Hours: Full time
Contract: Permanent
Benefits:
- 27 days’ annual leave + statutory holidays + three closures days over the Christmas period.
- Flexible working for all staff including working from home/hybrid working, and flexitime/TOIL scheme.
- Attractive family friendly policies.
- Private healthcare cover.
- Season ticket loans.
- Employee awards, and training and development opportunities.
For more information about our benefits please visit our website.
Office location: London
Please note, the successful candidate will be expected to carry out two days in-person working per week on average which will include attendance at the above office location.
Flexible working arrangements can be discussed and agreed with the line manager subject to role and business needs.
An exciting opportunity has arisen at the National Housing Federation (NHF) for a Public Affairs Officer. The NHF is the voice of housing associations in England. We are the trade body to almost 600 housing associations, who have grown from philanthropic roots to provide 2.6 million homes to around six million people. You can find further information about the NHF here: https://www.housing.org.uk/about-us/
Our vision is for a country where everyone can live in a good quality home they can afford. We work with our members to make this vision a reality – delivering ambitious programmes that lead to lasting, positive change.
We work at the forefront of the political debate – not only on housing, but also on a wide range of other policy issues including welfare, homelessness and climate change. Our work affects the lives of millions of people and diverse communities across the country.
Our dynamic Public Affairs team has built close working relationships at the most senior level of politics. We have a proven track record influencing policy, shaping legislation and building trusted relationships with key decision makers.
Our Public Affairs Officers independently lead on their own policy areas, creating influencing strategies designed to achieve impactful results for our members. Following a period of significant political change in Westminster, we need you to play a crucial role to ensure social housing maintains its political salience, and that housing associations are understood as an integral part of the solution to the housing emergency.
Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to download the full job profile and person specification for this role.
Key elements of the role:
- Developing and leading public affairs strategies to influence the main political parties on topics that matter to our members.
- Building effective relationships with parliamentarians, ministers and shadow ministers, researchers and political advisers.
- Collaborating with colleagues through project groups and providing expert public affairs advice on a range of policy issues.
- Monitoring Parliament and key political development to ensure NHF staff and our members are informed on key issues.
- Drafting high-quality briefings, letters and other documents for national politicians.
- Making the case for the NHF’s influencing asks in face-to-face meetings with key political stakeholders and presenting to internal and member groups.
The successful candidate:
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
- A proven ability to develop and implement effective influencing strategies.
- Experience of building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders.
- Commitment to working collaboratively with colleagues across the organization.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
- A good understanding of the political environment and climate in the UK.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
The NHF has published its equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, which was co-created with staff – https://www.housing.org.uk/about-us/transparency/who-we-are/. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and we value the contribution each individual makes to our work.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and are working to increase the diversity profile of our workforce. We are currently under-represented by ethnic minorities, people with a disability or disabilities and LGBTQ+, and would particularly welcome applications from people in these groups.
Disability confident employer
We are a disability confident employer and if you are a disabled person who demonstrates you meet the skills and experience we consider essential for the role, we will offer you an interview.
Please note: there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job. In certain recruitment situations such as high-volume of applications, we may be required to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.
In these circumstances the NHF will select the disabled candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than all of those that meet the minimum criteria, as we would do for non-disabled applicants. This is in line with the Disability Confident guidelines.
We are happy to consider reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process if you have a disability or have a condition that you feel may affect your performance during the recruitment process. Please email Stephanie Green, People Manager at [email protected] with your request or to arrange a time to discuss in more detail.
Our role profile and job advert can also be requested in large print or in accessible format via this email address.
Uploading your CV and cover letter
If you decide to apply for this role, when requested, please upload a version of your CV that does not include any personal details, such as name, gender, age etc. You should also ensure that you do not add your name at the end of the cover letter. This will help us to shortlist candidates for interview based solely on their knowledge, skills and experience.
Right to work in the UK/UK VISA sponsorship
You must have the right to work in the UK and it is important to note that the NHF does not sponsor individuals to work in the UK.
Closing date for applications: 2 June 2025
Interview date: 12 and 13 June 2025
The Godolphin and Latymer School is one of the country’s leading independent day schools for girls, located on a six acre site in Hammersmith, London. The School’s facilities are excellent, making it an exciting place to learn and work. The students at Godolphin and Latymer receive unrivalled academic and pastoral support and outstanding examination results are achieved.
Transform young lives through the power of philanthropy
At Godolphin and Latymer, we're not just raising funds, we're creating life-changing opportunities for talented students regardless of their financial circumstances.
As our next Director of Development, you will have the support of our Senior Leadership Team and engaged alumnae who are committed to building philanthropic success in the long term, and who understand the value which development brings to the School. Despite global economic challenges, our Development Office consistently raises significant funds for bursaries - and we're ready to aim even higher with the right Director of Development.
This is no ordinary Development role
The Godolphin and Latymer School seeks an exceptional Director of Development to lead our philanthropic strategy in collaboration with the Head. Our bursary programme currently supports 80 students; but with the right person in post, we aim to significantly increase this number, diversifying our school community and changing more young lives.
The Director of Development will work closely with the Head to develop and implement a sustainable development strategy, focussing on major gifts. The ideal candidate will elevate the School's engagement strategy through innovative events, strategic communications, and meaningful relationship-building with the school’s community ensuring high standards across all engagement and fundraising activities.
The Director of Development will manage the Development Office, currently a team of three, with responsibility for developing both potential within the team and fundraising programmes and process.
Collaboration, communication and positive professional relationships are key to this role. The most successful school development programmes are built, not on transactions, but on relationships - with donors, with colleagues, with school leadership, and with the broader School community. The ideal candidate will understand that relationships drive results. Not only will the successful candidate bring major gift fundraising experience, but they will also be adept at cultivating relationships with high-net-worth individuals and have a deep understanding of how to inspire others and get the best from their team.
What makes this role exceptional:
● Direct collaboration with the Head to develop and implement a sustainable development strategy
● Focus on major gifts fundraising for real impact
● Support from committed stakeholders who understand the long-term value development brings
● Opportunity to significantly diversify our school community
The ideal candidate:
● Has proven major gift fundraising experience
● Excels at cultivating relationships with high-net-worth individuals
● Understands that relationships - not transactions - drive results
● Can inspire others and bring out the best in their team
● Believes in the transformative power of education
The salary will be commensurate with the post and will depend upon qualifications and experience.
If you're an experienced Director of Development, Head of Philanthropy or major gifts or you are an experienced Deputy and are ready for the next step, we invite you to submit your application outlining how your experience matches our requirements.
Location: London (remote working within the UK is possible)
Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time (5 days or 4 days per week pro rata)
Remuneration: £80,000 -£100,000 depending on experience
Role overview
This is a new role within FILE, providing dedicated thought leadership internally and externally with respect to our land use and nature strategies. You will support our partners to accelerate a transition to sustainable food production, secure and enforce sustainable frameworks for extraction of transition minerals, and contribute to safeguarding key global ecosystems, including through enhancing and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.
You will work closely with the Director of Program Strategy, Regional Directors, and other portfolio leads to ensure land use and nature strategies are developed and integrated throughout our funding portfolios. Externally, you will build and maintain relationships with some of the world’s leading climate and biodiversity lawyers and campaigners, as well as with aligned philanthropies.
Our land use and nature work mainly supports partners working on protecting habitats in biodiversity rich areas of Africa, South America and South East Asia, including by challenging harmful practices of corporations based in the Global North. Its scope may shift over time, including as the successful candidate refines our strategy going forwards.
We seek to protect the rights of, and support partnerships with, indigenous people and local communities. Key strategic outcomes pursued include confronting supply chains of major corporates that drive greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and violate the rights of local communities, and securing regulatory changes to drive finance towards cleaner, more equitable alternatives.
Key Responsibilities
Each of these is conducted in close collaboration with relevant colleagues across FILE’s strategy teams, as well as FILE’s Research, Impact, and Learning, Grant Management, and Philanthropic Partnerships teams:
- Lead the development of FILE’s land use and nature strategies, including a focus on legal and narrative and movement-building approaches, as well as on enhancing and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities
- These strategies will set out a well-considered approach to sectors and themes including exploitation of transition minerals, deforestation and biodiversity loss driven by industrial agriculture, addressing rights violations in global corporate supply chains, etc
- Work in close collaboration with strategy, grant making and fundraising leads within FILE to increase access to funding sources and the resilience of partners working in the field
- Developing, maintaining and convening external partnerships and networks with partners and practitioners working on and use and nature strategies
- Provide leadership to the wider philanthropic and donor community on the need for legal interventions in pursuit of FILE’s land use and nature strategy, and support fundraising for FILE as well as directly for our partners
Key Outcomes
- FILE has a well-considered land use and nature strategy, including a focus both on legal and related narrative and movement strategies, which is integrated throughout our funding portfolios
- Increased funding is made available to partner organisations working on land use and nature, via FILE or directly from other philanthropies
- FILE colleagues and external partners have a trusted thought partner and collaborator on developing and implementing land use and nature legal strategies
- Overseeing / establishing high quality convening(s), with support of FILE’s Convening Manager, and networks of civil society and relevant legal practitioners and peers working in this area, to catalyse innovation and strengthen connectivity
- An engaged group of funders, ready to deepen their support for our partners’ work on land use and nature strategies
About you
We know that long lists of criteria can be discouraging and that some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they are 100% qualified. If you feel you meet at least some of the relevant criteria, we still encourage you to apply.
We also recognise that skills and experience can be gained in unexpected places, so we welcome applications from candidates who feel they have relevant skills for the role, gained from a wide range of professional, lived and learned experiences.
Essential criteria
- A strong commitment to protecting the environment, reforming corporate and financial governance, strengthening government ambition, and prioritising the rights of indigenous peoples, marginalised groups, and other communities most affected by climate change and environmental harms
- Experience of and expertise in developing and / or delivering legal strategies to advance systemic change on land use and nature
- Demonstrated experience in linking legal strategies to effective communications, campaign, and/or movement strategies to advance systemic change
- An ability to strategically manage projects, including prioritisation and forwards planning
- An ability to work equitably and effectively with multiple perspectives and build trust with diverse partners, and understanding of funder positionality and responsibility.
- A willingness to travel from time to time (at least four times a year, more if working remotely) to meet FILE staff and partners
- An ability to work flexibly as part of a team spread across many time zones, which will involve some meetings outside of standard working hours
- A professional standard of written and spoken English
Desired criteria
- A current or past qualification / bar admission as a lawyer
- Experience of working as a lawyer on strategic litigation against governments, corporations, or financial institutions
- Demonstrated experience of building and / or maintaining external networks, bringing expert practitioners and / or civil society together
- Experience working with communities adversely affected by climate change, environmental harms, and/or related human rights violations, particularly in the Global South
- Existing relationships with NGOs, lawyers, and / or philanthropic partners working on relevant land use and nature strategies
- An ability to communicate with partners in other relevant languages, including Portuguese, French, Spanish, and Bahasa Indonesia, would be a bonus but not essential
About FILE
The Foundation for International Law for the Environment (FILE) is a not-for-profit philanthropic organisation working to accelerate legal action on climate change.
Through grant-making and in-house legal expertise, we empower our partners to deliver strategic, innovative legal interventions and we support lawyers in their own countries to bring their own cases.
Legal action can unlock the systemic changes in finance, policy and social systems needed to protect all of us from climate change. The power of the law is both direct (changing policy and practice) and indirect (signalling the wider shifts taking place across these systems).
FILE is a ‘regrantor’ - this means we do not bring legal action in our own name. We receive grants from our philanthropic donors (a small group of like-minded climate foundations) and make onwards grants to partners who align with FILE’s charitable aims and purposes. We do not seek to make any profit from our activities either in a relevant financial year or in the longer term.
Working for FILE
FILE is a collaborative community of individuals who share a passion for climate, nature, and justice. We bring together knowledge and experience to support our mission.
Our people are empowered to lead their work both individually and as part of a wider team in order to make impactful change. As a relatively young organisation with the ambitious mission to change global systems, our roles are ideally suited to those who are highly strategic, flexible and adaptable, and open to growing in line with the Foundation.
FILE is committed to challenging inequality and values diversity, equity and justice in all areas of life. Our mission, work and impact is global, with staff and partners from across the world and a range of lived experiences. We firmly believe that we are strengthened by the diversity of our partners and staff.
At FILE, we actively work to create an inclusive culture where colleagues feel welcomed, heard and supported to succeed and thrive.
Location
FILE has offices in London and the Netherlands. We are advertising this role for candidates based (and with the right to work) in the UK, the Netherlands, Brazil or South Africa but will also consider applications from other locations where we are able to do so.
Please note, therefore, that you will see this role advertised in multiple locations but that we are only hiring for one position. Please apply to the job post for your preferred location.
How FILE supports its staff
FILE is committed to creating a workplace that supports our staff to do their best work and develop professionally. FILE offer a generous annual leave policy and additional time-off work to support wellbeing. Amongst other benefits, FILE offers private healthcare and a contribution to a pension scheme.
FILE is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and encourage candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our team to apply.
Join us in making a tangible difference in the fight against climate change by creating spaces where diverse voices come together to drive impactful solutions.
Applications
Please apply on our website and upload your CV. This role is open for applications immediately and we accept applications on a rolling basis. If you are interested, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. The role will remain open for at least four weeks from the date of advertisement.
Diversity & Inclusion
As an equal opportunities employer, FILE is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.
We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join FILE. We are committed to continually learning and improving our diversity and inclusion practices, which can best be done if we are as diverse as the people of the world we’re working to protect.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.