Director of External Affairs

Help shape the future of hospice and end-of-life care across the UK

Salary: £90,000 per annum

Location:  London/Hybrid (with national travel as required)

Hybrid Work Culture. We are proud to promote a truly hybrid work culture, recognising that every role is different and everyone has unique needs and preferences. Our Hybrid Work Arrangement empowers each team member to work with their manager to choose the most effective way to work that balances your needs and Hospice UK’s.

Contractually this role is London-based.

Benefits:

• 30 days annual leave (+ an extra 10 days on each 5th year)
• Matched pension scheme up to 7% of salary
• Support for staff with caring responsibilities
• Family-friendly culture

How to Apply: CV and supporting statement - using Hospice UK’s supporting statement document – see below

Closing date for applications: 12-noon on Friday 23 May 2025.

Interview dates: Monday 9 June 2025. Interviews will take place in person at our London office. 

Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice and end-of-life care, working to ensure that everyone affected by dying, death, and bereavement gets the care and support they need, when they need it.

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Director of External Affairs to lead our fantastic external affairs team and function.

In this pivotal role, you will lead our influencing, policy, communications, and public affairs strategies, building powerful relationships with government, media, sector partners, and the public. You will champion the voice of hospices and palliative care, advocate for vital system change, and raise the profile of hospice and end-of-life care at a critical time for health and social care services. You will also be responsible for Hospice UK’s membership engagement and communications team, overseeing how we communicate with and collect data from our community of more than 210 hospice charities across the UK. This is a senior Board-facing role, and you will be regularly updating our Trustees on the work you lead, and responding to their questions and guidance.

 It’s an important but also an exciting time to be part of Hospice UK’s senior leadership team. We are looking for an exceptional leader with proven experience in high-level external engagement, policy development, and strategic communications. You will be passionate about social change, a persuasive communicator, and able to drive complex agendas with confidence and compassion. You will be a kind and driven individual, who will be proud to be part of a team in a high-performing charity that values and supports its employees.

Join us and be part of a movement to transform how society approaches death, dying, and bereavement.

More information about the role is available in the job description 

If you would like to apply for this role, please send the following documents to recruitment@hospiceuk.org by 12pm Friday 23 May 2025:

• Your CV. Ideally in Microsoft Word format and less than 3 pages of A4
• A completed supporting statement form (where you can demonstrate how you meet the person specification.)
• A completed equalities monitoring form.

We will shortlist candidates based on their CV and supporting statements. 

Please make sure you provide your contact details in your email. Please note the interview dates above and let us know if there are adjustments you might need to participate fully in the process. 

To be considered for this role you must have the right to live and work in the UK for your application to be progressed. 

Hospice UK is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.