Head of Public Affairs and Policy

About Reprieve

Reprieve works with the most disenfranchised people in society. Our aim is simple: to consign the death penalty and abuses carried out in the name of “counter-terrorism” or “national security” to history, drawing public and political attention to these past harms with a view to preventing them from occurring again. 

In our view, you can best judge a society by how it treats prisoners, criminal defendants, and the far-flung targets of an ever-changing counter-terror policy. To us, the rule of law means little if we selectively apply it to people we agree with. It is for all of us. Liberty is always eroded at the margins.

Reprieve’s staff is made up of courageous and committed human rights defenders. Founded in 1999, we provide free legal and investigative support to people facing the death penalty and those victimised by states’ abusive counter-terror policies – rendition, torture, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killing. 

We fight our clients’ cases in courts around the world; investigate their mistreatment; and advocate on their behalf, encouraging public and political debate of human rights issues. 

Reprieve’s main office is in Aldgate, London, UK. Reprieve also supports full-time Fellows, who work as lawyers, investigators and campaigners in the countries in which we work. We work closely with a number of partner organisations in jurisdictions all over the world, who provide access to clients, expertise, knowledge and guidance on specific issues or regions. We work in cooperation with relevant government officials, individual lawyers and human rights defenders, as well as individual, corporate and foundation funders to further the cause of our shared goals.

Reprieve works in close partnership with its independent sibling organisation Reprieve US.  This collaboration is mutually beneficial to both Reprieve and Reprieve US as it enables each organisation to work more effectively and take advantage of the strategic locations to increase the impact of our work.

Reprieve is an equal opportunity employer and we particularly welcome applicants from Black and minority ethnic communities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those with disabilities. Reprieve is committed to fighting racism and advancing racial justice, both in our work and within Reprieve. For more information, please see our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement. You can also read more about our recruitment process.

About the Role

The Head of Public Affairs and Policy is responsible for overseeing Reprieve’s political engagement and policy work; managing public affairs and policy focused staff; and steering forward advocacy and policy that advances Reprieve’s strategic objectives on behalf of our clients in all the jurisdictions where we operate. 

Reprieve’s current policy goals in the UK include prohibiting intelligence sharing where there is a risk of torture or the death penalty, ensuring UK security assistance doesn’t contribute to human rights violations, and ending the practice of citizenship stripping. The role involves close collaboration with Reprieve’s regional and thematic casework teams to encourage states to restrict or end the use of the death penalty or involvement in other human rights abuses such as torture and arbitrary detention. 

Reprieve’s work encompasses a number of regions across the world, including the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, South East Asia, and the United States. The policy team provides cross-cutting support to those teams and local experts to advocate for our clients, secure political representation for them, and advance strategic goals.  
You will share our commitment to fighting against racism and advancing
racial justice, and understand our responsibility to do our work in a way that does not compound racist structures.

Location, contract and salary

This is a full-time role, on a one-year fixed term contract, with the possibility to extend, subject to funding. The annual salary is £61,003 per annum, less any required deductions for income tax and national insurance. 
This role is based in Reprieve’s London office. Reprieve operates a hybrid working model and we require staff to work 40% of their working hours from the London office and the rest of the week from home. Applicants must have the current right to work in the UK, which will be checked prior to interview.

Full details and how to apply

Please review the job description and person specification for full details.To apply, please submit the application form at the web address provided. Please note that CVs and cover letters cannot be accepted for this role. 

The deadline for applications is 23:58 BST on 27 April 2025. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK currently and for the duration of the contract.