Policy and Public Affairs Manager

Contract: 36 months, full-time

Location: John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Policy and Public Affairs Manager to join the Strategic Engagement team at the John Innes Centre.

About the John Innes Centre:

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally. 

Our employees enjoy access to a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre.

The role:

The Policy and Public Affairs Manager will work with the Head of Strategic Engagement to deliver a framework of policy and public affairs activities as outlined in the John Innes Centre’s Engagement Strategy. The role will ensure that the JIC has clear routes to provide evidence to inform and influence priority areas of policy and that staff and students across the JIC are effectively supported to successfully engage with policy makers. 

In this role, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in stakeholder engagement and effective policy communication.

The ideal candidate:

Candidates should have a degree in a relevant science subject, a broad awareness across the subjects and disciplines relevant to the work of JIC and an understanding of the research policy environment. Candidates should have the ability to engage and influence at all levels of management and have experience of successfully engaging with or working within the UK government and its agencies.

They should have in-depth knowledge of effective project management and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Additional information:

This role is full time for three years. We are happy to discuss working arrangements or any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. 

Interviews will be held on 26 November 2026.

For further information and details of how to apply, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1006225.

Please note, this post does not meet UKVI requirements to provide visa sponsorship.

We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity.  As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

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