Lead advocate jobs in south ockendon, thurrock

NEON’s People & Operations Hub makes sure all our internal systems run smoothly and that our team is happy, high-performing and cared for. As Co-Director of People & Operations, you will lead on the “People” (HR and culture) side of this Hub – overseeing our people strategy, HR policies, and team development – while your co-director focuses on other operational areas like finance, fundraising and compliance. Together, you’ll ensure NEON is both  high impact and a joyful place to work, embodying our values of respect, generosity and solidarity in all internal practices.

This is a senior leadership position for an experienced people-operations professional who is passionate about social justice and building healthy organisations. If you’re excited about developing teams and culture in a way that challenges oppressive systems while delivering real-world impact, we’d love to hear from you!

About SPANA

SPANA (The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) is the global charity for the working animals of the world. Since our foundation in 1923, we have worked where they work, to support the welfare of working animals, including horses, donkeys, mules, oxen, dogs and camels.

About this role

As Head of Digital Engagement you will lead SPANA’s digital presence across web, email, social and emerging platforms – ensuring the organisation’s voice, brand and mission are powerfully communicated to global audiences. You will also provide strategic direction and hands-on leadership to the digital team, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration and excellence to maximise impact and drive growth. 

This exciting role is responsible for shaping and delivering a compelling and consistent digital experience that drives awareness, deepens engagement and supports organisational priorities in communications, advocacy and income generation. You will play a central role in delivering SPANA’s strategic ambitions through innovative, data-informed digital approaches. 

Contract, location and salary

This is a full-time (34.5 hours per week), permanent role with a salary of approximately £55,000 per annum subject to skills and experience. This role is UK based, and candidates must have the current right to work in the UK. SPANA staff work remotely, attending our London office once or twice a month (or more if preferred). 

SPANA offers benefits to staff including a health care cash plan with Medicash, and generous pension scheme with SPANA contributing 10% if the employee contributes at least 5%.

Full details and how to apply

Please review the job description for full details including a person specification. The deadline for applications is 23:59 BST on Sunday 21 September 2025.

Role Title: External Communications and Advocacy Lead

This is a rare opportunity to shape the new communications function in a thriving cancer charity, establishing Shine as the go-to charity supporting all young adults living with any type of cancer in the UK.

Responsible to: Co-CEOs

Location: Hybrid, with two to three days per week at Shine’s offices in Blackheath, Southeast London. 

Hours & salary:  Full time (35 hours per week).  Salary range is £39,000 - £43,000pa depending on experience.  This is a permanent job with a three-month probation period.

Benefits: Employee contribution pension, training and development support.

Holiday:  25 days annual holiday each year plus 8 days of public holidays.  We also give you your birthday off each year.

Who we are

We are a small and impactful national charity. Our goal is that every adult in their 20s, 30s and 40s diagnosed with cancer to know they’re not alone, and to have the support, knowledge, and confidence to navigate whatever cancer throws their way.

Shine is a small team of committed people who like to ensure that work isn’t a grind. We aim to have fun while making a difference to the lives of young adults with cancer and we’d love to have you on our team!

Main purpose of the role:

A rare opportunity to shape the new communications function in a thriving cancer charity and to establish its reputation as the go-to charity supporting all young adults living with any type of cancer in the UK.

As part of our growth plan, we are delighted to be hiring our first Communications and Advocacy Lead. Working on our external communications strategy to build authority and be the go-to voice for younger adults (aged 20 to 49 years) living with cancer, this person will be responsible for managing all external communications. In addition, will work closely with the rest of the Shine team to ensure consistent external messaging.

Key Responsibilities

These include:

● Develop implementation plans to support Shine’s communications strategy to build authority in the cancer support space.

● Responsible for developing the Shine narrative, brand voice, and talking points to support external stories and campaigns, and to co-create fundraising messages with the Fundraising Manager and Fundraising Consultant.

● Responsible for all external communications with media including national and regional outlets, print and broadcast, digital channels and titles read by healthcare professionals.

● Supervision of the social media output from Shine, ensuring consistency with the overall communications plan. 

●       Ability to represent Shine at external stakeholder meetings.

●    Working closely with the Shine team to raise Shine’s profile through advocacy activities in the cancer community and healthcare professionals.

● Work with Shine co-CEOs to develop their external profiles through thought-leadership, speaker and advocacy platforms.

Person Specification

Essential skills:

● Ability to develop multi-channel communications plans, using social, digital and traditional media platforms

● Knowledge of UK health media including health correspondents and reporters for national news outlets (print & TV and radio)

● A good eye for design, with the ability to manage, develop and implement brand guidelines

● Experience of working with media databases and press release distribution services

● Excellent writing skills and experience of writing materials for media

● Ability to create media angles and stories from data and third-party content

● Identify platforms for Shine thought-leadership, particularly for the co-CEOs

● Strong skills in using online technology platforms including Google workspace, Canva, YouTube and MS Office.

Desirable skills:

● Experience of working alongside expert suppliers including design and content, public relations agencies and consultants. 

● Experience of managing projects remotely, including using tools such as Asana.

Core competencies:

● Empathy - understanding of the issues faced by the young adults (20-49 yrs.) living with cancer

● Attention to detail -must deliver accurate content to a high standard

● Self-directed - must be able to work independently and make strategic recommendations to Shine co-CEOs on all aspects of Shine communications

● Collaborative - ability to represent Shine and work in partnership with third parties including patient groups, medical professional groups and industry. 

This job description summarises the main duties and responsibilities of the post. You may be required to undertake other appropriate duties, which are within your capabilities or for which training has been given.

Key approaches

● Respectful of the confidentiality of Shine service users and the ability to work within charity law and governance structures.

● Be prepared to have progress assessed regularly and be appraised annually.

● Willingness to work as part of a small team spread across the UK; this requires good communication skills as well as the ability to be flexible in the approach to work.

Successful candidates will be asked to undergo an enhanced DBS check in keeping with Shine’s Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy.

What Shine offers

By sharing your skills, time and expertise with Shine, you’ll be contributing to the growth of an ambitious and rapidly growing charity, while also gaining insights into the challenges and opportunities that this presents. We expect everyone who works with us to like people and to be happy to contribute to the overall success of Shine, even if that means taking on tasks that aren’t in your job description. We are happy to fund relevant training, within our budget guidelines, and to provide opportunities for professional development and growth.

In addition to your salary, you’ll receive regular pension contributions (currently 3%, as mandated by the UK Government) and access to a cycle-to-work scheme.

About the charity

Vision

We want every adult in their 20s, 30s and 40s diagnosed with cancer to know they’re not alone, and to have the support, knowledge, and confidence to navigate whatever cancer throws their way.

Mission

There’s never a good time for a cancer diagnosis, but in your 20s, 30s or 40s there are challenges to navigate, like work, dating, finances and more.  We’re here to help you deal with everything that your diagnosis brings, before, during and after treatment, and to welcome you into our community.

Our values

1. Inclusive - Our services are open to anyone in their 20s, 30s and 40s with a cancer diagnosis, no matter what type or stage, when your diagnosis was, or whatever your background is.

2. Approachable - We want everyone in our Shine community to feel welcomed and able to get involved, and we design all our services to be friendly, fun and down-to-earth.

3. Authentic - We’re patient-led and passionate, and we want everyone involved to have a genuine and honest voice, with patients’ voices at the heart of our work.

4. Innovative - As a small charity, we’re adaptable and agile, and we seek to be responsive to needs as they change. We listen to what our Shine community is saying and strive to find practical solutions.

5. Empowering - Our services aren’t about us “doing” to or for you. We want to empower you to ask the right questions, get the right information, take control, and make the best decisions for yourself.

ADVOCACY SERVICE MANAGER

Salary: £37,000 £40,000 (dependent on experience)
 

Location: Hybrid – Minimum 3 days per week in our South London office
 

Contract: Fixed-term (Maternity Cover – up to 9 months)
 

Rape Crisis South London (RCSL) is seeking a skilled, passionate, and professional Advocacy Manager to join our team and lead our ISVA and Casework department. 
 

As Advocacy Manager (maternity cover), you will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of high-quality support services for survivors of sexual violence, particularly those engaging with or considering engagement with the criminal justice system. You will manage a team of ISVAs (Independent Sexual Violence Advocates), Caseworkers, and our Advocacy Operations Administrator, ensuring excellence in recruitment, induction, and training.
 

Reporting to the Director of Programmes, you will play a key leadership role within our organisation, working collaboratively with colleagues across our frontline services and our training and prevention teams.
 

What We are Looking For: 
 

• A proven track record in people management and supporting survivors of sexual violence
• Experience working within the violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector
• A creative and collaborative approach to service development and evaluation 

Additional Information: 
 

• This post is open to women only, as allowed under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
• We are particularly keen to hear from women underrepresented in leadership and management roles within the VAWG movement.
• All positions are based in the UK and require candidates to have the right to work in the UK. 

How to Apply: 

Please send your CV and a cover letter (up to 1500 words) detailing how you meet the essential and (if applicable) desirable criteria.
 

Please submit your application in PDF format 
 

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage early submissions. 

We are recruiting for a Public Affairs Lead to join our team in London; the scope on this job involves….

Job Title: Public Affairs Lead

Location: Hybrid with the requirement to occasionally work at our Head Office (Vauxhall). This work will also require regular travel to Westminster to attend stakeholder meetings and events.
Salary: £38,674.05 per annum (this is inclusive of a London Weighting allowance of £3,000 which may be applicable depending on your home location and any agreed permanent homeworking arrangement).
Contract type: Full time, Fixed term (12 months)

Hours: 37.5

Refuge is recruiting for a Public Affairs Lead to join it's successful Policy and Public Affairs Team.

The Public Affairs Lead will be responsible for designing the public affairs plan, drafting briefings for stakeholders and leading a programme of impactful parliamentary events to drive meaningful change to law and policy for the benefit of survivors of domestic abuse. The successful candidate will bring experience of public affairs and stakeholder engagement, excellent communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills and political judgement.

This an exciting opportunity to influence government at the highest levels and play a key role in driving systemic change to end Violence Against Women and Girls. 

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing date: 9.00am on 1 September 2025

Interview date: 10 & 11 September 2025

Benefits

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

Global Advocacy Lead (Maternity Cover)

Depaul International oversees a group of leading homelessness charities working around the world to end homelessness. Depaul International is seeking a confident and strategic Global Advocacy Lead to champion our international advocacy work and strengthen the global response to homelessness.

Position: Global Advocacy Lead (Maternity Cover)
Salary: £47,000 pro rata, plus pension and benefits
Location: Hybrid, 2 Days from Home, Central London Office + Travel
Hours: Full-time (5 days), open to 4 days/part-time
Contract: Fixed-term, 12 months from October 2025
Closing Date: Friday 5th September

About the Role

This leadership role will focus on driving forward Depaul International’s global advocacy strategy during a period of maternity cover. Homelessness is a growing international challenge, yet lacks a unified global response. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring our advocacy strategy continues to progress, positioning Depaul as a trusted partner and expert voice.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the delivery of our global advocacy strategy in line with the Depaul Group Strategy
• Building and managing strategic relationships with international stakeholders such as the UN, EU, multilateral banks and global NGO networks
• Representing Depaul International at advocacy forums, government and global policy events
• Supporting national members to strengthen their advocacy capacity and share best practice
• Commissioning and overseeing research that underpins advocacy and policy work
• Monitoring international policy developments and influencing responses to global homelessness

About You

We are looking for a skilled leader with experience in advocacy, policy or research, ideally within an international NGO, development or humanitarian setting. You will bring:

• A strong track record of developing and implementing international advocacy strategies
• Experience influencing policy at global and regional levels
• Confidence in engaging with global institutions such as the UN, EU, World Bank, G20 or COP
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, able to represent Depaul International as a credible and authoritative voice
• Strong analytical, project management and strategic planning skills
• A personal commitment to Depaul’s values and mission to end homelessness

In return for working here, you will receive:

• A comprehensive training package tailored to your needs and role
• Flexible working model for suitable roles.
• 26 days annual leave rising to 30 after five years of service.
• Family-friendly leave policies including - maternity, adoption and parental leave and Carers leave.
• Auto-enrolment to pension scheme employer from day 1 with employer contribution up to 7% and increasing with service
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to the app – 24/7 GP appointments, prescription service, health checks and nutrition advice.
• Discount vouchers including gym, retail, food & drink, travel, electricals and more.
• Cash benefit plan for you and your partner (living with you) and children under 18 including covering Dental, Optical, Hospital Stays, Scans and More​
• Death in service (4x Base salary)
• Legal Advice line

About the Organisation

The Depaul Group – made up internationally of seven charities and overseen by Depaul International – exists because we believe everyone deserves the dignity and security of a place to call home. We are locally governed and locally run and committed to ending homelessness and improving the lives of the people affected by it. The Depaul Group also has a key strategic relationship with the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH) and the Famvin Homeless Alliance (FHA).

Depaul International (DPI) oversees the Group, ensuring the highest standards of service provision, governance, finance and helping develop capacity in areas including fundraising, communications and safeguarding. DPI currently consists of a team of 14.

We are currently based in seven countries across Europe and North America, (Croatia, France, Ireland, Slovakia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) providing a range of urgent accommodation and services for people in great need.

The Group also has a key strategic relationship with the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness, which focuses on ending homelessness globally by bridging research, policy, and practice and the Famvin Homeless Alliance – mobilising the Vincentian Family across the world to develop new housing and other projects. Both strategic partnerships were born out of our shared values and commitment to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it.

Ever since Depaul’s inception over three decades ago, our values have helped to create a unique approach to supporting people that come to us for help.

 Other roles you may have experience of could include: Head of Policy, International Advocacy Manager, Global Policy Lead, External Affairs Director, Head of Research and Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

Protect, the UK’s leading whistleblowing charity, is looking for an exceptional public-spirited Policy & Advocacy Officer, who will lead our anti-corruption work. The role is currently funded by the Joffe Charitable Trust. The role is 3 days (22.5hours) per week; can be spread over 3-5 days.  

The role is London based with hybrid and remote working options & occasional travel to Westminster. 

The role will entail proactively looking for advocacy opportunities and working with the Policy Team in Protect to progress important public policies, which further the protection of whistleblowers, support safe speaking up and tackle corruption in the UK. 

For 30 years we have provided legal advice to whistleblowers, campaigned for better legal protection for whistleblowing and supported organisations to create effective whistleblowing systems. With the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) turning their focus to whistleblowing, there could not be a more exciting time to join the anti-corruption fight.

We are looking for someone who is self-motivated, ambitious and a team player. The ideal candidate is a great communicator, with exceptional networking and stakeholder engagement skills. Those applying should have a degree in a relevant subject and work experience in a relevant field. Past or present experience working in Government, Parliament or for a regulator is highly desirable. 

Protect offers a range of benefits to those that work for the charity including 30 days (pro rata) annual leave, a sabbatical scheme after 5 years service, and enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental leave. 

For over 40 years, Sister Circle has stood beside women facing complex health and social challenges. From navigating maternity care to accessing women's health support, our trained volunteers walk alongside other women with compassion, understanding, and advocacy. Our volunteers form a community of women bound by a shared passion for making a difference for other women. Our volunteers are the golden threads, holding our programmes together, bringing possibility to everything we do. They are our Maternity Mates, peer group supporters for those who have expereinced birth trauma or baby loss, trainee counsellors, language translators and so much more. 

We are looking for a passionate, organised, and person-focused individual to guide our volunteers through their training and support journeys — from that very first conversation to being fully prepared and confident in their volunteer role. You will coordinate and lead on tasks that ensure a smooth, supportive volunteer experience where each thrives, while also creating spaces for connection, celebration, and storytelling.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Is highly organised and confident managing multiple priorities.
• Has experience of working with volunteers from diverse and marginalised backgrounds
• Has a commitment to safeguarding, trauma-informed and culturally sensitive practice
• Communicates with warmth, empathy, and clarity.
• Builds trust and strong relationships across diverse communities.
• Enjoys celebrating the achievments of volunteers and showing how much they are appreciated
• Is comfortable with admin, databases, and digital tools.
• Can balance attention to detail with big-picture thinking.

This is a role for someone who loves both the detail and connection — someone who believes in the power of women lifting each other up.

Application Instructions

We would like you to complete and submit the following:
• CV (Max 2 pages)
• A Covering Letter letting us know why you would like to work with us and in this role, how your work and experience meet the essential and desirable requirements for this role. Be you and let your passion for volunteering and our work shine through.

Applications without a covering letter and received after the deadline will not be considered.

Closing date: Thursday 4th September 2025 at midday.

Interviews:  Friday 12th September (a short presentation will be requested)
 

This post is open to female applicants only as this is deemed a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) for this role under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

This  role is funded by National Lottery Comunity Fund.

Job Title: Duty Independent Gender Violence Advocate (Duty IGVA)

Location: Lambeth, London
Salary: £23,085.69 per annum, inclusive of London weighting allowance 
Contract type: Part Time, Permanent 

Hours: 30 hours per week (Tuesday-Friday). Please note that the the operating hours of the service are 8AM- 6PM Monday- Friday with the expectation to work on some days 8- 4pm or 10- 6pm to cover. 

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Duty Independent Domestic Violence Advocate to be the first point of contact for women who are impacted by domestic violence. You will work closely with victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis and other gender-based abuse to provide high quality independent support to survivors all risk levels and their children..

In this role you will be part of a busy team. You will be the first point of contact for survivors who have been referred to the Gaia Centre. The duty IGVA will be responding to daily enquiries (specify from whom- public, agencies, individuals? over the phone and email as well as contacting survivors, assessing their risks and needs.

The duty IGVA will be responsible for carrying out and implementing safety plans and needs and will ensure an effective handover to the over to the relevant GAIA team for ongoing support. The post holder will also empower survivors by providing them with emotional, practical and personal welfare support. You will ensure that survivors are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment, enabling them to access their rights, make decisions and increase their life options. The job involves working within a multi-agency framework consisting of the MARAC and local partnership protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of survivors.

As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota.

Please note that this post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 3rd September 2025

Interview Date: 11 and 12 September 2025

Animals Asia: Philanthropy Manager (USA Lead)
Location: UK Home based, with easy travel to London. Requirement to accommodate US business hours where necessary, with some evening and weekend work.
Salary: £50,000 per annum
Contract: Full-time, Permanent

At Animals Asia, we don’t just talk about compassion – we live it. Every. Single. Day. We're on a powerful mission to end cruelty and restore respect for animals across Asia. Best known for our pioneering work to end bear bile farming, we also run life-saving sanctuaries in China and Vietnam and push for long-term, sustainable change. With 400+ passionate changemakers around the globe, our movement is growing fast – and we need YOU to help lead the charge.
We’re on the hunt for an experienced major gift fundraiser to lead our philanthropy activities in the USA – you will have an exceptional ability to build and maintain relationships with key existing stakeholders as well as potential new donors to help us grow our giving community in the region and supercharge our impact for animals.
What You’ll Do:
As our new Philanthropy Lead for the USA, you’ll:

• Develop and implement strategies to cultivate, solicit and steward donors to support the charity.
• Lead on high-net-worth individual relationships in the USA and the strategic management of a donor pipeline.
• Grow our philanthropic income and build strong, long-term relationships with donors.
• Deputise for other philanthropy managers where required and share your experience and ambition with the wider philanthropy team.

Who You Are:
You will have expertise and a track record in major gift fundraising, relationship management and prospect research, as well as be able to demonstrate superb donor care. You will also be an authentic and confident leader who can build a genuine and long-lasting connection between donors and Animals Asia. You will have superb communication and project management skills, and you will relish the opportunity to travel to the United States at least twice a year to meet with donors.
You thrive in remote teams, know your way around CRMs, and you’re 100% aligned with our values: Empathy. Respect. Courage. Tenacity.
Most of all? You care deeply about animal welfare – and you’re ready to turn that passion into progress.

Ready to Learn More?
Click below to view our full Candidate Pack for everything you need to know – including how to apply.

Closing date: Monday 1st September, 9am BST.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Transformation Project Lead to join our Events and courses team. This position is based in the Finance and Commercial directorate and you will report to the Director of Events and Exhibition Sales. This is a unique opportunity to lead meaningful change across a large and complex educational portfolio that is developed to support our mission of improving girls and women’s health globally.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of a scalable and financially sustainable course delivery model, including international franchising options
• Improve operational processes, resource planning and delegate experience across the events and courses offer
• Refresh and modernise governance and volunteer engagement structures
• Embed cross departmental collaboration, innovation and evidence based planning in course design and delivery.

For the full list of key responsibilities, please check the recruitment pack.

About you

We’re seeking a strategic, forward thinking transformation lead to reimagine how the RCOG delivers its world class events and courses

Requirements:

• Proven experience leading transformation projects in an education, events or training setting
• Experience developing scalable and sustainable delivery models
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Ability to drive innovation and lead change across teams
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial and planning skills

Our culture and benefits

As a key member of the team, you will be located in our offices in London Bridge. We offer a friendly, values led working culture with an excellent benefits package that includes:

• Agile and flexible working environment and free lunch onsite
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and office closure from 25 December to 1 January
• 10% pension contribution after probation
• Enhanced wellbeing and family support
• Interest-free bike and season ticket loans after probation
• Tailored Learning and Development and study leave
• Affinity staff networks
• Life assurance and income protection schemes
• Lifestyle discounts

For a full list of the benefits we offer, please visit our careers site.

How to apply

Click on Apply to be taken to our recruitment platform, Applied. Please visit our careers website to download the full Job pack.

Closing date: 10.00am on Monday 1st September 2025

We encourage candidates to apply early and reserve the right to close the advert and appoint before the closing date.

We will be interviewing candidates on the 17th and 18th September 2025

We believe that diverse teams will deliver the best outcomes for women's healthcare and we strive to be an inclusive employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and particularly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups, including those from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities. To find out more, please see our Diversity Policy and Equal Opportunities Policy.

Please note: We are only accepting applicants with a right to work in the UK; we are unable to sponsor people requiring a work visa.

About us

The RCOG is a professional membership association dedicated to improving women’s health care across the world. We do this by setting standards for clinical practice, providing doctors with training and lifelong learning, and working with partners to advocate for women’s health and health care across their life course. We are a global leader in this specialist area, supporting 18,000 members in the UK and internationally.

We are a values-led organisation placing high standards, innovation, openness, inclusiveness and trust at the centre of all we do.

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Health IGVA supporting women and children who are impacted by different strands of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). You will work closely with victims of VAWG from the point of crisis, to provide high quality independent advocacy and support to survivors of VAWG at the highest risk and their children.

The Health IGVA will train and provide ongoing support to GP practices and other health professionals and providers to enable primary and secondary care staff to be able to effectively talk to their patients about gender based abuse and different strands of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG): including Domestic abuse and violence (physical, sexual, emotional,  psychological, economic or tech abuse)​​, Sexual Violence (Rape and sexual assault​)​, Stalking and harassment ​, Sexual exploitation ​​(including women working in sex industry and Child Sexual Exploitation)​​, Female genital mutilation (FGM)​/cutting , Forced marriage​​, So-called ‘honour’-based abuse, provide early identification and offer appropriate care pathways for survivors of all genders, aged 16 years and over and their children, living, working or/and studying in Lambeth.

The post holder will work in partnership with the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the Gaia Service Manager to proactively develop and maintain links with health providers in the local area and build links with health professionals and support agencies. 

The job involves working within a multi-agency framework consisting of the Multiagency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and local partnership protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of survivors. The post holder will empower survivors by providing them with emotional, practical and personal welfare support.

The job involves informing survivors of the full range of civil, criminal, and practical options that might increase their safety. 

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 4 September 2025

Interview Date: 18 and 19 September 2025

JCWI are looking for an Advocacy and Communications Director

Location | London N7 and flexible hybrid working
Reports to | Executive Director
Direct Reports:   | Advocacy and Communications Team (currently 4 members)

Who we are

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) is an independent charity established in 1967. For over 57 years, we have promoted our vision of a society in which people can live safely and are treated with equal dignity and respect, regardless of where they are from or how they came to the UK. To achieve this, we provide legal advice, representation and holistic support to migrants experiencing injustice, poverty, and discrimination; we undertake parliamentary advocacy and expert policy analysis; we speak out and challenge damaging and discriminatory media narratives about immigration; we use law as a tool of resistance;  we work in solidarity with migrants and grassroots groups, and we build campaigns that work towards a fairer approach in immigration and asylum law and policy. We root all aspects of our work in humanity, compassion, anti-oppression and anti-racist values, taking an approach that radically challenges the way that things are to build a new and better world for migrants.

Role purpose

This is a new role, where the director will bring together the work of the Advocacy and the Communications teams to lead JCWI's campaigns. The Director leads JCWI’s campaigns and community organising; policy and parliamentary advocacy; working in alignment with directly impacted communities and partners within and beyond the migration sector. The Director builds and maintains strong relationships with key stakeholders, and ensures the organisation’s collective expertise influences political debates and the public narrative on migrants’ rights and racial justice.

The role provides strategic leadership for JCWI’s campaigns to drive forward positive change for migrant rights in an increasingly hostile political climate, and supports a wide range of work building campaigns, coalitions and networks to advance migrant justice, ensuring that JCWI is a generous and collaborative partner, working in solidarity with all groups, including grassroots and community groups, unions, faith groups and NGOs.

The Director provides line management and strategic leadership to the Advocacy and Communications Team, overseeing the direction of the team, overseeing the teams' work and ensuring close, collaborative working relationships across all teams.

The Director is a lead spokesperson for the organisation, representing JCWI and our values at public forums, in the media and within coalitions. They will set the narrative and agenda for public discourse on migrant rights and border reform, lead the organisation’s long-term digital outreach and engagement work and support the team to create compelling and accessible content, driving traffic to our digital channels and converting this into successful supporter and donor recruitment and engagement strategies. They maintain the visibility of JCWI and its messages and protect & promote JCWI’s reputation as a leading voice in the discourse on migration, rights, and racial justice in the UK.

JCWI has a proud history of leadership from racialised people and people with lived experience of the immigration system, and therefore we strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience of the immigration system and are representative of the communities we work with.

Leadership

• Anti-oppression: Ensure that JCWI’s work remains situated within a wider movement against racism and oppression, and that our strategies better centre and support grassroots and community groups and people directly impacted by border violence, by maintaining and building strong relationships with migrant-led and racial justice organisations  

• Senior Leadership: Collaborate with other members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to deliver the organisation’s five-year strategy, ensuring we live our core values

• Strategic Leadership: Support the Advocacy and Communications Team to develop, implement and review effective strategies for all policy, advocacy, campaigning, and community organising work. These strategies will cohere with JCWI’s legal work, and aptly respond to an evolving political landscape, by knowing which levers to pull when in order to build power and influence
• Line management: Support all direct reports with regards to well-being and development, through one-to-one supervision, guidance and long-term work planning, ensuring staff have autonomy over their work, with their skills, expertise and strengths valued, and embodying a non-hierarchical approach to line management

• Positive culture: Embody and embed a positive and healthy working culture within the Advocacy and Communications Team and across the organisation, which includes fostering a safe space for learning and growth, maintaining a positive work-life balance and collaborative work ethos

• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: Work with the Grants Manager to develop and maintain improved Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning systems, set targets and measure outputs within the Advocacy and Communications Team which cohere with the organisation as a whole and our collective strategic objectives.

• Collaboration: Maintain and foster strong intra and inter-departmental relationships at every level, ensuring collaboration and open communication to deliver our organisational objectives

• Spokesperson: Represent the organisation as a lead spokesperson in public forums, in coalitions, on broadcast, and in print media

• Team development: Support the Team to grow through continuous investment in training, learning, and development, with people from racialised and marginalised backgrounds meaningfully supported against any structural barriers they may face. Manage recruitment for the Advocacy and Communications Team, encouraging better representation at JCWI, including increasing the number of people from racialised and marginalised backgrounds, especially those with lived experience of the immigration system

• Financial planning: Work with the Operations Team to ensure the budget for JCWI’s advocacy work is effectively planned for and managed, and that the team is appropriately resourced 

Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns Work

• Lead on JCWI’s core campaigns, driving forward policy, advocacy, and campaigns outputs, and ensuring the campaigns centre the views and experiences of people with lived experience

• Lead on JCWI’s ‘reactive’ policy, advocacy and campaigning work in response to an ever-changing and increasingly hostile political landscape, representing JCWI in coalitions and developing sound policy and political analysis on key threats facing migrant communities, including but not limited to: refugee rights, human rights protection, the hostile environment, Windrush, digital justice, detention, and family reunion.

• Represent JCWI at meetings and events with key decision makers, including parliamentarians, policymakers and other organisations in the sector, to make the case for policy change, influence narratives, and hold those in power to account in solidarity with communities at the sharpest end of UK immigration controls 

• Work closely with the Legal Directors and wider team to ensure our casework and outreach informs JCWI’s advocacy work, and to together identify opportunities for public-interest litigation relevant to JCWI’s campaign priorities 

• Ensure JCWI’s Lived Experience Strategy is embedded into the Advocacy and Communications Team’s ways of working and oversee the implementation of the Strategy across JCWI with the support and collaboration of the whole organisation.

Public Campaigns, Outreach and Engagement Work

• Lead, develop, implement, and review effective strategies for communication and engagement work across traditional, digital and paid media
• Support a proactive, safe culture that identifies, creates, and jumps at opportunities to increase JCWI’s impact
• Work with the Communications team to ensure their input is incorporated into organisational strategy and ensure communications strategies support both strategic campaigns and broader organisational objectives
• Support our traditional press and digital engagement work to ensure JCWI is at the forefront of public discourse on migrant rights and border reform
• Work closely with the Legal Directors and wider team to ensure our casework and outreach informs our external communications
• Grow and engage JCWI’s audiences, ensuring a consistent tone of voice and brand across outputs and channels and influencing public discourse in support of flagship campaigns
• Set quantifiable targets and have a strong understanding of reporting, evaluation and measurement of comms outputs.
• Ensure the voices of JCWI’s service users, our grassroots partners and community-based campaigners with lived experience of the sharpest end of the border regime/immigration controls borders are elevated and supported.
• Provide oversight on written and multimedia outputs, including comments, pitches, editorials and digital content, reviewing and quality assuring for sign-off, and ensuring spokespeople are well trained and well briefed before engaging with the media
• Support reactive or ‘breaking news’ work and ensure rotas (including out-of-hours rotas) for media and press are well managed

Person Specification – Advocacy and Communications Director

The ideal candidate has experience:

• In a management or leadership role (essential)
• Developing and implementing campaigns on migrants’ rights, racial or social justice issues (essential)  
• Working with complex policy issues in a highly politicised setting (essential)
• Engaging both digital and traditional media in a strategic way for campaigns or public narrative change (essential)
• Developing and implementing long-term, strategic plans which are rooted in firm values and visions (essential)
• Working collaboratively and building strong relationships with individuals and coalitions (essential)   
• Working meaningfully with communities and people who have lived experience of oppression (essential)
• Lived experience of the immigration system, or from a racialised or marginalised background (desirable)
• Working in immigration, asylum, and/or human rights law (desirable) or willingness and ability to learn (essential)
• Developing, supporting, or implementing plans for supporter recruitment & mobilisation (desirable)

NB: experience may be in a paid or unpaid capacity, and includes work undertaken in a range of organisational forms, which includes but is not limited to non-profit organisations, political campaigns, trade unions, community and grassroots groups, and organising movements

The ideal candidate is:

• Committed to defending and furthering the rights of all people who move, and embodies wider anti-oppressive values and practices, including anti-racism, queer and trans liberation, gender justice, class solidarity, and the importance of an intersectional approach to social justice 
• Recognises the value of legal representation when used as a tool of resistance, and is committed to legal aid as fundamental to access to justice
• Someone who proactively collaborates with others and nurtures and develops relationships both internally and externally, seeing the value in the diversity of skills and methodologies that drive organisations and campaigns forwards  
• A strategic thinker who is politically astute, has an advanced understanding of the political landscape as it relates to migrants’ rights and racial justice and can identify threats and harness opportunities when working on politically contentious issues  
• A relationship-builder, able to support their Team and the organisation by building and maintaining relationships with external partners, including with key media
• Creative and innovative, and eager to encourage and support others’ creativity  
• A person who comfortably deals with new and complex information, digesting this quickly and simplifying nuanced policy or legal issues for a range of audiences 
• An excellent written and verbal communicator, able to produce written outputs and review or edit drafts for quality, consistency and accessibility, and also represent the organisation at key events, meetings and in the media clearly and persuasively
   

How to apply
Please submit your CV and a covering letter (no longer than 2 A4 pages) which outlines your suitability for the role as set out in the job description and how you meet the person specification above, via our website.

DEADLINE:  
Submission of CV and covering letter  | 11.30pm 28th August

Job Title: Domestic Abuse Trainer

Location: Homeworking with a requirement to occasionally work at Head Office (Vauxhall, London)

Salary: £30,108 per annum Inclusive of London Weighting, which may not be applicable depending on your home location and any agreed permanent homeworking arrangement.

Contract type: Part Time, Fixed Term (Until May 2026)

Hours: 30 hours per week (across four days - Monday-Friday - days to be discussed)

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Domestic Abuse Trainer and Assessor on a part time, fixed term contract until May 2026. 

Refuge has recently been granted funding from the Ministry of Justice to develop training for Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs). This role has been created as a fixed term post to support that project. This is a strategic project and the overall aim of the MoJ is to increase access to training for IDVA professionals.

As the Domestic Abuse Trainer, the post holder will be responsible for developing and delivering a high quality, accredited training programme, including workshops, assessments, and digital resources for professionals in the domestic abuse sector.

This role will work in partnership with our Service Delivery subject matter experts and our People & Organisational Development team to develop and deliver domestic abuse training for Independent Domestic Violence Advocates and other front-line specialists. You will also be leading on assessments for delegates attending the training which should demonstrate competence through on the job training.

The post holder will be able to demonstrate extensive experience in training delivery or education in the domestic abuse sector. They should also have an understanding of the dynamics of domestic abuse and the barriers many women face in seeking support.

Closing Date: 15 September 2025

Interview Date: 29 September 2025