retain, and support disabled people in the workplace.

BDF’s mission is to create an inclusive world where disabled people can contribute and thrive in business without barriers. Their vision is to help businesses improve their disability inclusion strategies by providing expert advice, knowledge-sharing, and practical tools. BDF has a network of over 500 organisations across various sectors, including multinational corporations, public sector institutions, and charities.

Members gain access to expert advice, tailored resources, and peer networking opportunities to drive disability inclusion within their organisations. Business Disability Forum has an ambitious digital strategy. We have invested substantially in the last few years to upgrade three of our digital products (website, Knowledge Hub, and a self-assessment management tool for our Members). 

About the role

We are looking for an exceptional individual to fulfil the role of Head of Policy and Public Affairs. We are looking for an experienced public affairs professional who can design and implement a public and parliamentary affairs strategy and support the team’s projects across public and parliamentary affairs, research, law and legislation, and UK Government consultation and inquiry work.

Responsibilities

Public and Parliamentary Affairs:

• Develop, implement and manage the public and parliamentary affairs strategy for BDF on disability related employment and customer/service provision issues. 
• Develop and manage a public and parliamentary affairs horizon scanning and planning database for the policy team and the CEO to use.
• Attend Parliamentary events (commonly receptions and roundtables) to represent BDF’s policy positions and build relationships with MPs, peers, and other stakeholders.
• Produce BDF’s annual public policy impact report to influence political audiences.
• Securing meetings with Parliamentary figures across both houses for our CEO, and briefing and accompanying her to them as required.

Public Policy and Research:

• Increase the reach and impact of our employment-related public policy work across business, parliament and government audiences.
• To liaise with the Director of Public Policy and Research to produce responses to Government consultations and inquiries, including gathering existing intelligence from within Business Disability Forum (for example, from Advice Service queries) and engaging directly with our Members and Partners to gather specific, targeted responses.
• Represent the Business Disability Forum in wider government policy engagement work, including Government-led subject-specific and time-limited working groups and collaboration committees.
• Work with the Head of Practice to deliver projects that turn our policy work into practice (which have most recently included running workshops with members and the Government on specific projects).
• Support and co-deliver the research activities of the team, including data collection, writing up research briefings and outputs, and running policy forums and working groups.

Raising BDF’s Profile:

• Speak at BDF’s own and external events to raise awareness of our policy and research work and positions.
• Work with the Head of Media and Communications to ensure the right positions and messages reach the right breadth of audiences to increase the impact of BDF’s policy and research work.
• To work with the Communications team to respond to media requests, ensuring a timely response and acting as a media spokesperson as required.

Other:

• Build productive and professional working relationships both internally and externally.
• Take part in own continuous improvement activities as required.
• Update and maintain accurate records on the Salesforce CRM.
• Complete, agree with the manager, and maintain Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) on a biannual basis.
• Be familiar with, and at all times adhere to, BDF policies, procedures and values as set out in the Staff Handbook.
• Promote and comply with BDF policies on equality and diversity both in the delivery of services and in working relationships and treatment of others.
• Any other duty as may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility. Any changes will be made in consultation with the post holder.

Internal:

• CEO.
• Heads of Departments – including Head of Practice, Head of Content, Head of Media and Communications.
• Communications, media and Marketing teams.
• Membership and operations team.

External:

• Government officials, ministers, parliamentarians.
• Think tanks, academics, and research agencies/organisations.
• Disability organisations, business membership organisations, and other inclusion retention not-for-profit organisations.
• Public affairs agencies.
• Conference and event organisers.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Experience:

• Demonstrable experience of working at management level in a public policy role in a topic related to disability, diversity and inclusion in the UK.
• Strong experience in setting and delivering a public and parliamentary affairs strategy.
• Demonstrable experience in engaging with public figures across government and parliament.
• Working in a policy or research team in a membership organisation or in an organisation that regularly advises or partners with businesses.
• Working with Government officials, political figures, MPs and peers on complex policy and legislation.
• Acting as a public-facing spokesperson for an organisation.
• Developing new insights and policy positions within a team in an organisation, working with other internal teams (such as comms and media) to communicate and promote those positions.
• Collecting and analysing data from a range of sources, including from within internal CRM databases, gathering qualitative information from and fulfilling research design requirements.

Skills:

• Personable and engaging to build strong, friendly working relationships with businesses, disabled people, and political figures.
• Managing multiple demands across policy, public affairs, comms, and research and delivering to deadlines.
• Writing research reports, policy briefings, and research questions.
• Excellent verbal (equivalent) skills, including giving presentations and delivering conference speeches.
• Excellent critical and detailed thinking skills.
• Excellent written English, specific enough to read and draft paragraphs of proposed legislation. 

Knowledge & Attributes:

• How to strategically and effectively navigate the UK policy and public affairs “landscape” in a respectful, engaging, and approachable manner.
• In-depth knowledge of the disability and reasonable adjustments element of UK legislation, and equality law as per the Equality Act 2010, the Employment Rights Act, and Health and Safety at Work.
• In-depth knowledge of how Government and Parliamentary procedures work, and how not-for-profit organisations work within this.
• The equity, equality, diversity and inclusion ‘landscape’ in the global West and how businesses operate within and navigate this in the UK and internationally.
• Helpful, approachable, and engaging when interacting with different audiences – political, business, and people with lived experience of disability.

Required Qualifications

• Formal research and writing training (Master’s or research degree) or proven equivalent experience.

Compensation & Benefits

• 25 days Annual leave plus statutory and bank holidays (usually 33 days in total)
• Workplace Pension Scheme 8% of gross salary.
• Permanent Health Insurance.
• Probationary period: Four months
• Group Death in Service (Life Assurance 3 x Annual Salary).
• Private Medical Insurance Scheme,
• Private Medical Cashback Scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.

Working locations

• Dowgate Hill House, 14-16 Dowgate Hill, London, United Kingdom

How to apply

• We are asking applicants to send their CV and covering letter to apply for the role. Writing to a high standard in English is key to this role, as is writing to tight specifications and word count. A mistake is fine – we all make them. But your covering letter and CV should be well-written, with accurate use of English spelling and grammar. Your covering letter should tell us why you want to work in BDF’s policy and research team and why you think you would suit the role. Your letter should not exceed 400 words in total. Applications should be sent to [email protected]
• If you have any questions, you can contact [email protected] or by telephone on 020-7403-3020.

Interviews

• First interviews are planned for the 27th, 28th & 30th April.
• Second interviews are likely to take place in the week commencing 5th May 2026.

Policies

We are committed to becoming disability-smart and an employer of choice irrespective of race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, or pregnancy and maternity. The ethical and business case of ensuring that our workforce is representative of wider society is at the heart of what we do.

When we are recruiting, disabled candidates who meet all of the criteria will be offered an interview. Business Disability Forum is committed to ensuring that all its information, products and services are as accessible as possible to everyone.

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