We are Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society’s biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet.

For over 20 years, we have worked to support, encourage and inspire innovation. We work in three roles: as an innovation partner working with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions, as a venture builder supporting new and early stage businesses, and as a system shaper creating the conditions for innovation.

Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to change millions of lives for the better. Find out more at https://www.nesta.org.uk/

We are recruiting for (Senior) Policy Adviser(s)

How will a (Senior) Policy Adviser(s) contribute to Nesta’s success?
Nesta is looking for 1-2 (Senior) Policy Adviser(s)

We’re looking for policy savvy team-players who are motivated by Nesta’s ambitious missions – on early-years, health and net zero – and up for the challenge of both developing and influencing policy to achieve them.

The work of the policy team is to drive impact on our mission goals and we do this in three core ways:

• Work with experts across Nesta to develop fresh, robust policy recommendations on our Missions
• Develop and deliver, as part of a team, cross-cutting policy projects in areas of policy that are enabling for our Missions (e.g tax and spend, inequality)
• Build and improve Nesta’s internal policy capabilities and processes so we’re as effective as we can be

Across these, the central policy team builds and strengthens Nesta’s relationships with policymakers to maximise engagement and uptake.

You’ll be working within a small team of policy experts, but can expect a proportion of your time to be working directly with multidisciplinary mission teams who are designing, testing and scaling interventions on early years, health and net zero. Many of these team members will also be part of the wider policy community of practice, and/or have expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, data science, design, the arts and behavioural science.

Examples of the projects this team have launched and are running include: the UK2040 Options project, the “Be the Chancellor” tool and work on mission-driven-government.

The team aims to build and strengthen Nesta’s relationships with policymakers, and help to bring fresh, innovative but pragmatic solutions to some of the big challenges that the country faces.

The role

You will:

• Write incisive policy notes to policymakers across government, synthesizing insights from primary research, reviews and data analysis. You will also support other Nesta teams in developing and writing their own policy outputs
• Draw on expertise from across the Nesta Group and from external partners to test, improve and promote our policy proposals
• Work with policymakers and those who influence them to build support for our policy proposals
• Promote a more experimental approach to policy development, enabling us to draw on methods such as rapid prototyping and testing, modelling, trials and design approaches (note: you do not need to have expertise in these methods)
• Develop and deliver events that support our audience to engage with our work, including writing, editing and/or reviewing thought leadership and policy content, working with the Communications team as part of a broader communications strategy
• Produce high quality written briefings for meetings and events with key stakeholders on behalf of Nesta’s CEO, Exec team and Directors
• Support the commissioning and development of new analysis, tools or products
• Cultivate strong and sustained relationships with external experts and contacts across government, and support Nesta to strengthen our networks, partnerships and engagement with government departments across the UK.
• Keep on top of policy debates and identify opportunities for Nesta to have an impact on the most important policy issues that affect our Missions
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the team and the whole of Nesta to develop the best possible policy proposals

The person
We are looking for someone who has both the ability to design and improve policy ideas and a good understanding of how the policy making process works. You may have worked in national or local government or in other parts of the policy making process, but your ability and enthusiasm are more important than your experience.

Key skills include:

• An ability to draft policy proposals clearly and concisely, and to make complex ideas easy to understand
• An understanding of research methods and evidence gathering, along with an ability to translate technical information into simpler forms
• The ability to manage a portfolio of projects, coordinating the input of others and ensuring deadlines and objectives are met
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and an appetite to engage and persuade external stakeholders
• An ability to work independently and proactively, developing new projects and ideas and contributing to the intellectual development of the policy team and the policy community of practice.
• The most important thing will be an ability to get to grips with new areas of policy and technical knowledge quickly.

The person

• Strong ability to and experience of building relationships with external partners, and managing externally commissioned work to deadlines
• Excellent teamwork and collaboration
• First-rate communication and presentation skills. You can distill a complex topic to the key issues and can write clearly and concisely, adapting your communication to suit different audiences
• An understanding of and interest in domestic policy, and specifically the relationship between policy and evidence
• A good understanding of how the UK government works at the national level
• Ability to interpret and summarise qualitative and quantitative data
• Ability to review academic evidence and government policy papers, quality check and sythensise findings with ease
• Willingness to work flexibly on policy topics outside of immediate expertise
• Solution focused approach to problem solving
• High levels of initiative and independent working