Head of Public Affairs
London, UK
Role Type
Part-time
Workplace
Remote
About the Role
Philanthrope is supporting Inside Track with the appointment of a Head of Public Affairs.
This is not a conventional public affairs role.
Inside Track is looking for a senior public affairs leader for a part-time, public-facing role at the intersection of policy, media, institutional power and public-interest change.
Inside Track supports experienced people working inside powerful industries to contribute insight, often confidentially, on where industry norms, incentives and structures are shaping poor social and environmental outcomes.
The work is not about attacking individual companies. Inside Track’s insiders care about their sectors and want them to thrive. The aim is to help serious industry insight reach the people and institutions best placed to act.
The Head of Public Affairs will help build those routes.
This is a role for someone who understands how policy, media, campaigns and institutional power work in practice. The successful candidate will help Inside Track decide who needs to hear what, when, and in what form, then build the relationships needed to make that happen.
The priority is public affairs delivery: mapping power, shaping stakeholder strategy, building trusted senior relationships and ensuring Inside Track’s work reaches people with the authority, influence or editorial judgement to engage with or act on it.
This is not a back-office advisory role. The successful candidate will need to be comfortable being publicly associated with Inside Track’s work and representing it with clarity, judgement and discretion.
The role will involve:
- developing and delivering a practical public affairs strategy;
- mapping political, policy, regulatory, civil society and media stakeholders;
- building relationships with ministers, advisers, civil servants, regulators, policy makers and parliamentary stakeholders;
- engaging editors, journalists and media contacts where this supports public affairs objectives;
- advising on the timing, framing and sequence of public affairs and media engagement;
- helping Inside Track decide when to use private engagement, public engagement or media-led routes;
- preparing briefings, meeting notes, stakeholder summaries and follow-up materials;
- representing Inside Track’s work in senior external conversations;
- helping shape a simple, repeatable public affairs process from an early stage.
Media relations and PR experience would be useful, particularly where it supports public affairs objectives, but this is public affairs-led rather than PR-first.
There may be separate media or PR support over time. The core reason for this appointment is public affairs leadership and delivery.
This may suit someone who has earned credibility in public affairs, politics, policy, campaigning, government relations, strategic communications, journalism or media relations, and wants a sharper, more independent brief than a conventional in-house or agency role.
Key details:
Role: Head of Public Affairs
Organisation: Inside Track
Contract type: Part-time, initial 12-month contract
Working pattern: 2 days per week initially, with possible scope to increase by mutual agreement
Salary: £60,000 pro rata. At 2 days per week, this is equivalent to approximately £24,000 per year.
Location: UK-based, remote working, with regular time in London for Parliament, policy, media and senior stakeholder meetings
Start date: As soon as practicable
Application deadline: 5pm, Friday 12 June 2026
Requirements
We are looking for someone with strong public affairs judgement and the ability to operate credibly at leadership level.
Candidates are likely to bring experience from public affairs, government relations, policy, politics, campaigning, strategic communications, journalism, media relations or a related field.
You will need to bring:
a strong understanding of Parliament, Whitehall, regulators or public policy processes;
credibility with senior external stakeholders;
trusted relationships, or the ability to build them quickly, with policy and media stakeholders;
strong judgement on power, timing, tone and risk;
the ability to engage ministers, advisers, civil servants, policy makers, editors and journalists;
clear writing for senior, policy and media audiences;
confidence representing an organisation publicly and privately;
discretion when handling sensitive work;
an understanding of when and how media engagement creates value;
the ability to work independently in a small organisation with limited infrastructure;
a serious commitment to social and environmental change;
the ability to combine strategic judgement with practical delivery.
Experience in any of the following would be useful:
public affairs or government relations;
parliamentary, ministerial, adviser, regulator or civil service engagement;
policy campaigning or public-interest advocacy;
strategic communications where it supports public affairs objectives;
media relations, journalism or editorial relationship-building;
climate, social justice, corporate accountability, technology, finance, food, advertising, insurance or other sectors relevant to Inside Track’s work;
working with sensitive information or confidential stakeholder groups;
building a function, campaign or system from an early stage.
The role is a good fit for someone who:
wants to lead a visible public affairs brief in a small, ambitious organisation;
understands that influence can happen privately, publicly or editorially depending on the moment;
is comfortable with ambiguity but disciplined in execution;
can work with urgency without becoming reactive;
cares about social and environmental change but avoids simplistic narratives;
respects confidentiality and the position of people who contribute insight from inside powerful systems;
is practical, calm and clear under pressure.
Inside Track welcomes applications from people from all backgrounds and values different perspectives and routes into public affairs, media and policy work. Selection will be based on the role criteria, the evidence candidates bring and their ability to deliver the brief.
About the Organisation
Inside Track is an independent UK non-profit working with experienced people from influential industries to understand where industry norms, incentives and structures are shaping poor social and environmental outcomes.
It supports senior professionals working inside major industries to contribute insight, often in confidential or anonymous settings, and helps turn that insight into careful engagement with the people and institutions best placed to act.
Inside Track’s model is built around industry-level change. It is not about attacking individual companies, asking people to disclose sensitive company information, or creating publicity for its own sake. It is about helping serious insider perspective reach regulators, policy makers, investors, journalists, civil society organisations and other stakeholders who can help shift norms, incentives and behaviour.
Its work is independently funded and does not take corporate, government or lobbyist money.
This role is different from most public affairs roles because the work is still being built. The successful candidate will help shape the public affairs function from an early stage, while also representing Inside Track externally with senior stakeholders.
The role requires sound judgement, careful handling of information and respect for the confidentiality of people who contribute to the work. It is also a public-facing leadership role, and the successful candidate must be comfortable representing Inside Track and its work publicly.