Title: Policy and Advocacy Manager
Salary: From £40,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37.5 per week (Monday to Friday)
Holiday: 25 days per year plus bank holidays
Location: Home based with regular travel within / to London and across the UK
Probationary Period: 3 months
Reports to: Head of Legal and Policy
Benefits: An additional 3 days holiday between Christmas and New Year, Flexitime policy, 5% pension contribution
Start date: As soon as possible / flexible
We are River Action
We are a small and agile campaigning organisation on a mission to rescue Britain’s
rivers from a toxic cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution. We support
community action, galvanise and mobilise public opinion, influence government policy, and call
out destructive industrial practices to incentivise changes that end pollution.
We are building a talented team of positive disrupters and community mobilisers to
deliver our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of community
and wildlife.
Britain’s rivers are our life support system and they are dying. We need urgent action
to bring them back to life.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking a dynamic and self-motivated individual who shares our passion for
protecting rivers to join our team to drive forward our policy and advocacy work. This role
requires a strategic thinker with strong policy insights capable of blending analytical
problem-solving with intelligent advocacy to drive meaningful change. This role requires
someone to have excellent writing skills and the ability to draft complex policy documents as
well as top line arguments for wider communication.
The ideal person will bring a combination of expertise, energy and ideas to amplify our
impact, holding decision-makers and polluters accountable with a professional and diplomatic
approach. They will engage with influential people across the sector, government, industry and
media.
If you thrive in fast-paced environments and want to be at the forefront of
environmental policy and advocacy across multiple campaigns, we’d love to hear from
you.
What you’ll be doing
As our Policy and Advocacy Manager, you will play a leading role in shaping and
advancing River Action’s political and policy influence, working closely with the Head of Legal
and Policy, Chief Executive and wider team to develop and execute an impactful policy and
advocacy strategy.
River Action is the Co-Secretariat for the APPG on Water Pollution, offering our Policy
and Advocacy Manager a unique opportunity to shape the policy direction for River Action and
also to influence policy development across Parliament.
You will also work closely with our public affairs agency who manage our daily
Westminster activities.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Experience in a similar policy and advocacy role, ideally within the environmental sector.
Policy and/or legislative experience, with a good understanding of the workings of the UK
government and Parliamentary procedure.
A good understanding of the UK water industry, the key UK water-related policies and the
issues that are impacting our rivers, land and wildlife.
Excellent communication and writing skills with close attention to detail and the ability
to produce concise and persuasive briefings, reports and consultation responses.
Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to working creatively and at a
fast pace with colleagues, stakeholders and partners.
Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to proactively plan and prioritise
work and to report your progress and impact.
Ability to work flexible hours and travel as necessary.
A good and supportive team player with a willingness to muck in as and when required.
Why join us?
Be part of a mission-driven organisation working to restore and protect the UK’s rivers.
Work at the heart of political and environmental change, influencing decision-makers at the
highest levels.
Work in an agile, supportive and happy work environment where your ideas and expertise will
have real impact.
Opportunities for professional development and growth within the organisation.
Diversity and inclusion
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies show that women and people of colour are less
likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single criteria. We are committed to building a
diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. So if you like the look of this role but your past
experience does not align perfectly with everything in the job description, we’d still love to
hear from you. You may be just the right person for this role.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 23:59 on Monday 15 September 2025

Please refer the Job description for details