Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think tank. We put people at the heart of policy-making to create bold ideas and a more collaborative democracy.

Our analysis is that the current system of policy-making isn’t working. It’s either too partisan to address the big underlying problems we agree on, or too technocratic to find solutions that resonate for all. As a result, our political system isn’t trusted to improve people’s lives. 

At Demos we believe that there is a better way: one which puts people first to achieve fundamental and lasting change and overcome divisions. We call this collaborative democracy.  By creating ways for the political system to partner with the public, experts, civil society and business, we can produce better policy, strengthen citizenry and rebuild trust in politics.  As a genuinely cross-party think tank, we work with all parties and none to find solutions that work for more people.

THE ROLE

As Director of Policy and Impact, you will work closely with myself and the rest of the executive team, leading our policy portfolio, building the funding routes to achieve it, and making sure that we achieve our ambitions to have real-world impact.

Demos is a leading cross-party think tank producing research and policies that have been adopted by successive governments for over 30 years. We do policy work differently: we start by listening to people who are ultimately affected by the policy and believe that involving people will produce better policies, strengthen citizenry and rebuild trust in politics. By working differently we can imagine and deliver bold new ideas that are up to the challenges of our times. 

Our goal is to change Britain’s democracy for the better: improving how policy is made, how politics is conducted, and how power is shared. Our work spans four pillars: Public Service Reform, the Citizen Economy, Trustworthy Technology and Collaborative Democracy. You will have an interest in all four, creative thoughts about how they join up and passion to develop your own intellectual space alongside colleagues.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is ambitious about the change we can make. We are a high profile, well-established think tank, but there is plenty of room to grow, and the scale of the challenges the country faces today requires ambition and new thinking. 

The ideal candidate will have experience in devising policies with demonstrable impact, a strong political network, a thirst to improve the political system, and a commitment to do so differently: by bringing the voices of people outside the current system into the heart of it. 

You will be a creative and inspirational thinker, looking for novel ideas that capture imaginations – but that are backed by the rigour and evidence to achieve change. You will have a strong instinct to shape our policy portfolio for impact, a proven ability to bring in funding to support policy and research work, and a strategic approach to how you do it. You will inspire and support our talented and committed team. You will take responsibility as a member of the executive team as well as deputise for the Chief Executive as needed.