Role: Senior Officer, Policy & Advocacy (Climate Change & Environment)
Reporting To: Policy & Advocacy Adviser (Climate Change & Environment)
Salary: £47,333
Location: Remote working (preference for GMT +/- 8h).
For non-UK candidates: Please note that you would be hired via Deel either as a contractor or as an employee with local national benefits.
Contract duration: 3 year fixed-term contract, renewable
Probation period: 6 months
Contract type: Full-time or part-time (minimum 4 days a week), compressed hours and flexible working arrangements available
Closing date: 13 June 2025 at 23:30 UK time
What does United for Global Mental Health do?
At United for Global Mental Health, we work with trusted partners to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and increase support for mental health worldwide.
The United for Global Mental Health team is made up of diverse, passionate and knowledgeable individuals based in the UK and in countries around the world. By combining our extensive in-house expertise in advocacy, financing and campaigning with the unique insights of our many partners, we’re making progress on ensuring that everyone, everywhere has someone to turn to in support of their mental health. You can read about our three-year strategy and our 2024 impact report here.
What will I be doing?
This role will support the delivery of several activities within our portfolio of activities on climate change, the environment, and mental health. The four main areas of work that the Senior Officer will be responsible for include:
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Leading work with national partners (50% of post)
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Integration of people with lived experience (hereafter referred to as PWLE) across the portfolio (25% of post)
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Developing our advocacy on the intersection of air pollution and mental health (15% of post)
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Developing our advocacy on the intersection of biodiversity loss and mental health (10% of post)
National level work (50% of post)
A key component of the current project will be to support national partners in a subset of countries globally (approximately 6 countries) to advocate for action on climate change and mental health. The final set of countries is yet to be defined but will likely include one country per WHO region and one country from the Small Islands Developing States. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:
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Lead in the selection of national partners in each country. This will include supporting the running of a competitive process to select one civil-society organisation based in each country to conduct the work
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Strengthen the capacity of national partners to work on climate change and mental health (e.g., via training to national partners to be delivered by the Senior Officer), if required
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Support national partners in advocating for the integration of mental health into climate policies, including but not limited to Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, Heat Health Action Plans etc.
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Lead in cohort-building activities for this subset of countries (e.g., organising regular meetings, ensuring shared learnings etc.)
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With the support of our Operations team, support in the logistics of sub-contracting national partners and monitoring deliverables
Involvement of people with lived experience (25% of post)
The meaningful engagement of PWLE of mental health challenges is central to all work at United for Global Mental Health. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:
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Leading on setting up and coordinating a Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG), which will meet every two months to provide guidance to UnitedGMH and national partners on their work on climate and health. The Senior Officer will be responsible for recruiting approximately 12 PWLE (2 x WHO region), organising regular meetings, and ensuring that the feedback of PWLE is integrated across different projects
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Support the attendance of PWLE to key global advocacy moments in a meaningful, safe, and impactful way
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Support national partners on the integration of lived experience considerations in their work on climate change and mental health
Work on air pollution and mental health (15% of post)
The evidence on air pollution and mental health is a nascent, but rapidly growing, area of interest. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:
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Scope what concrete opportunities exist for integrating mental health considerations into air pollution policies at the global, regional, and national levels
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Build connections with organisations working on air pollution and clean air policies
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Refine our messaging on air pollution and mental health
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Lead on the production of one advocacy brief on air pollution and mental health
Work on biodiversity loss and mental health (10% of post)
There is emerging evidence on the association between biodiversity loss and mental health, but very little work has yet been done in the policy space. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:
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Scoping what concrete opportunities exist for integrating mental health considerations into biodiversity policies at the global, regional, and national levels
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Build connections with organisations working on biodiversity, conservation, and nature
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Refine our messaging on biodiversity and mental health
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Lead the production of one advocacy brief on pesticide use and suicide
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Lead on our engagement with the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (biodiversity COP)
Is this job for me?
Requirements
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A minimum of 3 years of experience working on global mental health policy, advocacy, research, or practice
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Expertise in managing and engaging with multiple different types of stakeholders (e.g., civil society, UN agencies, governments etc.)
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Experience working on co-creation, patient and public involvement (PPI), or working with people with lived experience of mental health problems
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Excellent project management skills and strong planning skills including attention to detail, critical thinking, multi-tasking and problem-solving
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Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
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Ability to work collaboratively in a team
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Expertise in the development of funding proposals and ability to track and report on grant deliverables
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Expertise in organising meetings, events, and small gatherings of partners and other stakeholders
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Ability to travel 2-3 times a year internationally
Desirable
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Expertise in climate change and mental health is desirable but not required
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Experience of working in low- and middle-income countries on mental health is desirable but not required
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Experience of working on influencing policy within a government is desirable but not required
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Fluency in English is essential, the ability to work in a second UN language would be an advantage (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian)
Diversity and inclusion
Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to UnitedGMH’s core mission and values, and the organisation is dedicated to promoting this across our work and also within the workplace. We will ensure that this commitment is embedded in all operational aspects of the organisation and also implemented within our day-to-day working practices.
Reasonable adjustments statement
We aim to ensure that all applicants are provided with the same opportunities during the recruitment process. Should you have a disability and require a particular adjustment to be made to allow you to fully participate in the recruitment process, please ensure that this is made known to the person arranging your interview.
How can I apply?
To apply please submit your CV and a cover letter (800 words maximum) via Charity Job.
Selection process
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A subset of candidates will be invited to:
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Submit a short written assignment
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Participate in at least 2 online interviews between the 1st of July and the 18th of July
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Benefits
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28 days of holiday a year plus national holidays in your country of residency
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Possibility of being hired by Deel as a local employee (with local pension and social security benefits) or as a contractor (decision up to the employee based on personal preference)
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Up to 1000£ a year of allowance for office space
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Up to 500£ a year in personal development training allowance
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A minimum of 1 in-person team retreat a year
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Possibility to work from anywhere in the world (where you have the legal right to work from)
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Possibility to work compressed hours
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Access to Employee Assistance Programme via HealthAssured
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[For UK-based staff] You contribute 5% of your salary and we pay for 3% (8% total)
Thank you!
Community Based/Home Working – North East Scotland
Permanent, Full Time
Circa £30,000 plus competitive benefits
Do you want to make a difference?
The RAF Benevolent Fund is the leading welfare charity for the RAF. Every year we make a real difference to over 40,000 people who benefit from our services. Working at the Fund is more than sitting at your desk ad in this role you will have the opportunity to be part of our RAF Family. Alongside helping our beneficiaries, we also get to hang out with Spitfires and Typhoons, take part in a Dambusters bike ride, attend events like Royal Ascot, the Chelsea Flower Show, and the Bomber Command Memorial Service. Every day you will make a difference and play your part in changing the lives of others and helping people in the RAF Family get through the toughest of times.
It doesn’t matter how long someone served or when. If they were part of the RAF, they and their family are part of our RAF Family. We will always be here to support them when they need it most.
Join the RAF Family and play your part in making a difference.
Do you want to play a part in what we do?
People are at the heart of what we do. Together we:
· Help reduce social isolation and loneliness among veterans.
· We support ill or injured men and women to have a safe place to call home, a home that meets their specific needs.
· We fund youth services on stations to provide clubs and activities for the children of serving personnel who move every few years.
· We provide grants to help with the cost of living. But this is just a few of the ways we help.
We are seeking an individual to raise awareness of the Fund’s welfare offer amongst social welfare agencies across the North East of Scotland but also, crucially, to help address the issue of social isolation and feelings of loneliness experienced by some members of the RAF Family.
The post holder will be working with socially isolated individuals to identify meaningfully enriching opportunities to reduce feelings of loneliness, some of whom may have complex and challenging welfare needs, to develop actions plans and coordinate support to overcome any barriers preventing successful connection into these enriching opportunities, assisting them by identifying appropriate support from within the RAF Benevolent Fund and the wider statutory and military charity sector.
The successful candidate will have experience of working in a social welfare role supporting individuals, have strong people and relationship-building skills, as well as empathy with or understanding of the issues affecting the Armed Forces community. Individuals with a social prescribing or working aged veteran support background are encouraged to apply.
This is a community-based position working from home but covering the Inverness, Moray and Aberdeenshire regions primarily, delivering both remote and face to face support. The candidate must have their own vehicle to use to travel around these regions. Occasional travel to Edinburgh and London will be required. The successful candidate for this role will need to be Enhanced DBS checked and prove they have the right to work in the UK.
To apply, please click on this link and send your CV, together with a cover letter detailing why you believe you are suitable for this role, providing examples of how you meet the job profile when you apply through our recruitment portal.
The closing date for applications is Friday 23rd May 2025, 5.00pm. Interviews will be held on 24th – 26th June 2025.
A copy of the Fund’s Candidate Privacy Notice can be found on our website. As an equal opportunities employer, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. The Fund takes safeguarding seriously, and appropriate background checks will be completed. You can find out more about our commitment to safeguarding on our website. This role requires an Enhanced DBS check. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join the Fund.
The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is a Registered Charity (No. 1081009).
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Our vision is that everyone in our RAF Family – veterans, serving personnel and their families – gets support in their hour of need.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.