Eu advocacy officer jobs

This is a key role in fulfilling CEASE’s aim to drive legislative reform that strengthens accountability, scrutiny and regulation of all parts of the commercial sex industry and other vested commercial interests, which are driving sexual violence, abuse and exploitation. It is about holding the UK government accountable in its duty to protect citizens from high-harm industries, appealing to robust evidence, survivor testimony and a careful critical analysis of the ideological justifications that uphold it. 

The work crosses multiple different areas, from policing, online safety and child protection to violence against women and girls (VAWG). It involves close collaboration with experts and partner organisations through strategic partnerships and coalitions, and the building of trusted relationships with MPs, Peers, civil servants and other decision-makers.

This role sits within the Activism strand of CEASE’s strategy, alongside media outreach and commercial advocacy, and works closely with the Chief Executive and Strategic Director 

Main Duties and Responsibilities

A. Strategic Leadership

• Work closely and effectively with the Chief Executive, Strategic Director and Trustees to advise on priorities and opportunities within this space.

• Develop both short- and long-term political strategies to engage key stakeholders with CEASE’s policy solutions.

• Identify and formulate strategies for gathering robust evidence on key issues where needed.

• Shape policy recommendations in line with CEASE’s strategic priorities and emerging trends.

• Ensure all external engagement reflects CEASE’s values and core messaging.

• Contribute political intelligence and insight to CEASE’s wider strategic planning and organisational development.

B. Policy

Goal: To ensure CEASE’s policy recommendations are robust, evidence-based, survivor-informed and coherent.

• Gather and present evidence on commercial and cultural drivers of sexual abuse and exploitation, and on systemic failures in regulation and enforcement.

• Identify evidence gaps and devise effective means for CEASE or partners within our networks to fill them.

• Produce policy briefings and consultation responses for parliamentarians and civil servants, often in collaboration with allies.

• Monitor parliamentary business in Westminster, analysing legislation and proposing amendments grounded in evidence and framed for maximum impact.

• Develop CEASE’s positions on new and emerging issues and technologies in line with our mission.

• Prepare speeches and statements for the Chief Executive or Strategic Director to deliver to parliamentarians, committees and inquiries.

• Integrate survivor insight and lived experience into policy and advocacy materials wherever appropriate.

• Analyse, distil and present research findings to provide credible, compelling evidence for policymakers and stakeholders.

• Track engagement outcomes and evaluate the impact of CEASE’s policy work, sharing learning internally.

C. Public Affairs

Goal: To ensure CEASE’s policy recommendations are seen, heard and acted upon.

• Create opportunities to promote CEASE’s policy solutions in Westminster through roundtables, drop-ins and parliamentary events.

• Engage directly with decision-makers, building trusted relationships across parties and with key officials.

• Identify and support parliamentarians who can champion CEASE’s issues through speeches, strategic questions, debate briefings and Private Members’ Bills.

• Build and maintain relationships with MPs, Peers, civil servants and officials in relevant government departments (Home Office, DCMS, DfE, etc.); participate in select committees and APPGs.

• Monitor the political landscape to identify alignment between CEASE’s goals and current government priorities, debates and legislative timetables.

• Collaborate with colleagues to nurture relationships with key stakeholders such as charities, public bodies, academic institutions, industry figures and experts.

• Lead or contribute to policy-focused coalitions and alliances aimed at influencing government and legislative reform.

• Support wider campaigns that leverage coalition backing (e.g. petitions, iParls or media initiatives), aligning messaging across CEASE’s team to amplify impact.

• Track and evaluate the reach and influence of CEASE’s public affairs activities to inform ongoing strategy.

D. Research

• Maintain awareness of political and legal developments in other countries and international bodies such as the UN.

• Commission or collaborate on research that strengthens CEASE’s evidence base and credibility.

• Distil complex research and policy information into accessible formats for internal and external audiences, in collaboration with the Chief Executive and Strategic Director.

• Work with the wider CEASE team to “demystify” the political process and support civic and grassroots engagement.

E. Fundraising

• Identify potential donors and funding opportunities through policy networks.

• Contribute to the development of compelling funding cases linked to CEASE’s policy impact and advocacy outcomes.

General Responsibilities

• Represent CEASE externally to promote its work and values.

• Uphold CEASE’s ethical and professional standards at all times.

• Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the Chief Executive.

Please see Job Description for full details.

Starting Salary: £54,269 - £59,422 (including LW)  

Contract: Permanent  

Location: Romero House, London - Hybrid working with a minimum of 40% of your time in the London head Office

Job Profile

CAFOD has an ambition to be digital first in our marketing and communications, to stay ahead of emerging trends and make the most of what digital technology can offer to strengthen our relationships with our supporters and in our ways of working across the organisation. Digital technology has already transformed our communications and will continue to do so. This senior communications and marketing role will be responsible for steering the ongoing digital transformation of CAFODs work, primarily in the supporter programme and also across the wider organisation.

This role encompasses overall responsibility for the brand, digital marketing, messaging, proactive and reactive media relations, with a core focus on digital transformation across all platforms. This post will play a key role in guiding our digital shop fronts and marketing efforts, evolving supporter journeys, steering our email programme and leading on the digital infrastructure to enable delivery of our supporter programme. It will ensure that digital engagement and conversion is embedded and an integral part of our communications planning. 

This role will drive innovation and data-informed insight across the full spectrum of communications and wider organisation functions. It will embed a digital-first approach across teams and guide and accompany the wider organisation on harnessing opportunities of new technologies, making digital engagement integral to communications planning. 

This role will drive brand awareness, brand advocacy and action across our programmes to ensure CAFOD is top of mind amongst the Catholic Community of England and Wales, helping to grow support from our constituency. You will bring proven senior-level experience in digital communications and marketing, ideally within the charity sector. With a strong understanding of communications at a senior level with expert knowledge of digital channels, audience engagement, and online conversion, you also have a strategic grasp of how digital integrates into broader communications and supporter strategies. Your leadership style is collaborative and visionary, and you have the gravitas and expertise to set the digital marketing direction for a large organisation, while bringing all teams along with your vision.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development, direction setting and delivery of an ambitious, insight-led digital-first communications strategy that enhances supporter journeys, increases engagement and drives measurable growth in support of our supporter programme, especially our parishioner-first fundraising strategy. 

• Act as CAFODs senior expert on communications, advising the Executive team, across departments and influencing strategic decision-making, including on digital direction and development, at the highest level. 

• Lead complex cross-organisational projects that improve our digital supporter experience, from acquisition to long-term engagement and conversion, ensuring timeliness and consistency with supporter programme priorities, especially the parishioner-first fundraising strategy and approach. 

• Provide leadership and overall oversight of external communications and messaging, including brand consistency and press/media engagement, ensuring consistency between our fundraising efforts, our campaigning work and profiling our international work to supporters and key stakeholders.

• Lead and oversee the digital teams - email marketing programme, social media engagement, digital developments, campaigns and the website, to ensure user experience is optimised and platforms support our supporter programme and broader organisational strategic objectives and ambitions. 

• Lead the media team to explore and encourage new approaches including how we further maximise the digital media landscape.

• Line manage senior specialists across digital marketing, website, and media and PR, ensuring high performance and professional growth. 

• Work closely with IT, data and external agencies to ensure agile, secure and effective digital delivery across platforms. 

• Represent the organisation externally where appropriate, with a focus on digital thought leadership. 
• Develop and manage the communications budget effectively, aligning resources to priority areas and demonstrating clear impact. Agree and ensure accountability for objectives and KPIs as part of the wider supporter strategy, fostering a culture of ongoing learning, adaptation and improvement.  

Safeguarding 

All CAFOD staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

Person Specification 

• Extensive experience in a senior digital communications and marketing leadership role, with demonstrable success in developing and delivering integrated and audience-led multi-channel communications and marketing strategies. 
• Strong experience of overseeing development of supporter journeys and objectives, website development, CRM integration and email engagement and conversion. 
• Passionate about digital innovation and technologies, with deep knowledge of platforms, formats, and trends. 
• Committed to insight-led and data-driven approaches with skills to use digital tools, platforms and analytics to shape decisions and measure impact. 
• Excellent leadership, inter-personal and team management skills, with the ability to develop and motivate multi-disciplinary teams. 
• Strong cross-functional project management ability, with experience leading organisational change in digital capability. 
• Understanding of broader communications and marketing disciplines, with the ability to ensure alignment and brand consistency and also oversee media and PR work, including reputational risk and crisis communications. 
• Understanding of the Catholic church in England and Wales and knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching. 
• A track record of strong written and spoken communication skills. 
• Highly organised, able to manage a busy workload and consistently meet deadlines. 

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults 

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD 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 his/her understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures.