Senior Policy and Campaigns Adviser

Royal College of Physicians

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

Royal College of Physicians is a rewarding and friendly place to work with an incredible history, dating back to our foundation in 1518. We are a professional membership body for physicians and doctors who work in hospitals with over 40,000 members in the UK and around the world, working to improve patient care and reduce illness.

Our activities focus on educating, improving, and influencing for better health and care. We work from two main sites: The Spine, a new state-of-the-art building at the heart of the Knowledge Centre in Liverpool, and an iconic Grade I-listed building overlooking beautiful Regent’s Park in central London.

We champion an inclusive culture and welcome applications from all sections of society. We value taking care, learning, and being collaborative. These values underpin everything we do. Join us to help achieve our vision of a world in which everyone has the best possible health and healthcare.

About the role

The Royal College of Physicians is the membership organisation for physicians. The senior policy and campaigns adviser develops the RCP’s thinking and influence, helping us to understand the key issues affecting health in England and identifying opportunities to involve members in policy development. You will contribute to the creative and impactful delivery of the policy function. You will develop and deliver policy work across a range of high-profile topics, including the NHS workforce, clinical transformation, and public health and prevention.

You will work with the president, senior officers, RCP committees, and our partners to develop policy positions and further our campaigning aims. Central to that will be maintaining a keen awareness of policy developments in the external landscape and analysing and making recommendations for how to evolve and progress our policy positioning in response.

You will help us to analyse and interpret complex policy information to aid understanding and decision-making. You will develop lines to take, brief senior officers and staff, and draft public statements and media comments. The policy and campaigns team provides a fast-paced and collaborative environment. You will help us shape our objectives and continuously improve how we work.

Responsibilities

• Developing and delivering policy work across a range of topics within the RCP’s policy portfolio.
• Delivering robust horizon scanning and policy monitoring to proactively identify key issues and opportunities to evolve our policy positioning and further our aims.
• Developing proactive and reactive policy positions on high-profile issues relating to the RCP’s work, working in partnership with senior officers, RCP members, communications colleagues, and other staff and organisations as appropriate.
• Working flexibly and proactively, undertaking a range of work such as writing briefings, policy positions, reports, committee papers, and consultation responses.
• Supporting senior officers and staff in stakeholder meetings, including researching and drafting briefings and representing the RCP at meetings and events.
• Building and owning relationships with sector stakeholders, NHS systems, and other organisations relevant to the RCP’s policy and campaign aims.
• Contributing policy advice to the media team to underpin media releases, comments, statements, and opinion pieces.
• Supporting RCP committees and advisory groups to develop and deliver policy work.
• Any other duties commensurate with your post, including deputising for the Head of policy and campaigns, and other staff as required.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Essential:

• Strong background in policy development and effective influencing, with a demonstrable understanding of the policy development process and how to influence national and arms-length body policy processes.
• Able to quickly and accurately analyse and interpret complex information to aid understanding and decision making.
• Excellent writing skills and strong experience in producing briefings, consultation responses, and other communications on behalf of an organisation.
• Experience of successfully managing competing views, priorities, and interests to achieve your aims.
• Able to quickly develop positive and effective working relationships with a diverse range of people, including those in senior positions.
• Able to act on your own initiative to develop new work, proposing reasonable and realistic solutions.
• Understand the importance of and be committed to involving a diverse range of organisations and people in developing and delivering influential work.

Desirable:

• Health and social care policy
• Public affairs and communications/media work
• Working with data and undertaking basic statistical analysis
• Working in a membership organisation and involving members in advocacy

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual leave
• Mental health activities and sessions
• Enhanced pension scheme
• Health cash plan and employee discounts

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely

How to apply

• Apply Now
• To submit your CV and a supporting statement (no more than 2 pages) explaining, with clear examples, how your skills and experience match the job description and person specification. Applicants who do not submit a relevant supporting statement as requested will not be shortlisted. 
• To ensure we are able to fully consider your application, we ask you not to solely use AI to generate a cover letter. AI tools may help you to apply for this role, but it’s essential that you use them appropriately. Authenticity is important. We are interested in who you are, how you think, and how you write.
• For an informal discussion about this role, candidates are welcome to contact our recruitment team on: Email: [email protected] Telephone: 020 3075 1649

Interviews

• Interviewing date: 6th May 2026

Policies

The RCP positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. The RCP is all about our people, our members, staff, volunteers, and leaders.

We educate, influence, and collaborate to improve health and healthcare for everyone, and know we can only do this by being inclusive, encouraging, and celebrating diverse perspectives. Welcoming into our community people who represent the 21st-century medical workforce and the diverse population of patients we serve is a priority for us.

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