Deputy Director of Campaign for Youth Wellbeing

LSE is committed to building a diverse, equitable and truly inclusive university

Salary from £63,370 to £73,163 per annum inclusive with potential to progress to £80,927 pa inclusive of London allowance

This is a three-year fixed term contract.

This is a full-time position

Young people in Britain are the least happy in Europe and their wellbeing is declining. We risk a “lost generation”. Addressing this requires major changes in policy.

LSE is therefore launching a major, high-pressure three-year Campaign for Youth Wellbeing to put young people’s wellbeing at the centre of policy design. The campaign will focus on people aged 5–24 and will ask for 6 guarantees on mental healthcare, schools, social media, apprenticeships and youth clubs. It will seek to secure these policy commitments ahead of the next general election or otherwise ensure they appear in every party manifesto.

The campaign will be based at the London School of Economics and steered by a board of trustees including its founders Alastair Campbell, Gus O’Donnell, Anne Longfield and Richard Layard.

The Deputy Director will provide senior internal, operational and strategic leadership for the Campaign. Working closely with the campaign Director, the postholder will translate the campaign’s strategy into coordinated plans, systems, milestones and deliverables that support its goals.

The postholder will hold delegated responsibility for day-to-day operations, governance, finance, people management, risk, evaluation, research and policy coordination, and the campaign’s relationship with LSE.

The Deputy Director will also play a significant role in media and communications: helping generate sustained media interest, preparing press releases and briefings, coordinating proactive and reactive communications, tracking coverage and public sentiment, and supporting reputation and issues management.

Candidates should have:

• Substantial leadership and management experience in a relevant campaigning, policy, charity, public affairs, communications, education, health, youth or higher-education setting.
• Strong understanding of UK public policy, political processes and routes to influence (across government, academia, media, civil society, funders, education, health or related sectors), including how evidence, communications and stakeholder engagement combine to support campaign objectives.
• Experience of translating organisational or campaign strategy into integrated plans, budgets, milestones, responsibilities and measurable outcomes.
• Experience of working within, or effectively navigating, a complex institutional environment with formal governance, finance, HR, procurement and compliance requirements Ability to manage resources and budgets, and to oversee fundraising and stakeholder engagement that enables delivery of organisational objectives

We are looking for an experienced leader who combines operational grip and sound judgement with strong communication skills, political awareness and the ability to work at pace in a high-profile, non-party-political campaign. They should be motivated by a strong commitment to improving the wellbeing of young people.

We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave, hybrid working, and excellent training and development opportunities.

For further information about the post, please see the how to apply document, job description and the person specification.

To apply for this post, please go to www.jobs.lse.ac.uk.

If you have any technical queries with applying on the online system, please use the “contact us” links at the bottom of the LSE Jobs page.

Should you have any queries about the role, please email j.m.cantlay@lse.ac.uk.  

The closing date for receipt of applications is 24 September 2026 (23.59 UK time).

Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.

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