Advocacy & Communications Manager

About Glitch

We work to ensure that  internet technologies in the information ecosystem do not replicate or further discrimination to Black women and other marginalised people. We’re a Black-led, transnationally-focused remote charity, with the majority of our staff in the UK. 

In the past year, we have been going through a period of growth and change — we have a new Executive Director; we are formalising our Black feminist technology policy approach with a new strategy, and we have a clearer remit in our core issue areas. Our advocacy work also covers broader societal and collective harms such as tech-facilitated gender-based violence, and algorithmic injustice and discrimination, by mitigating and organising for tech governance, platform accountability and direct support for our focal population of Black women and Black gender-expansive people. If you are familiar with our work on online abuse, this is still a core issue area but no longer our sole focus. 

Our values: Accountable, Black feminist, Care-full, Radical, Thoughtful

Key Details

• Contract type: 1 year fixed-to-permanent (subject to funding)

• Hours: Full-time (32 hours per week - Monday to Thursday) 

• Benefits: 

  • Four day work week (Fridays off)

  • 5% employer pension contribution (with minimum 3% employee contribution)

  • Wellbeing budget £500 annually

  • 23 days annual leave (including bank holidays, allowance is pro-rata for four day work week)

  • Annual team retreat

  • 9 paid sick days

  • Private healthcare

  • Two-week December shutdown for the end-of-year period (not deducted from annual leave allowance) 

Role Overview

Glitch is looking for an Advocacy and Communications Manager to help support the charity's work — ensuring technology does not further or replicate discrimination towards Black women and gender-expansive people. This position offers the opportunity to lead on UK tech policy developing and promoting our Black feminist approach to key UK legislation through advocacy and communications to relevant audiences and stakeholders. 

Specifically, you will lead on our tech-facilitated gender-based violence issue area, working on the Online Safety Act and engaging with relevant government ministers and parliamentarians, as well as our online violence against women coalition partners, and the Online Safety Act Network. This role blends elements to advocacy and pub The position is remote (UK only) and is a one year, fixed-to-permanent role, extension subject to funding.

Ideal Candidate

To be successful at Glitch, the Advocacy & Communications Manager must demonstrate an understanding of and passion for Black feminist thought, and the ability to translate this critical social theory into advocacy and communications work, specifically in pushing towards systemic change with/in: tech policy, digital rights, tech-facilitated gender-based violence and algorithmic injustice. 

Our ideal candidate will have:

• Minimum three years experience working in communications, policy or research function at a UK, EU or US think tank, charity or non-profit in the area of tech law, tech or digital policy, or human rights and technology.

• A degree in a relevant field (i.e, public policy, international relations, law, computer science, digital media and society, culture, media and society, media and communications). 

• Knowledge of UK government and legislative decision-making processes.

• Experience creating and disseminating complex information to various audiences across newsletters and social media.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• A proactive, thoughtful, and collaborative working style.  

• For this role, candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

At Glitch, we are committed to providing equal opportunities for employment on our team. All applicants will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage Black women and gender-expansive people to apply!

Key Responsibilities

As the Advocacy and Communications Manager, you will support the team in working towards our mission in several core areas: 

Advocacy (50%)

• Support the Advocacy Director in the delivery of the Mitigation strand of advocacy work.

• Implement all policy work related to tech-facilitated gender-based violence, including but not limited to our intimate image abuse work, non-criminal redress, and automated content moderation.

• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including Ofcom and UK regulatory bodies, our network engagements, civil society, and others, attending meetings as determined by the Advocacy Director.

• Draft agendas for coalition meetings, taking minutes and actions, building and mobilising our partnership network around submissions, PMQs and other key parliamentary processes.

• Undertake regular policy and media monitoring and share updates and intel

• Support on the drafting of all external policy requests (briefings, statements, joint letters).

• Build relationships with external key figures in the UK including government ministers and civil servants. 

• Own the management and updating of our CRM, ensuring monthly maintenance of our records of interactions with key individuals and organisations.

Strategic Communications (50%)

• Ensure that communications outputs are of the highest standard and respond to the needs of the target audience(s) in order to inform or influence. 

• Develop communications strategies and content for all advocacy activities requiring public dissemination.

• Create compelling content for social media posts, to promote awareness of our programmes and advocacy work.

• Represent Glitch through writing blogs and commentary on issues relating to our core issues areas.

• Lead and develop the content calendar for the newsletter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

• Support with virtual or offline event promotion and meeting minutes.

Person Specification

Essential qualifications and experience

• Experience with policy, research and/or campaigning work ideally in a social justice or tech for good environment.

• Experience working in communications, particularly Instagram and LinkedIn

• Experience working with communications software or platforms (our communications stack is Mailchimp and Canva).

• Experience of writing and editing in a specific tone of voice, with a compelling style with excellent spelling, grammar and style.

• IT skills, including Google Suite and Beacon CRM, and project management tools like ClickUp and Slack. 

• Remote work experience.

Essential knowledge and capabilities

• Good knowledge and understanding of current debates in technology and human rights, tech-facilitated gender-based violences, and the experiences of Black women and other marginalised communities online.

• Understanding of working with Government, Parliament and international institutions.

• Understanding of the policymaking process in the UK and working with Government, and Parliamentarians.

• Ability to nurture strategic relationships and influence key people or organisations. 

• Excellent attention to detail, organisational and time management skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively in a small team.

• Commitment to our mission and values.

Desirable

• Video editing and scripting skills.

• Advanced design skills.