Key information
Closing date: 10am, Tuesday 17 September 2024
Salary: £50,000 to £55,000 per year
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Location: Based in London SW8 / home and flexible working
Interviews: First round online, Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 September 2024 / Second round in-person, Friday 4 October
What you’ll be doing
For over 30 years, as well as supporting schools, communities and families, we have been campaigning to raise awareness of the importance of literacy and make it a priority for politicians and business leaders. We make evidence-based policy recommendations to drive change, we hold the secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Literacy, we build political support for our Libraries for Primaries campaign and we help business leaders engage with policy via the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge.
This is a unique opportunity to join the charity to lead our policy and public affairs activity. This is a critical moment for public policy on literacy, language and communication, and support for the most disadvantaged communities.
You will be responsible for the strategic direction of our policy engagement and influencing at national, regional and local level. You will develop relationships with Government departments and politicians, and bring together key stakeholders to share best practice, support our campaigns and advocate for our work.
You will also contribute to the development of our local Literacy Hubs, a place-based approach which brings communities together to address literacy needs. You will support relationships with local stakeholders in order to align our Hubs to existing local authority corporate plans, services and interventions.
This role is based in London but with flexibility to work from home for the majority of the time. However, you will need to be able to be in London for team and staff days, as well as policy events and partner meetings, which could be an average of once a month.
You will line manage a Policy Manager, as well as being part of our extended leadership team.
What we’re looking for
You will need to be an experienced and confident leader, with a background in influencing national and local policy and practice, and being an expert voice on policy. Experience of working with government departments and large funding partners, and leading teams to deliver within tight timescales, will be essential. Experience in the education sector and place-based working, and understanding of complex programme delivery with multiple partners, would be an advantage.
Why our work is so vital
Literacy changes everything.
It gives you the tools to get the most out of life, and the power to shape your future. It’s the key to knowledge, confidence and inspiration. It’s better results at school, and better jobs. If children grow up without the tools to communicate, without books to read or opportunities to write, it’s harder to get where you want to go.
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity helping people overcome these challenges and change their life chances through the power of words – reading, writing, speaking and listening. From first words, through school days to training, jobs and beyond.
- We work collaboratively in local communities, focusing our work in 20 areas of the UK that are facing the biggest challenges.
- We support schools, developing the most effective tools and techniques and providing resources and programmes to engage and inspire children.
- We campaign to make literacy a priority for politicians and decision-makers.
- We support vulnerable adults, people in the criminal justice system and young offenders’ institutions to build their literacy skills
What we offer you
Our team are passionate about our mission and we have a strong and positive working culture, based on shared values and respect. We offer a range of flexible working options and promote a workplace where you can be yourself and contribute to our success, whoever you are.
As well as a competitive salary, we offer benefits including a generous leave allowance totalling 39 days (including bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year), pension contributions of 8% of annual salary, a cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme and other health and wellbeing benefits.
Application details
Our people are our most important asset and we value and respect diversity in all its forms (seen and unseen). We particularly welcome applications from those from Black and Asian backgrounds, as well as candidates with disabilities and from the communities in which we work. We would like to increase representation of these groups among our staff as we know greater diversity will lead to an even greater impact for our work.
For more information and to apply, download the files below.
Please also complete our online equal opportunities monitoring form when you submit your application.
Unfortunately, we are unable to respond individually to applications so if you have not heard from us by the advertised interview date, this means we have not been able to shortlist your application this time.
Please note we do not accept CVs. No agencies or recruitment sites.