Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION: Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager (Interim) 

 

Reports to: Head of External Affairs 
Location:  Remote (UK based) Flexible, role requires regular travel to London  
Salary: £38,900 plus £3449 ILW per year  (based on WA scale point 41) 
Length of contract: Fixed term, 1 year, 37 hours per week 
Closing date:   Monday 31st July 9am 
Interviews: Stage 1: 8th & 9th August. Stage 2: 15th &16th August 

Main Purpose of Post 

This role will ensure that Women’s Aid can mobilise campaigners and achieve influence and change in the context of domestic policy in the run up to the next UK General Election and Women’s Aid’s 50th birthday. The role will support the Head of External Affairs to implement key cross-organisational strategies, oversee our new stakeholder management system and lead the public affairs and campaigns function of the team. The post holder will enhance the profile of Women’s Aid among decision makers and the public and represent the needs of domestic abuse survivors to policy makers and influencers including the UK Government and Parliament. 

Duties and Key Responsibilities 

Management 

• To ensure the management and delivery of a programme of public affairs and campaigning work to further the aims and objectives of Women's Aid, with a focus on the upcoming General Election.  

• To manage special short term projects concerned with the development or operation of Women’s Aid as required. 

• To keep the Head of the team appraised of issues of strategic importance in relation to policy, public affairs or campaigns work or other related announcements/upcoming announcements from Westminster. 

• To maintain the profile of Women’s Aid proactively and to contribute to Women’s Aid fundraising, publicity and PR priorities and events as required. 

• To carry out the day to day management, supervision, appraisal and development of staff in the campaigns and public affairs arm of the External Affairs team, to ensure high quality service and achievement of the annual business plan. 

Campaigning and Influencing  

• To oversee the development and delivery of consultation, information, advice, and resources, on campaigns and policy on domestic abuse, to the national network of local Women’s Aid organisations, relevant agencies and partnerships, as well as Women’s Aid national team. 

• To lead on national campaigning and the development of a Campaigns Strategy to raise the profile of violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and Women's Aid among target stakeholders.  

• To oversee proactive secretariat support to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Domestic Violence and Abuse. 

• To play a key role in Women’s Aid’s strategic engagement and influencing with key decisions makers at a national level, working with the Head of the team and senior management to utilise our stakeholder management system and Government Engagement Strategy, and to develop a Parliamentary Engagement Strategy.  

• To manage effective partnerships with government, statutory voluntary agencies and private sector companies and to promote Women’s Aid profile and policies, as required. 

• To oversee Women’s Aid’s work on current legislation, such as the Victims and Prisoners Bill, our response to public policy consultation requests from Government and parliament, working in partnership with the Policy team and with other VAWG organisations where appropriate. 

• To ensure that legislation, policy and practice on domestic abuse is monitored and analysed to support campaigns, public affairs and policy priorities for Women’s Aid. 

• To support the sign off process of media outputs, contributing to external reports and working across teams to ensure policy priorities are reflected across the wider organisation.  

• To represent Women’s Aid in the media, in Parliament and Westminster and deputise for the Head of the team when required.  

• To work with the Media and Communications team to maximise opportunities for Women’s Aid on social and conventional media and ensure the effective and professional promotion of the role, profile and campaigns of Women’s Aid and the impact of domestic abuse on women and children; and support the development of relevant education, training and publicity materials. 

• To take an active role in the delivery of Women’s Aid’s annual Public Policy Conference, and to take part at Women’s Aid’s AGM and National Conference as required. 

Person Specification 

Experience: Essential 

• Experience of planning and delivering successful public affairs, campaigns and policy strategies to achieve change in a national charity. 

• Experience for bringing together a range of internal and external stakeholders on a particular campaigns or policy project.  

• Experience of writing briefings and reports for a political audience. 

• Experience of developing engaging policy, public affairs and campaign literature. 

• Experience of line management 

• Experience of meeting with Parliamentarians and other key external stakeholders. 

• Experience of stakeholder management and working in partnership with other charities. 

• Experience of organising events targeted at key government and political stakeholders. 

Experience: Desirable 

• Experience of managing budgets 

Knowledge: Essential 

• Excellent understanding of, and experience in, public affairs. 

• Excellent understanding of the government departments Women’s Aid works with and levers to influence in the context of VAWG and/or domestic abuse 

• An excellent understanding of the Parliamentary and legislative processes. 

• Robust understanding of the issues facing women and children affected by domestic and abuse. 

Knowledge: Desirable 

• A clear understanding of the work of Women’s Aid and its members and partners. 

• An understanding of the Violence Against Women and Girls players and history. 

Skills: Essential 

• Excellent communication, networking, public speaking and writing skills for a range of audiences, including survivors of domestic abuse and politicians. 

• Ability and intellectual curiosity to work with politicians across the political spectrum, including holding decision-making within the context of VAWG 

• Demonstrable ability of having developed relationships and worked with MPs and advisers 

• Ability to be agile, responsive and rapidly reprioritise 

• Demonstrable policy and influencing skills. 

• Ability to draft excellent and influential reports and briefings. 

• Ability to work under pressure in a busy team. 

• Demonstrate commitment to the aims of Women’s Aid, its member organisations and its partners. 

• Good IT skills and ability to be administratively self-serving. 

• Ability to work as part of a team and be self-motivated. 

• Ability to carry out in depth analysis of complex policy information and disseminate to key audiences 

Skills: Desirable 

• Ability to communicate well in the media and to dissolve complex arguments into easily understandable and persuasive conversation 

Education / Training: Desirable 

• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development 

Other Requirements 

Essential 

• Able to demonstrate a commitment and sensitivity of the aims and objectives of Women’s Aid; 

• Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities; 

• Willingness to work occasional unsocial hours as required. 

  Summary of Terms and Conditions of Employment 

 Terms of appointment: Confirmation of appointment will be subject to the satisfactory completion of a probationary period.  This will normally be of six months (less for short term contracts).  During this time an employee will be expected to establish their suitability for the post. During the probationary period employment may be terminated in writing, giving one week's notice by either party (this may be waived by mutual agreement). Only any statutory dismissal procedure will apply during the probationary period. There is no probationary period for contracts of under 3 months. 

Salary:  £38,900 pro rata. (On an incremental scale guided by the NJC Local authority pay scale points 41-45) + benefits.  Salary is paid in arrears through bank credit by the 25th of each month.  Part time staff receive pro-rata payment based on hours worked.  

 Working hours:  The standard working hours for this post are 37 hours per week, based in Bristol; benefits include a generous bank holidays and annual leave package and contributory pension scheme.  All posts, including remote posts must be based in the UK. 

Support and supervision:  Women’s Aid has a commitment to providing regular supervision and support to staff with annual appraisals forming a key part of staff development.  We have a training policy in place and encourage staff to take an active role in their career development plan. 

 Pension:  Women’s Aid is enrolled with the People’s Pension scheme. Women’s Aid normally contributes 7% of salary and the employee contributes 3% towards the group pension scheme. Eligible staff will be automatically enrolled on the scheme when they have successfully completed the 3 month interim probationary review. 

Annual Leave:  Women’s Aid offers an annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year rising by one day per year until 30 days annual leave per year is reached.  In addition, we offer 8 days public holidays plus 2 additional days in March and August. All leave entitlement is calculated pro-rata for part time employees. 

Other leave:  Employees have contractual rights to time off for reasons of sickness, maternity and other circumstances.   

Period of notice: 2 months after your probationary period has been completed. 

Union:  You have a right to membership of a trade union. Women’s Aid recognises Unison.  

Asylum and Immigration Act 1996:  To confirm your right to work in the UK, Women’s Aid will need to see the original of at least one document from a specified list (available on the UK Government website). Most commonly this is a British Passport. 

Additional information is available on request.