Head of Social Policy

Do you believe that it is possible to change the rules of the economy so that it works better for people and planet? Are you driven by a commitment to make the UK more equitable, sustainable and democratic? Are you an expert in social policy? If so, we have the job for you.

For 40 years NEF has turned bold ideas, robust research and community power into real-world change to build a new economy that works for people and planet. At this critical moment in global and domestic politics, we are looking for someone to head up our social policy team, leading visionary flagship programmes on public service reform, housing and social security. NEF has always been a pioneer of cutting-edge research, big ideas and effective campaigning. We work at the interface between economic, social and environmental policy and we are looking for a Head of Social Policy that can help us push this frontier.

Working with a talented team of researchers and economists, directors and other heads, you will develop a strategy to steer NEF's social policy work, lead the development of and fundraising for programmes of research, policy and influencing and help ensure new and existing work delivers clear, high quality and rigorous outputs and outcomes.

You will need a strong track record of leading research, policy development, a keen sense of how change happens and strong relationships with partners across politics, civil society, trade unions and business. And you will need a passion for economic, social and environmental justice and a belief that we can make change happen.

Hours of work: Full Time
NEF operates a Shorter Working Week, with a full-time equivalent of 32 hours per week. As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant, which can be discussed at interview stage.

Salary range: £56,477 to £68,268, depending on qualifications and experience

Contract type: permanent

Responsible to: Deputy Chief Executive

The Head of Social Policy leads the development of our thinking across public service reform, social security and housing. This role develops-and is responsible for the effective delivery of a NEF-wide social policy strategy and of projects that are delivering on this strategy. The Head of Social Policy acts as a key spokesperson for NEF and promotes our work at a local, regional and national level.

As NEF has a particular strategic focus on transforming the way policy is made so that it better reflects the lived experience of the people, communities and movements that most need change, we look to heads across our different themes to help develop and test new approaches to policy and advocacy.

The Head of Social Policy generates project ideas, oversees the development of quantitative and qualitative research, leads funding bids and manages day-to-day funder relationships. This role leads a team which both develops our thinking on social policy and provides expertise to other teams at NEF.

Deadline for applications: midnight on 14 th September 2025

Interviews: 23 rd and 25 th September 2025

To apply, please send your CV and Covering letter (no longer than 2 pages) outlining how you meet the person specification in Word format to .

Please also complete the Equality and Diversity monitoring from.

You must be eligible to work in the UK, we are unable to sponsor visas.

NEF is committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in research and policy making and we're committed to doing what we can to correct this. We are particularly keen to receive applications from black, asian and minority ethnic people; people with disabilities; people who identify as being LGTBQIA; people who have a mental health condition; and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past. We are also aware that many highly capable prospective candidates nonetheless rule themselves out of work in research and policy because they underestimate their own ability to do the role. With this in mind, we strongly encourage applications from anyone who is prepared to learn and grow on the job and would like to stress that past experience of working in think tanks is not required.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. We make use of positive action to select between candidates of equal merit as a way to address under-representation in our workforce.