Policy & Advocacy Manager

Job Title:                               Policy and Advocacy Manager

Position Type:                      Maternity Cover

Reports to:                           Founder/Chief Executive

Based at:                               School Food Matters, Blackfriars Settlement 9 Rushworth Street SE1 0RB

Salary:                                   £40,500

Working Hours:               9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension:                                School Food Matters pays pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday:                                 31 days including bank holidays

School Food Matters is closed between Christmas and New Year

Job Purpose

·         To lead and shape School Food Matters’ policy and advocacy strategy, ensuring our voice influences national and local decision-making on school food and food education

·         To design and deliver campaigns that support and advance SFM’s mission

·         To line manage the Policy and Communications Assistant and Press and Communications Officer

Key Tasks

·         Lead and provide strategic input to campaigns, convene groups and partnerships

·         Represent SFM at external meetings and coalitions such as the School Food Review

·         Monitor, analyse and interpret relevant research, policy developments and news, identifying implications or opportunities for SFM

·         Oversee the strategic direction of SFM’s external affairs and communications, ensuring all policy, campaigns, and public messaging align with the charity’s mission and priorities

·         Provide policy research and analysis to support the activities of the School Food Review

·         Oversee meetings and governance for the School Food Alliance

·         Provide policy and communications expertise for the Food Education Network workstreams

·         Represent SFM at relevant policy consultations, meetings and conferences to influence and inform policy discussions, and deliver presentations as required

·         Lead drafting of responses to government consultations

·         Working closely with the Press and Communications Officer, provide insights to inform timely media responses to policy developments

·         Ensure colleagues are regularly briefed on policy activities, priorities and messages, and run internal workshops to keep them up to date with the school food sector

·         Provide strategic input to meeting content for the School Food Review, and support the Policy and Communications Assistant to organise meetings for workstreams

·         Oversee the development web content, articles, blogs and newsletter content by the Press and Communications Officer and the Policy and Communications Assistant

·         Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

·         Maintain the ethos of the charity and positively promote our work at all times

·         The Policy and Advocacy Manager will also undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may arise from time to time.  Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and positive mindset is essential!

Person Specification

Essential

·         Experience of research and analysis, ideally in a policy environment

·         General knowledge of issues around school food, children’s health and food education

·         Comprehensive understanding of the UK’s political system

·         Experience of coordinating policy/research-based projects

·         Experience designing, coordinating and delivering campaigns

·         Experience of working in coalitions

·         Strong interpersonal skills and ability to maintain relationships with a range of individuals and organisations

·         Confident and competent IT skills across Office suite of programmes

·         Exceptional oral and written communication skills in fluent spoken and written English, with strong attention to detail and the ability to translate complex data and policies into accessible language and engaging stories and communication materials

·         Strong understanding media landscape and social media platforms to oversee the communications activity of the organisation

·         Ability to work independently, with high levels of self-motivation

·         Good project management, time management and organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines

·         Energy, enthusiasm, creativity and tenacity

Desirable

·         Strong knowledge of the public health, food and education policy landscape

·         Experience managing others

·         Experience managing projects

·         Experience managing meetings

·         Experience of working with Drupal CMS

·         Experience of working within a network or coalition of campaigning organisations

·         Established contacts with media outlets/journalists/bloggers

·         Digital campaigning and social networking skills

·         Experience writing news articles and blog posts with clear structure, purpose and an engaging narrative

·         Experience managing or supervising team members to deliver communications projects effectively