Refugee support and integration officer jobs in richmond upon thames, greater london
About the Role
This is an exciting new role which will help the Methodist Church in Britain to embed in the life of churches its commitment to be justice-seeking.
In 2024, the Church adopted a Strategy to embed the Methodist Conference’s Justice-Seeking Church Report in local churches, across the Connexional Team and throughout the life of Methodism.
The Justice-Seeking Church Officer will shape and develop this work across all levels of the Church in creative and innovative ways, identifying opportunities and responding to challenges. They will strengthen leadership for justice across churches, and enable collaboration across programmes and issues. They will enable theological reflection and will lead on shaping the vital emerging work around participation of people with lived experience of poverty.
You will be a member of the Justice Team but work collaboratively with many others. You will also be part of the wider Mission Team, playing a key role in the implementing its strategy in response to Our Calling and the Methodist Way of Life.
In this post, you will focus on the following priorities:
- Developing and embedding key areas of the Justice-Seeking Church strategy in churches and the Methodist Connexional Team
- Strengthening leadership in social justice and social action
- Developing opportunities for faith formation and theological engagement
- Developing new work around the leadership and participation of people with lived experience of poverty
About You
The ideal candidate will need the following:
- Experience in building influence and motivating wide a range of people and groups
- Effective and strategic communication skills
- Experience of enabling people to reflect theologically on justice issues
- Knowledge of and a passion for justice
This post carries an occupational requirement for the post holder to be a Christian (in accordance with the Equality Act 2010).
Should you require further information or wish to discuss this role informally, please contact: Rachel Lampard after 11 August (contact details on website).
Our Culture, Values and Benefits
Thank you for considering joining our inclusive and welcoming team that strives for excellence and values employee wellbeing.
We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), TOIL, flexi-leave and an on-site Wellbeing Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme, where the Methodist Church will pay double the employee contribution up to a maximum of 16% employer contribution.
The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups. We also welcome applications from people living with disabilities.
Location: This is a hybrid position, with an average minimum of 2-3 days based in our London office, working remotely from your home, and some travel around Britain. You should live within commuting distance of our London Office.
Hybrid Working: Connexional Team staff based at Methodist Church House have a hybrid work pattern which is currently 2-3 days in the office, and the remaining days remote.
If you have questions about the vacancy or require reasonable adjustments to be made at any stage of the recruitment process, please email HR (details on website).
Please click apply to be redirected to our website.
Closing Date: 27 August 2025
Interview Date: 15 September 2025 in central London
Registered Charity
101 - 500
The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.
Thank you!
Background
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, we now work in over 40 crisis-affected countries as well as communities throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America.
The Global Advocacy & Influence Department is a dynamic team that uses the power of IRC’s ideas to solve the biggest challenges facing IRC’s clients. From the drivers of conflict to the needs displaced people, the team partners with politicians, policy makers and civil society to bring these solutions to life. We take pride in being solutions-oriented and creative. We are precise in our tactics, and messages. We lead change year over year, knowing that system change takes dedicated focus while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Finally, we are collaborative, working not only with programs, strategy, research and innovation, and communications teams across the IRC, but also externally, constantly seeking to new ideas and perspectives from others in the humanitarian sector and beyond.
IRC UK
IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in England. In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.
Job Overview
As the Advocacy Officer, you are responsible for building the profile, influence and credibility of IRC’s work with UK politicians, political parties and opinion formers on our humanitarian and development issues. You will be delivering our influence strategies and identifying strategic lobbying opportunities and enabling colleagues to exploit them fully through the use of innovative and creative tactics that help IRC stand out in a crowded arena. You will support building critical strategic relationships to help deliver on IRC’s objectives in parliament. You will contribute fresh insights and analysis to inform IRC’s influence approaches, tactics, and messages.
Major Responsibilities:
- Advocacy Strategy: Support in delivering advocacy strategies, collaborating with the Advocacy Manager, policy leads, public advocacy and communications colleagues, to advance IRC’s key advocacy objectives.
- Political and policy monitoring: Analyse and report on relevant political and policy trends and regularly communicate across external relations teams.Expand IRC’s political reach by tracking and analysing shifting government positions, individuals engaging on our issues, and the politics around our issues. Track political processes and profile opportunities / events; including bills, select committee inquiries, and other parliamentary and political developments.
- Stakeholder management: Building and maintaining relationships with a core group of political champions in and around Westminster, whilst raising IRC’s profile and awareness of our positions on key issues among a wider political audience in order to increase our ability to deliver policy change.
- Political engagement: Developing and providing regular written or oral briefings to MPs, Peers, government officials, and other decision makers on key policies and campaigns. Producing specific asks to parliamentarians on a regular basis – parliamentary questions, debate contributions etc.
- Communications: Provide market and audience expertise to communications team to craft public advocacy in the UK. Support team in developing communications strategy and develop materials for advocacy targets, including digital/social content and take actions.
- Teamwork: Support a positive team culture by acting openly and collaboratively, supporting colleagues in their work and sharing credit with others where appropriate.
- Steward Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: both in the culture of IRC, as well as in the policy solutions we develop and the ways we wield influence.
Key Working Relationships:
Position reports to: Advocacy Manager
Internal contacts: Policy and Advocacy colleagues, Communications, Technical Excellence leads; International Programs leads, External Relations Department
External contacts: Parliamentarians, government officials, key opinion formers, think tanks and sector colleagues in the UK.
Job Requirements:
Work experience:
- Experience in delivering advocacy strategies in the UK. 2 years + of experience working on development and humanitarian issues.
Demonstrated skills and competencies:
- Proven success in delivering successful strategies that influence/impact on legislative and executive policy.
- Good understanding of relevant the UK’s political structures and processes, and familiar with leverage points within these institutions that can be targeted to achieve policy change objectives.
- Ability to innovatively and creatively apply influencing techniques and tactics to consistently make IRC stand out from the crowd in Westminster, Whitehall and with other key international stakeholders.
- Knowledge of development and humanitarian issues in the UK.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with parliamentarians and colleagues in the humanitarian and development fields.
- Strong writing skills and the ability to translate sophisticated material and data into coherent narratives that resonate with policymakers.
- Experience of developing effective working relationships with colleagues, and working collaboratively in multi-disciplinary project teams.
- Ability to work quickly against deadlines.
- Initiative and ability to work independently on fast-paced issues, and balance competing demands.
