Overview
FTC until the end of 2026
We are working with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), a professional membership body representing architects and championing excellence in the built environment.
This Senior Policy Advisor role is an exciting opportunity for an experienced policy professional to play a leading role in shaping and delivering RIBA's policy programme. The role offers the chance to influence public policy across key built environment issues and ensure RIBA's expertise and member insight are reflected in national policy debate.
Reporting to the Director of Policy and Public Affairs and working closely with colleagues across the organisation, the Senior Policy Advisor will act as RIBA's in‑house policy expert. The role combines policy development, research and consultation work with high‑level stakeholder engagement, including supporting engagement with parliamentarians, government and the wider sector.
Main Responsibilities
- Design and deliver a policy programme that feeds into long and short-term policy priorities.
- Commission or conduct new research and assist with communication and production of material for publication and the web.
- Design and deliver projects and policy consultation work with input from RIBA's expert members.
- Act as the in-house expert adviser and first port of call for internal and external stakeholders on core areas of policy responsibility.
- Combine detailed policy knowledge with the ability to provide policy context to assist the development contact programme with MPs, Peers, Ministers, civil servants and key stakeholder organisations.
- Produce policy content for briefing materials, speeches and articles for RIBA trustees and members on key political and policy developments.
- Interpret and communicate the impacts of political developments and identify opportunities to engage with the public policy debate through activity in parliament, the media and the wider sector.
- Input into press work with relevant to policy issues.
Skills and Experience
- A track record of successful policy development and research.
- Strong experience of influencing policy to effect change.
- A good understanding of policy processes, including knowledge of central and local Government structures, and how bodies like the RIBA can influence the policy making process is essential.
- An ability to translate detailed technical points into outputs accessible to general audiences.
- A proven track record of communicating key messages to different stakeholders in a commercial environment.
- The ability to commission and manage external work effectively.
- An understanding of and the ability to apply project management techniques.
- Written and spoken communication skills.
- Experience or interest in built environment policy an advantage.
- Preference for someone who is immediately available for contract/project work until the end of 2026
Full right to work in the UK required as visa sponsorship isn't possible.
Application deadline is 23:59, 12th April. No cover letter required, but please ensure all relevant experience is highlighted on your CV.
If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process or working environment, please let us know.
Murray McIntosh is proud to be an equal opportunities employer on behalf of their clients. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.
Murray McIntosh is a specialist Policy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communications and Economics recruitment consultancy, recruiting positions at all levels and across all sectors. Our team boasts over 20 years of experience in this space, with expertise spanning all manner of industry and subject areas.
Ellie Diamond
Recruitment Consultant - Policy, Public Affairs & Strategic Communications
Helped us to meet demand & deadlines!
Murray McIntosh helped us during a very busy period.
At that time we required experienced electricians to assist us with cutting cables, assembling complex multi-core cables, soldering, and panel wiring. Murray McIntosh helped us to meet demand & deadlines by introducing us to qualified individuals in the area who were able to jump on board with the availability and skillsets we required.
Sahar Mirshafiei - Manager at 2M Automation
First hand response from their clients!
I find Murray McIntosh are proactive in searching suitable position whenever I approach them. They are quick on getting first hand response from their clients straight after an interview. I would highly recommend them as key recruiters for those who are looking for change or further progression.
Vishal Gangani - Senior Engineer at Anonymous
The Murray McIntosh team are absolutely outstanding in attention to detail and never giving up on the values all recruitment specialists should aspire to be like.
I must say that over the past 40yrs of working at some of this countries biggest and most prestigious projects (and industry) I have in all of those years had many agencies working to get me the right position and if that position didn’t work out they ran for the hills!!
A unique situation to put someone in so trust has to be defining, but now to the agency recruitment specialist Murray McIntosh, after being let down and leaving a position early even though it was supposed to be long term, the team kept the pressure on and said they would do their best. 3-4 months later I am now working for that same company in a better position! They are absolutely outstanding in attention to detail and never giving up on the values all recruitment specialists should aspire to be like.
Murray McIntosh are a credit to the profession and I can’t them enough for giving me the opportunities they had promised and come through with.
Bravo!!
Glenn Swinerd - Technical Manager at JN Bentley
Always at the end of the phone to answer any questions
Murray McIntosh has a team of reliable recruitment consultants who will work hard to find you a suitable role. They will also continue to ensure you are integrated within your role with no issues and are always at the end of the phone to answer any questions. I would like to continue working with Murray McIntosh due to the great client service.
Thuwa Sarvanathan - Process Engineer at Wessex Water
We do a bulk of our business through Murray McIntosh due to the quality of the candidates and the speed of service!
We currently have 10+ Murray McIntosh resources working across my team. We have found the standard of applicants to be high, clearly the effort dedicated to candidate vetting by the team prior to submission has saved time at the interview stage with an offer rate of around 2 from 3. They are very proactive in offering CVs and managing them through the online portals to get them in front of me for review, they are also quick to act when making offers and securing start dates. They were supportive on the occasion a candidate wasn’t performing and provided sound guidance on the way forward. Compared to other recruiting partners, we do a bulk of our business through Murray McIntosh due to the quality of the candidates and the speed of service.
Senior Design Manager - Senior Design Manager at Tier One Provider - Major Design & Capital Delivery