Job Overview

We are looking to recruit a Head of Professional and Policy Committees to lead key elements of the BMA's professional policy work. This is an exciting and high profile opportunity to lead the professional and specialist committees team, amplify the BMA’s voice on professional policy issues and make sure our members are at the centre of health policy-making.  

You will be critical part of the Professional Policy and Activities senior team, with oversight across the BMA’s professional and specialist committees, from the Board of Science to the Patient Liaison Group. You will drive new ways of working and ensure BMA committees deliver maximum impact for members. This is an exciting, varied and demanding role, working closely with senior doctors and staff within the BMA. If you are passionate about making sure doctor and patient voices are central to policy development and health debates, this is the role for you!  

In your new role you will: 

• Lead policy and secretariat support to the BMA’s professional and specialist committees

• Drive new ways of working that increase the BMA’s impact and ensure maximum benefit for members  

• Manage the professional and specialist staff team and budget, juggling competing priorities 

• Develop policy, commission research and produce guidance  

• Identify opportunities to influence external policy and engage BMA members, in partnership with colleagues and committee chairs 

• Provide expert advice to the BMA’s senior officers  

The successful candidate will: 

• have experience of developing evidence-based policy in a membership organisation or trade union setting 

• have experience of involving members, service users and other experts in strategy and policy development  

• have significant experience of managing challenging stakeholders and competing priorities 

• have practical experience of improving ways of working and delivering impactful programmes of work

• have excellent communication and relationship-building skills  

• be able to motivate a team and manage budgets 

• have experience of advising senior stakeholders on complex issues in a high-profile, fast-paced environment 

The British Medical Association (BMA) is the professional association and trade union for doctors and medical students in the UK. It has a prominent and influential position at the very heart of current debate over the future of healthcare provision. The BMA speaks for doctors at all stages of their careers and is a leading voice on a wide range of professional and political issues affecting medicine and health. 

If you would like to help the BMA play its part in shaping the future of healthcare, then this role is for you.  

Why work for us?

As a BMA employee, you`ll receive:

• Generous annual leave provision, plus 1 company day and public holidays
• Double matching pension contributions up to 12% of salary
• Season ticket loan (up to £10,000) after completion of probationary period
• Additional flexible benefits.

Whether the role needs you to work at home, in an office or in a hybrid way, we`ll provide all the support you need.  If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, please apply through our website. For any queries please email recruitment@bma.org.uk

Diversity & Inclusion Monitoring:
We need your support to make sure our staff come from a variety of backgrounds so we especially welcome applications from disadvantaged communities. Even if you`re not selected, it would be really helpful if you could complete the diversity & inclusion data when you apply for this role, because we can make sure we are encouraging a diverse mixture of candidates to apply. Thank you very much.