About Public First, a SHGH company

Public First is a specialist consultancy that helps charities, philanthropists, public sector bodies and global brands to improve public policy. Based in London, we have worked in more than thirty international markets.

We are part think tank, part strategic consultancy, part research company, and part communications agency. In practice, we bring together the disciplines that make policy change happen: research and analysis, political insight, strategy and communications.

Our team includes former senior civil servants, political advisers, campaigners, researchers and journalists. Many of us have worked at the most senior levels of government, Parliament and political campaigns, and we continue to be active across the political spectrum.

Public First works alongside Stonehaven as part of SHGH, a Group of cross-border advisory firms, guiding clients through an unprecedented period of change in policy, politics, regulation, and sustainable growth.

Energy, Climate and Environment at Public First

Working in the Energy, Climate and Environment Practice, you’ll help to deliver policy, campaigns and data projects. You will deepen your knowledge of the political landscape surrounding climate & energy policy, help to analyse public opinion insights and policy realities, and bring new research to life for our clients.  The Practice combines the strengths of Public First and Stonehaven.

Our recent projects have included: 

From Risk to Resilience: The Case for Flood-Resilient Communities, Economy and Growth – Public First economic and opinion research quantifying the costs of flooding in the UK and making the case for long-term investment in flood resilience.

What is Retrofit Anyway? - Public First research on how homeowners understand and respond to retrofit, identifying motivations and barriers to energy efficiency upgrades.

Atomlink: Unlocking Civil Nuclear Expansion at the Western Frontier – Stonehaven policy analysis outlining a trilateral US–UK–Poland framework to accelerate civil nuclear expansion, strengthen supply chains and boost energy security.

North Sea Transition Taskforce – Stonehaven-led policy recommendations on delivering a managed transition of the North Sea that protects jobs, investment and UK energy security.

The Role 
We are recruiting a Policy Analyst and/or a Policy Manager - depending on experience - to work across all our energy and climate policy projects. This is an ideal role for someone with strong intellectual curiosity and policy instincts, who wants to develop original ideas and turn them into compelling analysis and arguments that influence decision-makers.

You will have spent two or more years in a political, policy, research, consultancy or a closely-related field; you will have some experience taking charge of a project and seeing it through to completion; and be confident emailing and calling clients and sector experts. 

The ideal candidate

We are looking for someone who:

Has a genuine passion for energy, climate and environmental policy, and a strong desire to learn quickly and go deep into complex issues

Is intellectually curious – you enjoy grappling with tough problems, questioning assumptions, and developing new ways of looking at policy challenges

Brings sharp analytical thinking and is excited by turning evidence, data and research into clear insights and persuasive arguments

Is a strong writer, able to communicate complex ideas in clear, engaging and authoritative briefings for a wide range of audiences

Has some experience in a policy, political, research or analytical role, and is ready to take increasing ownership of projects

Is confident working with colleagues and clients, and keen to build credibility in the sector

Wants to grow intellectually and professionally into someone with a distinctive policy voice and ideas we can sell

What you’ll do

In this role, you will:

Track and analyse emerging energy, climate and environmental policy developments

Contribute to and lead quantitative and qualitative research, including public opinion work

Develop thoughtful analysis, policy ideas and recommendations, written to a high standard

Support the day-to-day delivery of projects, taking on increasing responsibility over time

Work directly with colleagues and clients in a professional, organised way

Take an active interest in new business, events and building a network in the sector

Location and Salary

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and particularly encourage applications from candidates with disabilities and candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We operate a hybrid working model, with a mix of home working and core office days of Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Our main office is based in Victoria. Many of us, including the founders, have young children and we work hard to be genuinely family-friendly. 

For this role we expect salary to range from £31k to £35k for Policy Analyst and £36k to £48k for Policy Manager, depending on candidate experience.

We also offer a bonus programme, 5% pension contribution, 25 days annual leave, and private healthcare.

Closing Date: 5pm, Wednesday 11 February 2026 

Interview/Start Dates 

Start date: ASAP, with flexibility for the right candidate. 

Shortlisted candidates will be informed in w/c 16 February and invited to take part in a 30-minute online interview on Wednesday 18 or Thursday 19 February. If successful, you will be invited to an hour-long in-person interview at 20 Victoria Street SW1H 0NB on Wednesday 25 February. You will prepare a test task that will be arranged for a time convenient for you, to be presented and discussed at final interview.

If you have any questions, please get in touch at amy.norman@publicfirst.co.uk. 

Application Details 

Please specify which preferred role you are applying for. All applicants will be considered for both. 

Website: https://www.publicfirst.co.uk 

Full job descriptions

Policy Manager

Skills & action

Policy managers (PMs) can independently deliver high-quality work with regular support from other team members.

Salary Range: £36,000 - £48,000

Project Management

PMs will be able to manage a project's progress and complete a range of tasks to support the project with some supervision. This might include, for example, producing the first draft of written reports for review.
They will undertake most of this work independently, contributing towards the final project delivery.
They will be able to make decisions and think strategically about the next steps for a project, with a sense of the broader purpose/scope and the external policy/political/media environment.
They will increasingly be able to take the lead on either smaller projects or parts of larger projects and reports - i.e. taking ownership of focus group delivery for a qualitative report, taking the lead for a chapter or part of a report in collaboration with team members.
They will present themselves credibly to clients, including giving direct feedback, both written and verbal, and act as a point of contact where required, with the support of ADs/Directors as required.
They will be able to work with other team members to ensure that work is delivered at a high quality and on time—e.g., liaising with the polling team regarding opinion research for a project.

Policy skills

PMs will actively develop expertise in at least one vertical specialism. They will also build a wider understanding of the political and policy landscape within which the work operates and what this means for its design and execution.
This expertise should allow them to:

Conduct high quality research, finding and selecting appropriate sources of information.
High-quality writing skills that allow them to convey information in a compelling and readable way.
Generate interesting new policy suggestions and recommendations.
Utilise opinion research and economic data where relevant, with a growing level of understanding of the different methods and how they should be deployed
Identify ways to innovate or improve the work product.
PMs will proactively develop their skills in at least one additional type of research to conduct high-quality project work (e.g., running focus groups, polling and quantitative opinion research, economic impact).

Skills & action

They should proactively work to increase their knowledge and expertise in their specialism and begin to build a strong external profile (for example, through op-eds, blogs, external events, etc).
Wider company support PMs will provide some wider support across their practice or team and across the company as required (e.g., supporting practice heads with team meetings) and proactively look for opportunities to make a wider contribution to the company or to support wider colleagues on projects.
There is the possibility to consider line management responsibilities at this level under exceptional circumstances, pending approval at Partner level.

Policy Analyst

Skills & Behaviours

Analysts will be able to provide team members with support as required in their practice and develop their skills and expertise within their specialism.

Salary Range: £31,000 - £35,000

Project Management

Analysts will be expected to support as directed across projects, under the supervision of an AD or director, to help deliver high-quality work to clients.
They will provide quality background research, case studies, and other administrative support on projects, including taking increasing responsibility for timelines, agendas, and client check-ins.
They will work with clients in a professional manner, with the support of senior colleagues, and start to build strong client relationships.
They will work efficiently and effectively with wider team members and communicate regularly - including asking for support where required. They will take a proactive approach to supporting colleagues.

Policy skills

Analysts will proactively develop their knowledge within a specialism, as well as the broader media and political environment in the UK, including developing a broad and up-to-date understanding of a policy area and ongoing developments.
This includes reading widely about the specialism and the Public First offering, identifying opportunities for further knowledge development, and asking for recommendations as required.
They will understand the basics of where to start with wider research, including public opinion methods and research methods, and begin to undertake more of these research tasks independently. This includes basic statistical analysis and understanding.
They will actively work to improve their writing and critical thinking skills, producing clear and compelling copy that is of a high standard and summarising arguments in a clear and understandable way

SHGH Group

New Jobs

Policy Analyst | Policy Manager - Energy, Climate & Environment