About Public First, an 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 is 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.

Education at Public First

Education sits at the centre of some of the biggest political and social debates in the UK – from standards and accountability to inclusion, funding and social mobility. It is also one of Public First’s defining strengths. Many of our senior team have spent the past two decades working in and around education policy in government and opposition. Between us, we have advised Prime Ministers, Leaders of the Opposition, Education Secretaries and their Shadow teams, as well as numerous Ministers across the Department for Education.

We work across the full education lifecycle, partnering with multi-academy trusts, universities, charities and foundations, local and national government, trade associations, and education-facing businesses to shape policy, influence debate and drive reform.

Our education practice is organised into four broad areas:

Schools: Working with schools, multi-academy trusts, charities and foundations on issues across the schools policy landscape. Recent projects include the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools, the Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes, the Parent Voice Project, research into attitudes to the attendance crisis, exclusions and our work on the National Tutoring Programme.

Higher education: Working with universities and mission groups on post-18 education, research and innovation policy. Recent work includes public attitudes to tuition fees, public understanding of R&D, polling on international students, and evaluation of the Office for Students Uni-Connect programme.

Skills: Working across the skills system with large corporates, regional bodies and national organisations. Recent projects include research on the impact of AI on young people’s jobs for the King’s Trust, exploring adult careers guidance for Standard Life and running a commission on skills in the financial and professional services industry for Yorkshire Building Society.

Social policy: Working with charities, foundations, trade unions, corporates and non-profit organisations to understand public opinion and policy formation across social policy issues from crime and justice through to child poverty, community cohesion and health. Recent projects include exploring public opinion on policies to tackle child poverty for Save the Children/UNICEF UK and exploring parent and pupil attitudes to food education in schools.

The Role

We are recruiting an Associate Director to play a senior role in shaping and growing our Schools Team.

The role is suited to someone with 7+ years’ experience in schools policy or a closely related field, who combines strong subject expertise with strategic judgement and the ability to lead complex work and client relationships.

You will oversee major projects, act as a senior adviser to clients, and contribute meaningfully to the development of new work. You will work closely with Directors and Partners to strengthen our intellectual leadership and external profile in schools policy.

What we’re looking for

We are particularly interested in candidates who have had substantive exposure to schools policy at system level – for example in Department for Education (DfE) or another central government department, in Parliament, in a multi-academy trust, a think tank, foundation, regulator, or specialist consultancy.

The successful candidate will:

Bring deep expertise and credibility in the English school system. You have operated at a relatively senior level and are confident engaging with DfE officials, parliamentarians, trust leaders, foundations and senior stakeholders across the sector.

Provide intellectual leadership. You can frame complex policy problems clearly, develop persuasive arguments, and shape high-quality outputs that influence debate. You are comfortable speaking at events, contributing to thought leadership and strengthening networks in the schools sector.

Lead substantial projects and programmes of work. You are accountable for delivery, quality and client relationships across multiple strands of work.

Act as a senior client adviser. You build trusted relationships, handle challenge confidently and provide high-quality strategic advice.

Develop and manage colleagues. You line manage and mentor more junior staff and contribute to a strong, high-performing and collaborative culture in the team and beyond.

Contribute to business development. You have experience contributing to or leading proposals, generating ideas for new work, and/or converting opportunities into funded projects.

Example day-to-day responsibilities:

Strategic leadership of projects:  Setting the direction of major schools projects, overseeing design and delivery across multiple workstreams, and ensuring high standards and quality and strategic coherence.

Senior client leadership:  Acting as a senior lead on key client relationships, providing strategic advice and ensuring consistently excellent delivery.

Research and analysis oversight:  Framing complex research questions, designing methodologies, leading research activities, overseeing analysis, and developing clear and persuasive findings and recommendations.

Advocacy and engagement: Leading advocacy and engagement strategies linked to our research, representing our work in meetings, events and publications, and building relationships across the schools sector.

Team leadership and development: Line managing and mentoring colleagues, supporting progression and contributing to a collaborative, ambitious and high-performing culture within the team and beyond.

Business development: Playing a significant role in proposals and pitches, identifying opportunities for new work, and helping to build a strong pipeline for the schools team.

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 and office working. 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. 

Salary will depend on experience. For this role we expect salary to range from £62,000-75,000 for an Associate Director, depending on candidate experience.

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

How to apply

Please apply below by submitting your CV and a covering letter (of no more than 600 words) setting you how you meet the criteria for the role.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage early applications.

Interviews will either be online or in person at our office in Victoria, London.

Closing date: Noon on Monday 23rd March 2026.

Associate Director - Schools Team