Public Affairs Officer Jobs

Do you have a passion to help Children and Young People and want to make a difference?

Are you a senior leader with excellent intuition and ability to make powerful, high impact policy positions, influencing national, regional and local government and decision makers?

Are you a driven, collaborative leader who wants to shape and significantly grow The Children's Society's impact and reach?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing to join our dynamic and ambitious team.

Permanent contract (following 6-month probation period), working full time (35 hours a week).

The role can be situated in our The Children's Society's national office at Whitecross Studios, Old Street, London, or one of our regional offices (currently in Birmingham and Greater Manchester), with hybrid working options available. Alternatively, home-based by arrangement with the ability to frequently travel to the national office and other venues as required.

Salary: £61,125.54 per annum (National), £63,990.72 per annum (London)

The Children's Society is clear on the impact it wants to create for young people -directly through our services for young people and through our systems change and influencing work at all levels in society. The Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing is part of the Senior Leadership Team at The Children's Society, a Senior Leader within the Youth Impact domain. The Youth Impact domain is where all of our service delivery for young people and a lot of systems change activity takes place.

The Director will lead our Policy, Advocacy and Influencing Knowledge Group - a team of people who work hard to influence government policy for the benefit of young people through astute public affairs and campaigning. Our charity has been campaigning for change for young people for years, we have an excellent track record, and have had a number of policy successes, reaching young people way beyond the boundaries of our charity. We work well in collaboration with other charities, especially children's charities - the role holder will lead our strategic partnerships and external coalitions to build our external presence and collaboration opportunities. The recently published impact report of the Children's Charities coalition is an excellent example of this. Maintaining a relentless focus on the external environment to ensure that the charity responds to sector developments and remains a strategic leader in the field will be an essential part of the role. Your ability to cultivate a rapid response culture to opportunities to achieve impact will be vital.

Our collaborative culture at The Children's Society means that this role holder will work very closely with colleagues who lead research, evaluation and impact activities. Our developing Impact Measurement Framework will form part of the work of the Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing - ensuring the impact of the team, and reach of The Children's Society is effectively captured and reported.

Integrated working with colleagues across our impact domain is essential, for example with those who lead on external communications and messaging, bringing together compelling evidence to drive change - in public awareness and attitudes, and in policies and systems - that can improve young people's lives. Policy, advocacy and influencing works to put young people's voice and experience at the centre of our thinking and outputs. Internal collaboration with our wide range of young people's services is essential and the Director will be required to work with other leaders in the organisation to expand this work.

This is a newly formed Director role that will an active member of our Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the Executive Director of Youth Impact. It is a strategic, national role. With your energy, enthusiasm and passion to make a difference in young people's lives, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic policy approach, influencing government for the benefit of young people - through political influencing (public affairs and campaigning). Your leadership, and the work of your team will help us drive forward the achievement of our goal.

Key responsibilities will be to:

-Lead and inspire ambitious policy, advocacy and influencing strategies to achieve policy change in the best interests of young people - through effective and aligned policy, public affairs and campaigning plans to influence change

-Lead the generation of The Children's Society's policy positions - playing to the unique strengths of our charity, aligned with our goal and strategic objectives - influenced by young peoples voice and experience

-Maintain the charity's strong external policy presence and political influence, ensuring strategically driven developments - through frameworks for proactive and reactive lobbying and campaigning.

-Build and grow strategically aligned external partnerships and coalitions - adding value, yet maintaining The Children's Society's own presence externally.

-Effectively communicate - verbally, written, illustratively The Children's Society's ambitions for change, and influential positions - reporting internally and externally to a range of audiences

You will be expected to represent the organisational externally, at the highest levels, with a wide variety of people and organisations. These could be supporters, politicians, civil servants, funders, media, partners - the list is endless. The effective verbal, written and visual communication skills you have will be important. You are likely to represent The Children's Society through media and public speaking - a good track record here will be encouraged.

The Children's Society ensures that youth voice is central to its work and drives its strategic objectives. The post holder will be expected to develop youth voice activity throughout our work, upholding the highest standards of promoting safe and ethical practice.

The Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing is a senior leadership position in the charity. This means you will get involved in cross-organisational development activities and will have an important role in championing our strategic objectives. Supporting and participating in integrated approaches within the organisation will be important - to ensure consistent messaging and to increase our external profile, brand and support network - to widen the reach and impact of our charity.

Here are just some of our benefits:

-Flexible working hours: 8 to 4, 9 to 5, 10 to 6, or in between (to be agreed with your manager).

-Family-friendly policies: Including enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.

-Pension: Stakeholder pension scheme: with company-matched employee contributions of up to 8%.

-'Xtras': Employee discount scheme offering a range of savings across groceries, fuel, clothing, and holidays.

-Free confidential counselling service: Available to all staff and volunteers.

-28 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays.

Recruitment process

The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 19th January 2025. If after 14 days, we have received enough applications we can close this vacancy from the 3rd January 2025 onwards.

First interviews will be held on the week commencing 27th January 2025, followed by further shortlisting.

Second interviews will be held on the week commencing 3rd February 2025.

We are currently working on agreeing a date for a young people's panel. We will advise shortlisted candidates of this date as soon as possible.

About us

The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We run more than 70 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we lobby and campaign to get laws and policies changed to make children's lives happier and safer. Every day we're changing the lives of children in this country for the better - you can find out more by reading our 'Impact Report' https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-impact

The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across our services.

Therefore, candidates will be required to complete an “Employment history template” document prior to interview. The fully completed document should be loaded by the candidate at the point of uploading your CV.

IN1

SHiFT’s Director of Programmes & Policy strategically and operationally directs the implementation and delivery of SHiFT through our SHiFT Practices and realises opportunities for SHiFT’s work to influence policy and practice reform. This is an exciting opportunity for someone driven by SHiFT’s Mission to break the destructive cycle of crime for children and young people, with the tenacity and skill to deliver innovation and translate learning from it to stimulate systems change within complex, multi-agency operational environments that include Children’s Social Care and Youth Justice. The Director of Programmes & Policy role is a new role for SHiFT, which has emerged because of our growth and the need to increase SHiFT’s strategic and operational capabilities. By welcoming a new senior leader, we want to ensure that we have enough capacity and capability to consistently deliver excellence through our Practices and to realise opportunities for continued innovation, growth, and influencing consistent with our mission to shift systems.

SHiFT’s Director of Programmes & Policy will obsess about the ‘what’ of our practice, holding overall responsibility for stewarding a SHiFT Practice from inception to scoping, mobilisation and launch, and then into effective delivery of each 18-month Programme cycle as we ‘infiltrate’ Host Organisations with the aim of shifting systems. Working differently with children and young people caught up in, or at risk of, cycles of crime, and doing so from an ‘insider-outsider’ position (where all our Practice colleagues are employed by public services rather than directly by SHiFT), is complex work. You and your small team of Practice Development Leads, led by our Head of Practices, will need to carefully hold the tension between consistency and flexibility, getting and staying closely alongside organisations that host SHiFT Practices as ‘critical friends’ to ensure that the SHiFT Commitments are met as we grow, learn and innovate.  You will need to be front footed and confident in using data to identify opportunities for improvement in implementation and design, sharing insights to inform the organisation’s strategic direction as part of SHiFT’s Senior Leadership Team and feeding them into relevant governance forums including SHiFT’s Practice Committee and Board of Trustees. You’ll be building on some good foundations for the programmatic aspect of your role, but we expect strengthening and embedding these foundations to be the focus of your work for the first year in post, above the policy focused aspects of this role.

To thrive in this Director of Programmes & Policy role you will be flexible, comfortable with ambiguity and iterative working, and have exceptional problem solving and relationship building skills. You’ll bring substantial experience of operational and strategic leadership in contexts relevant to SHiFT’s work and have a proven track record of developing services and ensuring they are delivered at pace, and to a consistently excellent standard. You’ll have credibility and confidence in working with stakeholders relevant to policy and practice reform, including civil servants and senior practice leaders, in systems relevant to SHiFT’s work (e.g. Youth Justice, Children’s Social Care, policing, and education). Colleagues would say that you’re a person who gets things done, loves data and learning, sweats the small stuff, and is great at bringing people with you.

Your principal responsibilities will be to: 

● Ensure the consistent implementation and ongoing fidelity of SHiFT through our Practices, as is reflected in our Framework / the SHiFT Commitments and SHiFT Ways. This includes leading:

o the scoping, mobilisation, and launch of new Practices; and

o the clear, consistent, high-quality operation of 18-month SHiFT Programme cycles, underpinned by high support and high challenge partnerships with organisations that host SHiFT Practices (to date, all Local Authorities).

● Implement and (working closely with the Director of Practice & Learning) iterate SHiFT’s quality assurance and quality improvement processes to ensure:

o there is clear line of sight to the activities of our Practices and their impacts for children, young people and families, as well as on influencing systems change; and

o SHiFT has a clear evidenced understanding of what’s working well and why and where and how to learn and make improvement.

● Plan and coordinate local, regional, and national practice facing activities, including the delivery of SHiFT’s learning and development programme, and impactful opportunities for collaboration and learning across SHiFT Practices.

● Identify and realise opportunities for improvement in the operation of SHiFT Practices, reflecting learning as we grow in the development of our approach and processes to maximise SHiFT’s opportunities for reach and influence.

● Translate insight from SHiFT’s ideas in action to inform and influence wider policy and practice change in ways consistent with SHiFT’s approach and Mission.

● Identify and realise impactful opportunities for developing SHiFT’s activities and sharing our approach and evidence of impact to influence systems change. 

● Contribute to whole organisation strategic development and operational effectiveness as a member of SHiFT’s Senior Leadership Team, reporting regularly into SHiFT’s Board of Trustees and Practice Committee.

Beliefs and alignment

• The belief that all people are capable of change and that a relationship with a skilled practitioner can be a powerful driver of this.
• The belief that young people who display behaviours linked to offending can be supported so that they cease offending and meaningfully contribute to society.
• An alignment to a culture of high trust and high expectation where there are fewer rules, high levels of accountability, and a need for excellent performance from the entire team.
• An alignment to SHiFT’s Values – ambition, courage, flexibility, and tenacity – which reflect the ‘Breaking Cycles’ ingredients (the foundations on which SHiFT is built).
• A preparedness to challenge the status quo and be positively disruptive in the pursuit of higher standards even when this is uncomfortable.
• Dynamism, tenacity, and determination – you are someone who does not give up until you succeed. You have a ‘can do’ attitude.
• Curiosity and a commitment to learning – comfortable in a fast-paced and aspirational ‘start-up’ context, and as part of a team that is committed to ongoing reflection, adaptation, and improvement.

Experience, knowledge, and skills

· Knowledge and experience of dynamic risk management is desirable.

· Experience developing and embedding audit and oversight processes is desirable.

· Experience of contract management is desirable.

· Experience leading geographically dispersed teams is desirable.

· Experience developing and selling policy change recommendations is desirable.

BACKGROUND

Over the past 90 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

IRC-UK

IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in England, a programme that is rapidly growing. In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

The External Relations (ER) unit is comprised of four complementary functions: Private fundraising, Mobilization & Marketing, Policy & Advocacy and Operations & Analytics. To enable IRC to deliver our Strategy100 commitments, the ER unit established a bold new approach that enhances our ability to raise diverse and flexible funding aligned with IRC’s top priorities, while raising our profile and influence. The ER unit is international, with colleagues in more than 10 offices globally.

The Purpose of the Role

As Director of Communications, UK, you lead IRC UK’s core communications strategy with the objectives of growing our profile, influencing policy, driving income, and protecting our reputation. This is done by taking a strategic approach to generating effective messaging for cross-team use, creatively collaborating to produce cut-through external products across media and digital channels, and generating top tier media coverage in collaboration with communications, advocacy and fundraising colleagues globally. In this role you will be expected to use expert judgment to manage IRC UK’s reputation, as well as ensure media and digital outputs protect beneficiaries, staff and programming from harm.

The Director will report to the UK Executive Director and the Senior Director of Global Public Affairs. The Director will collaborate closely with the Senior Director for Digital Engagement, UK Advocacy Director, and the Director of UK Mass Markets to meet the organization’s strategic objectives surrounding profile, income and influence.

Scope and Authority

 

Authority:

· The role holder sets strategic direction for UK communications, with a focus on earned media, public advocacy and organic digital.

· The role oversees the UK comms operational budget, with access to the Global External Relations budget.

· The role has the authority to brief journalists with agreed messaging and act as spokesperson for the organisation.

· The Director will line manage the communications team and other positions when required.

· The role is a key member of the UK Senior Management Team, with collective responsibility for the leadership, culture and efficacy of IRC UK.

Key Working Relationships

· Reports to the UK Executive Director and Senior Director Global Public Affairs & Communications.

· Close collaboration with External Relations staff in the UK, US and globally, including Advocacy and Influence, Mass Markets, Fundraising, Awards Management, Digital Engagement, Entertainment Relations, Creative Studio, and Experiential Marketing.

· Works closely with key country directors, country programme staff and technical unit colleagues.

· Supports policy staff in the IRC President’s Office on key UK messages and policy initiatives involving the IRC President.

· Works closely with counterparts in NGOs and donors particularly FCDO and the DEC.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic Direction

· Raise IRC UK's profile, income, influence and brand in the UK market by developing and delivering a 360 comprehensive communications strategy that reaches target audiences, attracts new supporters, and connects supporters with IRC clients.

· Partner with global external relations leadership to set Key Performance Indicators for achieving the strategy, and drive and monitor progress towards them with the support of your team.

· Contribute to the development and delivery of the UK Strategic Plan.

Team Management & Stakeholder engagement

· Manage a team of communications professionals, setting objectives, portfolio scope, and partnering on professional development opportunities

· Drive creative insights and strategic thinking within the UK comms team and influence / maximize policy, advocacy and fundraising outputs and results

· Lead strategic communications planning to maximize opportunities of partnering with income and influence objectives and outputs

· Ensure the UK Communications Team are clear on systems, processes and organization to drive efficiency and team productivity

· Review team performance quarterly and present on results to global stakeholders

· As a member of the UK Senior Management Team (UK SMT) support the UK Executive Director in the creation and delivery of IRC UK strategies and priorities, foster cohesion and collaboration among UK based departments, representing the needs and objectives of the team in the UK SMT and UK office.

Execution: Driving IRC profile, influence and income; and protecting the reputation of the IRC

· Work alongside global communications colleagues, Policy & Advocacy colleagues and UK Fundraisers to develop appropriate messaging on key proactive and reactive issue areas across the scope of IRC’s work.

· Plan and identify key moments of opportunity for IRC UK Communications according to internal and external landscape and timetables.

· Ensure pro/reactive message accuracy and cut through calls to action that engage audiences for proactive campaigns and news cycle opportunities.

· Develop, commission and drive creative cut-through tactics and products, from revealing IRC research and analysis to emergency media briefings.

· Secure top tier media coverage of IRC’s work, solutions and innovation, balancing mentions with long-form/features and profiles.

· Influence and shape key media narratives around priority IRC UK policy issues.

· Oversee strategic media opportunities by commissioning, writing, editing and disseminating messaging for multi-channel use, press-releases, op-eds, statements and other content to secure coverage of the IRC in the UK across print, broadcast and online media.

· Work with global communications colleagues and country office staff to create strong, persuasive and impactful outputs, and to arrange interviews and media visits to frontline work.

· Act as a spokesperson for the organization in the media as needed.

· Liaise closely with Fundraising teams to collaborate on timely messaging, client-centered storytelling, digital outputs, and media coverage to bring in donations to the IRC during emergencies and other fundraising appeals.

· Manage the communications component and IRC UK’s relationship with the DEC and lead communications on DEC appeals.

· Use expert judgment to ensure the IRC is protected in the media and to develop and enact strategies to protect IRC’s reputation, as well as ensure media outputs protect beneficiaries, staff and programming from harm.

· Ensure coordinated and topical messaging across media outreach and digital channels.

· Establish close relationships with press counterparts within statutory donor organizations that lead to opportunities to promote IRC in the media.

· Leverage IRC’s President and CEO, and UK Executive Director to grow our profile in the UK, through proposing and implementing op-eds, interviews and other media activities.

· Support, prepare and coach staff, spokespeople and board members for media interviews and visits; and provide guidance across the organisation to dealing with media.

· Build expertise on current and potential issues in the humanitarian NGO arena via research and monitoring of national media and competitors and in liaison with global colleagues

· Work with the global media colleagues to ensure that IRC has a system for managing media enquiries at all times, as needed.

· Responsible for reporting to the IRCUK board, subcommittees and Executive Director on press activity, trends and upcoming opportunities.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

 

Essential

Experience

· Track record in creating, driving and evaluating a 360-degree communications strategy that focuses on media, digital and enabling income.

· Experience leading and managing media and digital teams. 

· Experience navigating and influencing within large matrixed organizations.

· Extensive experience of developing key messages and implementing media strategies with an international, and ideally humanitarian, or development focus.

· Experience of conducting media relations and communications opportunities in developing countries and sensitive contexts.

· Experience of organising international media visits to projects in order to facilitate reporting on key issues.

· Substantial experience responding to reputational threats.

· Experience leading a digital communications team that delivers breakthrough digital content, client-centered storytelling and brings in new supporters.

· Experience/knowledge of tools for monitoring media coverage and digital results.

· Experience of dealing with media enquiries into crisis and sensitive issues.

· Experience of acting as a spokesperson for an organisation.

Skills and Knowledge

· Creative thinker who can identify opportunities and collaborate internally to produce external products that cut through media and digital and meet strategic IRC UK objectives.

· Strong communication and interpersonal skills: ability to communicate effectively with colleagues both in the UK and overseas and manage working relationships diplomatically.

· Excellent eye to detail and commitment to high speed and high quality writing and editing

· Strong organisational and time management skills: ability to prioritise team’s work, and multi-task in a fast-paced work setting.

· Good contacts with key UK journalists and media outlets, and knowledge and ability to develop relationships quickly.

· Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills; adept at writing clean, engaging, jargon-free copy for a range of channels.

· Ability to represent IRC-UK and the wider IRC professionally and appropriately at all times.

· Knowledge/interest in international affairs, particularly of conflict and humanitarian crises and issues.

· Knowledge of key political debates in the UK around international development and aid.

· Flexibility as regards working hours, as the need arises.

· Willingness to travel occasionally to conflict areas.

· Fluency in English, spoken and written.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and adaptable individual with excellent data, organisational and interpersonal skills to join the Data and Migrations Team for the Development (fundraising) and Alumni Relations System (DARS). The post is permanent.

The DARS Data and Migrations Team, a part of the wider DARS Support Centre based in the University Development Office, is responsible for modelling, monitoring, assuring and improving the quality of data held in the DARS database. We also provide user support within a wide range of areas, including migrations, reporting, compliance and governance.

Reporting to the DARS Data & Migrations Team Lead, you will assist with important data-related inquiries, work on reporting and analysis of data quality issues on DARS, and provide expert guidance to existing and newly-migrated teams on the best ways to assure and maintain the quality of their data. The role will also involve supporting the building of and transition to a new CRM system and the delivery of future data migration projects. Your contribution will be essential for the effectiveness of the activities supporting Development (fundraising) and Alumni Relations across the University of Oxford.

You should have a passion for data and be committed to understanding the information needs of system users. You will also be a team player with the ability to work independently towards meeting deadlines, to communicate effectively, and to adopt an assertive approach to problem solving. Other key requirements are a high level of attention to detail, and excellent data management and analytical skills.

We offer a challenging and fulfilling working environment with a wealth of opportunities to develop your professional skills, including the opportunity to help design and build a new CRM platform, and to explore the use of AI to support the University’s fundraising goals.

This is an exciting time to join a friendly team which is going through a period of change and growth.