Policy and External Communications Lead

Are you a communications expert with a passion for policy?

Policy that will power the future agenda for women's centres across England and Wales? If this speaks to you, then this is one of the most positive and impactful contributions you could be making right now as our brand-new Policy and Communications Lead.

Salary: £38,500 FTE
Location: Greater Manchester, hybrid with base at Stockport Women’s Centre (1 day per week)
Hours: Full time, 4 days and job share considered 
Contract: Fixed term until 30/12/2025
Benefits: 28 days holiday + bank, 5% employer pension contribution 

About the charity

You'll work as part of a unique collaboration between Stockport Women's Centre, Salford Foundation and Partners of Prisoners, who are all third sector organisations working across Greater Manchester and members of the Effective Women's Centre (EWC) project. Through cutting-edge and gold standard evaluation methods, the project is furthering the case for women's centres as a viable alternative to custody for women.

Project goal: Women, wherever they are in England and Wales, experience sufficiently funded, holistic, person-centred, gender and trauma-responsive services, meaning women's needs and strengths are recognised, evidenced and met. Their voices are listened to. They have agency to transform the systems which impact them to create better lives for themselves and society as a whole.

This is incredibly important work that will change the lives of women experiencing complex trauma and multiple layers of disadvantage.

About the role

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Policy and External Communications Lead to help increase influence and impact. The role is a blend of policy, communications and campaigns work and requires nuanced and high-level of engagement skills, working with varied audiences, networks and platforms.

To apply, we'd love to see how your skills and experience connect and translate to the needs of the role:

• Identify and cultivate parliamentary and ministerial contacts, connecting with local politicians and council leaders.
• Draft impactful policy positions, briefings, and internal and external reports, ensuring they are informed by women's voices.
• Develop a communications plan as part of an influencing strategy, agreeing key messages supported by research and data.
• Lead on developing public campaigns, tailoring key messages for a variety of engagement and communications platforms (including PR and social media).
• Work closely with EWC data leads to understand outcomes and impact emerging from the Women's Risk and Needs Assessment (WRNA).

About you

You'll need significant policy and communications experience from a relevant or comparable role, ideally working within the women's space (although open to hearing how skills can transfer from other policy/campaigns work).

You'll come with experience of supporting organisations to influence national and local policy making, proactively engaging with decision-makers around parliamentary enquiries and questions, bills, debates, and government consultations.

You're able to create meaningful and impactful communications and campaigns that are women and data led.

You're emotionally intelligent and aligned with the EWC's values, ambitions and agenda for change, with an understanding of the challenges facing women in the criminal justice system and beyond.

If you are as excited by the possibilities as we are, please get in touch with a copy of your CV or profile to Amelia Lee at Charity People.

Deadline: 9am on Wednesday 10th April

Interviews: w/c 22nd April, date to be confirmed

Charity People actively promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. We match charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the charities we work with.