Advocacy & Policy Manager

Here at Action For Humanity (AFH), we are looking for an Advocacy & Policy Manager to join us. You will join us on a full-time basis and in return you will receive a competitive annual salary of £40,000 to £45,000. This role is remote but based in London.

AFH is an NGO that provides aid and assistance to people affected by natural and man-made disasters. Our vision is a world of crises-resilient communities. Our mission is to mobilise and respond to emergencies and critical needs through humanitarian, development and peace-building action, helping affected communities survive, recover and build a better future.

AFH has taken a leadership role on advocacy for the ongoing conflict in Gaza and has a long history of being a thought leader on the humanitarian crisis in Syria. In order to help achieve this goal, AFH is recruiting an Advocacy & Policy Manager, where the successful candidate will report directly to the Director of Communications, manage and strengthen AFH’s advocacy campaigns, and develop and build networks to support our advocacy efforts. The Advocacy & Policy Manager will also be the focal point between the organisation and policymakers, in the UK and beyond.  

The Advocacy & Policy Manager will advocate the humanitarian needs stemming from the crises in Gaza, Syria, Yemen and other contexts in which the organisation works. They will convey the voice from the ground, to various external audiences, and will build a presence there to promote the organisation’s work, which is rapidly evolving and is entering newer phases.

Your accountabilities as our Advocacy & Policy Manager will include the following:

Building external relations

• Lead on creating and executing an Advocacy strategy and relationship-building plan to ensure AFH is well connected and respected amongst key stakeholders including politicians, policy makers, governing bodies, other NGOs, etc. Regularly seek new opportunities to enhance external relations.
• Represent AFH in advocacy meetings, humanitarian coordination and other forums, conferences, events, and working groups, leading as many as possible.
• Build and maintain AFH’s relationships with influential people and authorities, including politicians and Governing bodies. Facilitate supporting regular and meaningful engagement with them.
• Build and maintain relationships with regional advocacy groups in and around Palestine, Syria, Yemen and other contexts.
• Position AFH as influential in public debates on Palestine, Syria, Yemen and other countries where AFH works, making AFH a resource for journalists and other key stakeholders covering related issues.
• Keep abreast of regional advocacy groups in and around Palestine, Syria, Yemen and other contexts.

Supporting internal stakeholders

• Guide and advise AFH’s head and field offices on advocacy issues and trends.
• Support our field offices with Advocacy capacity building and enhancing business development, partnerships, and institutional funding.
• Support the head office with enhancing business development, partnerships, and institutional funding, through targeted external stakeholder engagement and improving the technical branding of Action For Humanity in the eyes of potential partner institutions.
• Identify advocacy opportunities by working with the wider Communications and Marketing departments in the writing, editing, commissioning and disseminating of press-releases, op-eds, statements etc., to secure coverage of the organisation’s work across the media spectrum.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team to create interesting and engaging multimedia content to ensure the organisation’s marketing and brand strategies incorporates our advocacy position.
• Provide analysis to the CEO, Director of Communications and other stakeholders, including inputs and talking points for meetings, as required.
• Promote a principled approach to advocacy, policy and external relations among relevant internal stakeholders, and ensure that external messaging is evidence-based and driven by field realities.

General

• Closely monitor the evolving humanitarian and political context in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, particularly where AFH currently operates, and disseminate written and verbal updates and analysis in a timely manner to internal and external stakeholders.
• Produce high quality public and private policy and advocacy materials including letters, briefing notes, position papers, and advocacy reports.
• Build up AFH’s advocacy work in relation to domestic programmes.
• Promote the advocacy positions of the Syria Relief brand as well as the Action For Humanity brand.

What we are looking for in our Advocacy & Policy Manager:

Education

• Degree (or equivalent) in relevant field i.e., International Development, International Relations, Public Relations, Economics, Politics.
• Evidence of sector-specific continuous professional development.

Experience

• Strong experience and track record in an advocacy or similar role.
• Experience in building strong relations and networking with key staff within various UN agencies, especially I/NGO, Forums, UN, OCHA meetings and with local ones.
• Collaborating in multi-national organisational problem solving, operations in complex organisations.
• Active participation with I/NGO Forums desirable.
• Understanding of UK political and media landscape.

Skills & Attributes

• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent analytical and interpretive ability.
• Team player with a positive, can-do attitude; comfortable with continuously changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong IT skills (programmes such as MS Office, Outlook and PowerPoint).
• Ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to work variable hours, occasional weekends and evenings, and to travel both nationally and internationally.

Languages

• Strong written and spoken English 
• Written and spoken Arabic (desirable)

Location

• This is a remote role but the successful candidate must be in London.

Benefits of joining us include:

• A salary of £40,000 to £44,000 per year depending on experience;
• 25 days’ holiday allowance + your birthday off + bank holidays;
• Matched pension contributions;
• Remote and flexible working arrangements possible;
• Opportunities for frequent travel within and outside the UK. AFH’s Head Office is in Manchester, most activities for the role are in London, and there will be opportunities to go on international deployment/field visits, where appropriate;
• Enhanced sick, maternity/paternity pay;
• Structured annual performance development review process, which informs annual salary reviews and involves training and development provision;
• EAP which includes access to free 24/7 helpline, counselling, and legal and financial advice;
• Hundreds of discounts and special offers, for shopping, dining out, joining a gym, and more;
• Annual away days/retreats involving training, teambuilding, outdoor and social activities;
• Subsidised sports and social activities.

This would be an ideal role for an Advocacy & Policy specialist who is passionate about AFH’s causes. We are looking to appoint this role ASAP and will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so for the best chance of success please apply today – we would love to hear from you.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Action For Humanity also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.