Relations Officer

Senior Stakeholder Relations Officer – Care Quality Commission

UK Remote Job Opportunity | £34,890–£40,746 | Apply by 25 August 2026

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is recruiting a Senior Stakeholder Relations Officer for a fixed-term role that offers the opportunity to work remotely from anywhere in the UK.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced stakeholder engagement, communications, public affairs, healthcare, or regulated-sector professional looking to contribute to work that affects health and social care across England.

Application deadline: 11:55 pm, Tuesday 25 August 2026

Job Overview

About the Role

Every role at the Care Quality Commission contributes to improving health and social care for people across England.

As a Senior Stakeholder Relations Officer, you will join the Stakeholder, Parliament and Government Team, helping CQC build and maintain strong relationships with national organisations, partners and stakeholder groups.

The role will involve supporting openness, collaboration and accountability while ensuring CQC remains connected to organisations and communities that influence the health and social care landscape.

You will work closely with senior colleagues and external partners, provide stakeholder insight, support engagement activities and help ensure important developments across health and social care are communicated effectively.

What You Could Be Doing

In this role, your responsibilities could include:

• Working with senior colleagues and their offices to understand briefing and meeting requirements.
• Preparing briefing materials for senior leaders attending external meetings and events.
• Providing engagement support to senior CQC representatives.
• Building and maintaining productive relationships with national stakeholder organisations.
• Working with organisations across health, social care and related partner sectors.
• Sharing regulatory updates, key messages and organisational developments with stakeholder networks.
• Supporting national stakeholder forums and engagement activities.
• Gathering stakeholder views and feedback to help inform CQC’s work.
• Monitoring developments across the external environment.
• Identifying emerging issues that could affect CQC’s work.
• Gathering and analysing stakeholder insight.
• Supporting effective partnership working.
• Measuring and reporting on stakeholder engagement activity.
• Helping improve CQC’s approach to stakeholder engagement.

What CQC Is Looking For

Applicants should be able to demonstrate relevant experience and skills in stakeholder engagement, communications, public affairs, healthcare or another regulated environment.

Essential Experience

You should have experience of:

• Planning and delivering stakeholder engagement activities within a public sector, healthcare, public affairs or similarly regulated environment.
• Building productive relationships with external organisations.
• Using stakeholder relationships to share information and obtain valuable insight.
• Supporting organisational objectives through effective engagement.
• Turning complex information, policy developments or technical content into clear briefings and recommendations.
• Communicating information effectively to senior leaders and external audiences.
• Working collaboratively across multiple teams.
• Working effectively at a senior level.

Key Skills

The successful candidate is likely to demonstrate strong:

• Stakeholder management skills
• Communication skills
• Relationship-building abilities
• Briefing and report-writing skills
• Research and analytical skills
• Understanding of public-sector or regulated environments
• Ability to interpret complex information
• Senior-level engagement skills
• Partnership-working abilities
• Organisational and planning skills

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This role offers the chance to work on stakeholder engagement that directly contributes to CQC’s wider role in health and social care regulation.

Key highlights include:

• Remote working anywhere in the UK
• £34,890 National salary
• £40,746 London salary
• £600 annual homeworking allowance for eligible home-based workers
• Full-time working pattern
• Compressed-hours option
• Training and development opportunities
• NHS pension scheme
• Annual leave starting at 27 days
• Potential annual leave increase to 32.5 days with service
• Bank holidays
• Wellbeing initiatives
• Discount and reward schemes

CQC Employee Benefits

CQC offers a wide range of employee benefits.

Annual Leave

Annual leave starts at 27 days per year and can rise to 32.5 days with service, in addition to bank holidays, usually 8 days per year.

Pension

The role includes access to the NHS Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of approximately 23.7%.

Training and Development

Employees can benefit from training and professional development opportunities designed to support career growth.

Wellbeing

CQC provides wellbeing initiatives, including options such as gym discounts and meditation.

Additional Discounts

Depending on eligibility, employees may also have access to:

• Blue Light Card
• Reward vouchers
• Car leasing schemes
• Other employee discount programmes

Location and Remote Working

The advertised location is:

Remote working – anywhere in the UK

The salary is:

£34,890 National

or

£40,746 London for London office-based workers or home-based workers living within the M25 boundary.

Eligible home-based workers also receive a £600 annual homeworking allowance.

Contract Information

Contract type: Fixed term

Contract duration: Until 31 March 2027

Working pattern: Full-time, compressed hours

Vacancies: 1

Application Deadline

The closing date for applications is:

11:55 pm on Tuesday, 25 August 2026

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications before the deadline rather than waiting until the final hours.

Nationality and Right-to-Work Requirements

The vacancy is broadly open to eligible:

• UK nationals
• Republic of Ireland nationals
• Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK
• Eligible EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein nationals with qualifying settled or pre-settled status
• Certain individuals with limited or indefinite leave to remain who meet the specified requirements
• Turkish nationals and certain qualifying family members who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Applicants should carefully check the official nationality and eligibility requirements before applying.

Important: This vacancy is advertised as a UK-based remote position. Applicants must have the appropriate right to work in the UK.

Security Clearance

Successful candidates will need to complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks because the role involves working with government assets.

Artificial Intelligence and Applications

CQC states that artificial intelligence can be used to support an application, but applicants must ensure that all examples and statements are:

• Truthful
• Factually accurate
• Based on their own experience

Applications may be withdrawn where plagiarism or misrepresentation is identified.

Applicants should therefore avoid submitting AI-generated examples that do not accurately represent their own qualifications or professional experience.

Important Application Advice

Before submitting your application, make sure you demonstrate evidence of:

1. Stakeholder engagement experience.
2. Relationship management with external organisations.
3. Experience working in healthcare, public affairs, public sector or a regulated environment.
4. Ability to produce clear briefings and recommendations.
5. Experience communicating complex information to senior audiences.
6. Ability to work across multiple teams.
7. Experience supporting organisational objectives through engagement.

Use specific examples from your own professional experience wherever possible.

Job Description and Person Specification

The detailed job description and person specification are available through the Care Quality Commission careers page and should be reviewed carefully before applying.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted through the official Care Quality Commission recruitment portal.

Reference number: 476131

CQC requisition: 3063

Closing date: 25 August 2026 at 11:55 pm

Apply Here

APPLY FOR THE SENIOR STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS OFFICER ROLE

Applicants should use the official recruitment portal for the application and follow all instructions provided by CQC.

Contact Information

For questions about the vacancy:

Recruitment Team: Care Quality Commission

Email: recruitment@cqc.org.uk

Important Notice for Job Seekers

This vacancy is a fixed-term UK remote role with the Care Quality Commission.

The advertised information, including salary, eligibility, closing date and requirements, can change or be withdrawn by the employer. Always check the official application page before submitting your application.

Please do not pay anyone to apply for this vacancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this job remote?

Yes. The advertised location is remote working anywhere in the UK.

How much does the role pay?

The salary is £34,890 nationally or £40,746 for London under the conditions specified in the advert.

Eligible home-based workers also receive a £600 annual homeworking allowance.

Is this a permanent position?

No. It is a fixed-term position until 31 March 2027.

Is the job full-time?

Yes. The working pattern is full-time, with compressed hours available.

How many positions are available?

There is 1 vacancy.

When does the application close?

Applications close at 11:55 pm on Tuesday, 25 August 2026.

Does the role require UK work eligibility?

Yes. Applicants must meet the applicable nationality and right-to-work requirements.

Does the role require security checks?

Yes. Successful candidates will need to complete BPSS checks.

Final Takeaway

If you have experience in stakeholder engagement, communications, public affairs, healthcare, government or a regulated environment, this Senior Stakeholder Relations Officer position could be a strong opportunity to work with the Care Quality Commission from anywhere in the UK.

With a salary of up to £40,746, remote working, NHS pension benefits and a range of additional employee benefits, eligible candidates should consider applying before the 25 August 2026 deadline.

Apply before 11:55 pm on 25 August 2026.