Public Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement Officer

There is more to the RCN than you might think. We’re a trade union with a membership of over half a million nurses, midwives, nursing support workers and students. We support their practice, represent them, lobby on their behalf, and develop them. We exist to make a positive difference – to the working lives of our members and ultimately to standards in patient care. Our employees are drawn from many walks of life – we are nurses, marketers and communicators, administrators, IT professionals, policy and finance experts, lawyers… together we are so much more. We couldn’t do what we do without our people.

As our Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Officer you’ll bring energy, creativity, and a keen eye for detail to support the College’s work in influencing policy makers, external stakeholders and the public—always with our members at the heart of what we do.

It's a job full of possibilities, offering plenty of opportunities to develop your potential. You could get involved in anything from building relationships with stakeholders to writing briefings for Parliamentarians to organising events to engage members. You’ll also play a vital role in supporting the monitoring and administrative systems that keep our Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement teams running smoothly. Ultimately, you’ll be at the heart of building campaigns on the issues that matter most to nursing staff and patients, shaping health and social care policies, and promoting excellence in nursing practice.

To join us you’ll need to be proactive, highly organised, and skilled at building strong relationships. We're looking for someone with sound political judgement and the confidence to communicate effectively—both in writing and face-to-face.

While previous experience in public affairs or stakeholder engagement isn’t essential, a solid grasp of the UK’s political and policy environment and a genuine interest in addressing the issues affecting our members is crucial. We particularly welcome applications from nursing staff or individuals with experience working closely with them.

To succeed at the Royal College of Nursing, all you need to do is think bigger, better and brighter. And with an attitude like that, anything’s possible.

What we offer you

We expect you to advocate for after our members. And we expect you to be rewarded for it. We offer an impressive range of benefits, a broad range of learning development opportunities and an award-winning health and wellbeing programme. We offer annual leave up to 32 days plus bank holidays and three additional days for the Christmas break plus generous maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave packages.

*We offer a competitive pay structure with annual pay progression until you reach the top of the salary scale. We normally offer new employees the first point of the salary range, although you may be able to negotiate a higher starting salary depending on your skills, experience and current salary.

We are a diverse organisation and understand everyone has different needs and many of our employees enjoy flexible working enabling them to deliver results whilst having a good work life balance. Our hybrid working model allows for up to 60% of your working time to be carried out from home. At least 40% of your working time will be spent working in person.

Our selection process

Please click the ‘apply now’ button to submit a CV and answer the supporting questions online demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this role. You may not be shortlisted if you don’t. Please ensure your CV is in a simple format with minimal tables and sections. Any identifying information in your application will automatically be anonymised for shortlisting purposes. 

We want your experience applying for a job with us to be the best it can be. We may hold our interviews and assessments in person or by video call. If you foresee any problems, please let us know.

Equal opportunities for everyone

Equity, diversity and inclusion are a priority for us and we aim to foster an inclusive environment so our people can bring their authentic selves to work. This is integral to our mission to enable you to support our members and ensure their voice is heard by all UK governments to get the best outcomes for them and their patients. As proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities.

Contact details

For more information or for an informal discussion about the role please contact Beth Knight-Yamamoto, Public Affairs Manager at [email protected]

For more information about the recruitment and selection process please contact [email protected]

Opening date: 8 September 2025

Closing date: 11.59pm on 5th October

Selection Interview dates: 15th and 16th of October

Interview date:

Contracted hours: 21

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .