Harding joins from Shelter, where he was director of communications, policy and campaigns. 

His appointment follows the recent launch of the NatCen Panel, which is intended to help inform policy-making, engage voters and improve the quality of social change efforts from charities and public bodies. 

“Bringing Roger on board is integral to our efforts to use our in-depth understanding of public attitudes to deliver even greater impact on the key issues facing the country," said Guy Goodwin, chief executive at NatCen.

"Roger brings a rare mix of strong communications and policy experience combined with a long track record of using public insight to make change happen.”