Location: Worldwide
Term: Voluntary – Unpaid (reasonable travel expenses can be claimed)
Closing date: Friday 2nd October 2026
Inspired by the Islamic faith and guided by our values, we envisage a caring world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled, and people respond as one to the suffering of others.
We provide lasting routes out of poverty, empowering people to transform their lives and serving all communities without prejudice.
As an independent faith-based humanitarian and development organisation, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) has been serving humanity for over 40 years. With an active presence in over 40 countries across the globe, we strive to make the world a better and fairer place for the three billion people still living in poverty.
Since we were founded in 1984, Islamic Relief has grown into one of the world’s largest relief and development charities, touching the lives of over 120 million people.
Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is seeking to appoint additional independent members to join our International General Assembly (IGA).
Following appointment to the IGA, independent members are eligible for nomination to the BoT after 1 year as an IGA independent member.
Appointments on the BoT are for a 4-year term limit.
The IGA is the highest body of the new Islamic Relief Worldwide governance structure and consists mainly of representatives elected by Islamic Relief family members across five continents, creating a body that is truly globally representative. It is from the IGA that IRW draws its trustees.
We would like to hear from exceptional applicants with considerable experience and specialist knowledge in a range of professional backgrounds: law, accountancy, audit, humanitarian programming, PR/communications, marketing or fundraising, IT, charity financial policy and strategy, shariah compliance. Those selected will play a vital role in IRW’s strategic work and in helping us respond to key challenges.
As a member of the IGA, it is expected you will be fully committed to the organisational objectives of IRW, sharing our vision, mission and values. You will be expected to attend meetings and be willing to devote the necessary time and effort to the role and to act in the best interest of IRW’s work and its rightsholders.
The Role
Key responsibilities:
- Participate in the oversight of the organisation in accordance with its statutory obligations, making sure that IRW satisfies its regulatory and legal requirements as a charity
- Act in a manner which supports the organisation in meeting aims and objectives as set out in IRW governing documents and in ensuring IRW long-term security
- Focus on strategic planning and governance when setting IRW priorities and objectives
- Participate in the approval of annual plans, strategies and budgets
- Support the financial stability of the charity and contribute to its effective and efficient administration, reviewing and approving financial strategies and monitoring income and expenditure, to ensure the organisation is in good financial health
- Promote IRW’s vision, mission and values and demonstrate IRW’s values in all of the IGA’s work.
About You
We are seeking exceptional candidates with a breadth of leadership experience who can enhance the strategic development of IRW and have the following skills and qualities:
- A deep commitment and passion for IRW’s faith-inspired values, vision and mission
- An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
- Considerable professional experience and specialist knowledge in one or more of the following – law, accountancy, audit, humanitarian programming, PR/communications, marketing or fundraising, IT, charity financial policy and strategy, shariah compliance
- Strategic vision and critical thinking skills
- Skills in problem solving and conflict resolution
- Legislative and operating framework for charities/voluntary and community sector organisations, especially an understanding of Charity Commission requirements
- A good understanding of the context IRW operates within
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; enjoys teamwork
- Willing to be an ambassador for IRW
- Demonstrates past public conduct, statements and behaviour that are in line with IRW’s values and expectations of the role
If you are interested in this role, please review the information pack before applying.
How to apply:
To make your application for the IGA position, please send a current CV and cover letter.
The deadline for applications is Friday, 2nd October 2026
PLEASE NOTE: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Applications without a cover letter will not be accepted.
If you are interested in these roles, please review the information pack before applying.
How to apply:
To make your application for the IGA position, please send a current CV and cover letter to the address within this application.
The deadline for applications is: Friday 2nd October 2026
PLEASE NOTE: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Islamic Relief is a faith-based relief and development agency working to save and transform the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Who We Are
Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C. (TMTSD) is a survivor-led organisation being established to create a platform for truth-telling, accountability, community healing and meaningful social change.
Our work centres the voices and experiences of people who have historically been ignored, silenced or left behind by existing systems.
TMTSD is a developing podcast and documentary storytelling platform designed to create space for real human experiences — particularly stories connected to childhood sexual abuse, adverse childhood experiences, survival, resilience and social neglect.
However, TMTSD is intended to become more than a storytelling organisation.
It is being developed as one of the organisations through which a much broader vision can be explored, developed and ultimately brought into reality.
TMTSD is a sister organisation of The SHG Family Group Corp, which is being established as a long-term innovation, creativity and closed-membership ecosystem focused on addressing significant social and economic challenges through technology, education, social infrastructure, sustainable enterprise and international collaboration.
SHG's long-term vision includes the development of interconnected initiatives across areas such as:
- Renewable Energy
- AI/Social/Community Housing
- Artificial Intelligence
- Education
- Cybersecurity
- Healthcare & Family Wellness
- Economic Development
- International Development
- Social Infrastructure
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Emerging Technologies
- Other strategically important sectors
The ambition is not simply to create individual projects.
It is to develop interconnected systems, organisations and initiatives capable of creating sustainable economic and social opportunity while improving quality of life — particularly for young people and communities across the Global South.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an exceptional Founding Director / Political Affairs Strategist to establish and lead the Political Intelligence Strategic Relations and Partnerships function within Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C.
This is one of the most strategically important founding positions within the organisation.
The purpose of this department is to help move the SHG vision from concept to reality.
Many of the initiatives being contemplated within the SHG ecosystem will ultimately require relationships with:
- National governments
- Government ministries
- Local and regional authorities
- Public bodies
- Regulators
- International organisations
- Development institutions
- Universities and research institutions
- Major corporations
- Foundations
- Strategic investors
- Public-private partnership bodies
- International development organisations
- Other major institutional stakeholders
The Political Affairs function will therefore serve as a strategic bridge between SHG's ambitions and the institutions capable of helping those ambitions become real-world programmes, partnerships and infrastructure.
We are looking for someone capable of building that bridge.
Your Mission
Your central mission will be:
Build the Political Intelligence Strategic Relations and Partnerships (P.I.S.R.P) function within TMTSD into a capability that helps turn SHG's strategic initiatives and long-term vision into credible government, institutional and international partnerships.
You will help establish the relationships, strategies, structures and institutional pathways required for SHG's initiatives to progress from ideas and concepts into viable programmes, organisations, partnerships and real-world projects.
This means understanding not only how governments work, but also:
who needs to be involved, why they would become involved, what value SHG can provide, what conditions need to exist for collaboration, and how an initial relationship can develop into a meaningful long-term institutional partnership.
Your Role as Founding Director
You will become the founding architect of TMTSD's P.I.S.R.P function.
Your role will include determining:
- Which countries should be prioritised.
- Which government sectors are strategically relevant.
- Which ministries, departments and public bodies should be engaged.
- Which international institutions should be approached.
- Which SHG initiatives are ready for government engagement.
- Which initiatives require further development before approaching government.
- What SHG's government proposition should be.
- What value SHG can credibly offer governments and institutions.
- Which relationships should be developed.
- Which relationships should be escalated to senior leadership.
- What constitutes a qualified government opportunity.
- How government engagement should be structured.
- How government relationships should be maintained.
- How government intelligence should flow through SHG.
- What future international Political Affairs offices should look like.
- What type of people should eventually represent SHG in different countries and regions.
Your Strategic Mandate
You will be given the following founding mandate:
"Establish the P.I.S.R.P function within Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C. and build the institutional pathways through which SHG's strategic initiatives can become reality."
The objective is to create a department capable of looking at an SHG initiative and asking:
What would it take to make this real?
Then determining:
- Which country?
- Which government?
- Which ministry?
- Which public institution?
- Which strategic partners?
- Which policy environment?
- Which regulatory requirements?
- Which funding mechanisms?
- Which institutional relationships?
- Which political and governmental stakeholders?
- Which sequence of engagement?
- Which leadership involvement?
- Which risks?
- Which opportunities?
The department should ultimately become the function that can say:
"This is how we take an SHG initiative from concept to institutional reality."
Core Responsibilities
The Founding Director will be responsible for building the function from the ground up, including:
Government Strategy
- Develop TMTSD/SHG's government-affairs strategy.
- Establish government-engagement principles and protocols.
- Develop country and jurisdiction prioritisation frameworks.
- Identify government sectors relevant to SHG initiatives.
- Monitor political, governmental, policy and regulatory developments.
- Provide strategic government-affairs intelligence to SHG leadership.
What We Are Looking For
We are not primarily looking for someone with a political science degree.
We are looking for someone who has actually operated around government, institutions and senior decision-makers.
Ideally, your career will include experience across combinations of:
- Government Affairs
- Public Affairs
- Government Relations
- Public Policy
- International Development
- Public-Sector Partnerships
- Diplomacy
- Government Contracting
- Ministerial or Government Offices
- International Organisations
- Regulatory Affairs
- Institutional Partnerships
- Major Corporations dealing with Government
- Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
Experience operating across multiple countries, jurisdictions or political systems would be particularly valuable.
Qualifications / Experience
Ideally, you will have:
- 5+ years' experience in government affairs, public affairs, government relations, policy, diplomacy, international development, public-sector partnerships or a closely related field.
- Demonstrable experience engaging with government departments, ministries, public bodies, senior officials or institutional decision-makers.
- Strong understanding of political and governmental systems.
- Strong stakeholder-management capabilities.
- Strong strategic-thinking ability.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience developing senior institutional relationships.
- Strong political and institutional judgement.
- Understanding of ethical government engagement and compliance boundaries.
- Ability to operate across cultures and jurisdictions.
- Ability to work independently and build a new function from the ground up.
Exceptional candidates may be considered with a different combination of experience where they demonstrate significant government, institutional or strategic capability.
The Person We Are Looking For
You understand that government affairs is not simply about knowing politicians.
It is about understanding systems.
You understand the difference between:
an introduction → a relationship → an opportunity → a partnership → an institutional programme.
You know how to navigate complex organisations. You know how to identify who actually matters within an institution. You can build credibility with senior stakeholders. You are politically aware without being politically partisan. You understand discretion, integrity and confidentiality. You are diplomatic without being passive. You are strategic without losing sight of execution.
You can take an ambitious idea and begin asking the practical institutional questions required to make it real.
You are comfortable with uncertainty. You enjoy building things that do not yet exist.
You think internationally. You think in decades rather than months. You care about creating meaningful social and economic impact. And importantly:
You want to build a function, not simply occupy a position.
The Founding Leadership Opportunity
This position is initially offered as an unpaid volunteer/member founding leadership opportunity during Phase 1.
The intention is to build the function alongside the organisation rather than create a permanent unpaid executive position.
As TMTSD and the wider SHG ecosystem develop, secure funding, establish operational entities and generate sustainable economic activity, appropriate paid executive positions will be created subject to organisational growth, governance, funding and operational requirements.
The successful Founding Director will therefore have the opportunity to help design the function they may ultimately lead.
To Apply
Please send:
- Your CV, portfolio or LinkedIn profile, if available.
- A short introduction about yourself.
- A summary of your government, public-affairs, policy or institutional experience.
We are particularly interested in understanding what you have actually done, the environments in which you have operated, the complexity of the relationships you have managed, and how you think strategically.
