Policy Manager (Employment or Disability) 18 month FTC

This role will play a key role in delivering our ambitious policy influencing programme, helping to develop and advocate for the policy changes needed to reduce, prevent and eventually end the need for food banks in the UK. It will focus on developing Trussell policy positions in either employment support (especially for people with barriers to work) or disability and sickness benefits. The role will also lead the development and implementation of influencing plans in that policy area.

Role responsibilities

·       Lead the development of policy solutions and positions

Leading the development of credible policy positions and implementable recommendations in the specified policy area - either in relation to employment support and conditionality, particularly for groups facing significant barriers to work including disabled people and single parents; or in relation to the disability benefit system, particularly Personal Independence Payments and the Work Capability Assessment.

Working with the Policy and Public Affairs, Network Operations and Participation teams to ensure our policy influencing has a robust evidence base.

Where appropriate, developing policy in collaboration with food banks in Trussell’s network and lived experience partners. Building on success of existing participatory work to ensure it is rooted in the lived experience of individuals affected by poverty. This includes ensuring an ethical approach to policy development in line with our values.

Working effectively with other expert partners to strengthen policy development and build alliances to support influencing, including project management and oversight of joint policy development and positions.

·       Planning and delivering impactful policy activity

Leading the development of an influencing strategy for the policy area aligned to a theory of change. Ensuring policy outputs are timely, high-quality and support engagement with key audiences, including national and local governments across the UK. Co-ordinating responses to reactive work in areas, including policy consultations, activity in Parliament, in the media or in response to network requests.

·       Developing policy narratives and key messages

Co-ordinating the development of the narrative and key messaging in the areas, maintaining a key message bank, with tailored lines for target audiences as needed.

·       Representing Trussell and promoting the organisation’s policy positions to external stakeholders

Working proactively with Research, Public Engagement and Network Operations teams to identify opportunities to promote the organisation’s policy positions and recommendations to key audiences. This could include presenting at policy and campaign events, workshops with food banks and media interviews.

·       Building and managing strong relationships with key external stakeholders

Developing relationships, partnerships and networks to help raise the profile, credibility and influence of the Trussell Trust and our policy positions in the specified policy area, including with relevant policy makers, politicians, civil servants, sector partners and church-related organisations working in key policy areas.

Person Specification

Technical skills and minimum knowledge:

·       Track record of successfully developing policy solutions, including credible and implementable proposals in either the area of either employment support or disability and sickness benefits.

·       Track record of successfully influencing politicians and key decision-makers to achieve strategic goals at different levels of government.

·       Track record of delivering strategic policy influencing activity based on robust evidence, from development to evaluation.

·       Demonstrates a detailed understanding of policies in relation to either employment support or disability benefits and the impact on UK poverty and hunger. Can explain policy motivations of main political parties and can advise on how to influence them most effectively on either area.

·       Demonstrates an understanding of effective policy development and influencing, including knowledge of the machinery and structure of government (UK, devolved, local) and experience of informing campaigns activity to mobilise support for policy change.

·       Excellent written and oral communication skills, particularly in demonstrating enthusiasm and experience when communicating complex topics to non-specialist audiences.

Behaviours and competencies:

·       Works collaboratively, managing challenges in a constructive manner

·       Balances competing priorities and work to tight deadlines

·       Demonstrates a dedication to the values of the Trussell Trust

·       Demonstrates empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially excluded backgrounds

·       Role models inclusive behaviour, values and leadership

Key Stakeholders

·       Wider Policy and Research department, including Senior Research Manager and Senior Policy Partnerships and Campaigns Manager

·       Network Operations directorate, in particular, policy and public affairs and network leads for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

·       Organising and Local Mobilisation department

·       Participation team

·       Public Engagement and Strategic Communications directorates

·       Key UK Government departments and local authorities in England

·       Policy partners e.g. policy colleagues working in key sector organisations

·       Food bank network

Our Values

Trussell is a charity that works to end the need for food banks. It is founded on and shaped by Christian principles.

Our values of dignity, justice, compassion and community, are central to all that we do and therefore supports our aim to be an organisation where the diversity of all employees is valued.  We welcome people of all faiths and none and those that are committed to these values.

We recognise that we have under-represented groups within our workforce. As part of our commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity we are actively encouraging applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBT+, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions and those with a lived experience of poverty as well as any other under-represented group in our workforce. We are committed ensuring the safety and protection of our employees from all forms of harm.