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Policy Officer

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Do you have a keen eye for detail and safeguarding? Do you enjoy compiling and analysing data? Do you want to be a leader of change? If you’re a perfectionist, skilled writer and great communicator, then the policy profession may be right for you.

Interested in a career as a policy officer? Explore graduate opportunities in the public sector and government.

What does a policy officer do?

A policy officer is responsible for the research and analysis of data and applying this newly found knowledge to better inform policy changes. It includes understanding the potential impact a policy change may have and communicating it to those affected.

When it comes to policy work, you could work in different sectors. There are policy roles in public and private sector organisations, including local government bodies and charities.

As a policy and research officer, your day-to-day responsibilities might look like:

  • Gathering data and information
  • Keeping up to date with social and economic news
  • Writing up briefings and speeches to deliver new policies
  • Working across many areas of expertise and consulting with experts
  • Ensuring consistency across communication
  • Authorising claims and updating electronic systems
  • Planning and attending meetings to discuss policy impact

Policy officer career path

Entry-level

Your first policy role as a graduate will likely be that of a policy assistant.

As an assistant, you’ll usually take part in formal on-the-job training.

You’ll develop skills in research, data compiling and project management. You’ll also learn how to manage the changes that happen after policy rollouts.

As part of an entry-level role, you’ll likely shadow a qualified policy officer and aid them in data management. You might help them deal with their emails and calls, too. If so, you’ll address what you can and pass on what you’re not qualified to answer.

Once you’ve gained enough experience, you can become a policy officer.

Career progression

Progression as a policy officer involves specialising, overseeing others or combining the two.

With experience, you might specialise in a particular area of policy, such as transport or education.

If you go on to work as a policy analyst, you’ll use your expert knowledge to advise political parties on the impact of proposed legislation at national and local levels.

Alternatively, you could take on a leadership role and become a policy manager, overseeing a team.

Progression as a policy officer is less about gaining new job titles, but instead about building your experience and gradually taking on more responsibility. Government sectors often encourage continuous training, so you’ll have opportunities to gain experience across the civil service. You may decide to use that experience to change up your career path.

Future career

Once you’ve gained appropriate experience in the policy profession, you could become a senior policy officer.

As a senior policy officer, you’ll probably work as a manager (looking after your team and delegating tasks) while offering your respected advice.

From there, you can take on more senior roles such as Head of Policy. In this role, you’d manage your department and be responsible for strategic planning and company contracts.

As you’ll develop strong communication skills in policy roles, the profession will prepare you perfectly for a sidestep into a new sector. You could use your skills to work in communications, marketing or public affairs.

Because policy is rooted in the political world, it can also lead to working directly with a party.

Policy officer salaries

  • As an entry-level policy assistant or policy officer, expect to earn £23,000 to £30,000.
  • If you’re on a graduate training scheme (such as Civil Service Fast Stream), you’ll earn around £29,000 to £31,500. After completing a grad programme, you could go on to earn between £45,000 and £55,000.
  • Senior policy advisors typically earn between £32,000 and £40,000, while policy managers earn in the region of £40,000 to £50,000.
  • If you go on to be a Head of Policy, your salary will likely be £60,000 or more.

Qualifications & training

You don’t need specific qualifications to pursue a career in policy.

As a recent grad, you just need to have an interest in democracy, public policy and relevant transferable skills (which we’ll cover later). However, if you’ve studied a politics-related degree, you’ll likely be at an advantage. If you plan to go into a specialist area of policy, a degree in that area may also be beneficial.

The Civil Service Policy Profession offers training in the form of apprenticeships and level-based learning to help policy officers develop their skills. They’ll guide you by promoting professional standards through knowledge sharing across policy-making and public services.

You might consider undertaking a master’s or PhD in social policy, politics or an area within your specialism to boost your knowledge. Doing so could open up more career opportunities, but it’s not essential for most policy roles.

As part of your ongoing development, you could participate in sector-specific courses, talks and events. Look out for opportunities through the SRA (Social Research Association) and the Institute for Government.

Policy officer skills

To be a good policy officer, you’ll need the following skills:

  • Research. To thrive, you’ll need to be good at finding and reading analytical data. Part of that will involve collaborating with multiple departments to gather information. You’ll also need to be comfortable with handling sensitive information and able to accurately record data.
  • Presentation skills. Policy officers need to clearly and confidently present data and their analyses. You should also be happy to answer industry-specific questions.
  • Problem-solving. Sometimes, there’ll be a problem with a current policy that needs rectifying. As a policy officer, you need to assess evidence and come up with effective solutions.
  • Time management. You should be able to identify where your time is best spent and how to prioritise time-sensitive policies.

Pros and cons of being a policy officer

Pros

  • Variety. The role of a policy officer allows you to explore sectors you’re interested in and want to make a change in. Even if you specialise, there will still be variety as every policy is different.
  • Work fulfilment. You’ll create change locally and, potentially, nationally. You’ll be responsible for analysing the changes your policy will lead to and creating the most responsible route towards that change. It’s a rewarding role.
  • Stimulating. You’ll work among an exciting (and sometimes challenging) mix of people and stakeholders across different sectors, researching numerous topics. It’s mentally stimulating.
  • Progression. With the right career development, you can progress as a policy officer and enjoy great benefits.

Cons

  • High pressure. Your work will affect large groups of people and will sometimes have unforeseen impacts. You’ll need to work well under pressure to resolve high-tension issues.
  • Resource management. You won’t always have the resources you need, which can be stressful.
  • Constant education. Any policy role will require you to constantly develop and educate yourself to stay knowledgeable. While many people relish the opportunity to keep learning, it’s still an extra commitment.

Policy officer work-life balance

Policy officers generally work Monday to Friday, typically from 9am to 5pm. Most policy officers will work in an office setting, but some will work from home. Whether you work fully in-office, hybrid or entirely remote will depend on your employer and exact role.

You’ll rarely need to travel as a policy officer unless your research means you’ll need to attend meetings in other locations.

Your work schedule is largely your own, making how you map out your day up to you. As a result, you might be able to work flexible hours (eg. starting earlier to finish earlier). There will be part-time policy roles available, too.

As with many jobs, you’ll sometimes have to work longer hours before a deadline or if meetings happen outside of your normal working day. It’ll depend on your employer whether you’re given time off in lieu or overtime pay. Sometimes, it’s simply an expectation of the job.

Policy officer employers

There are many employers looking for talent in entry-level policy officer roles. Most will be government or charity positions.

Here are some employers to consider:

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