Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Job Title: Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Location: London

Salary: £31,826 per year. Increasing to £33,281after successfully completing probation. Plus, London weighting.

Job type: 35 hours per week. Full-time and Permanent. Hybrid working.

The Company:

Migrant Help is a leading charity that has been established for over 50 years and delivers a range of support and advice services to migrants across the UK. Our vision is for a global society that protects vulnerable migrants, treats them with respect and enables them to reach their full potential.

The Candidate:

The successful candidate will be analytical and an excellent communicator, have demonstratable experience of using robust evidence in support of policy and influencing priorities, and be passionate about protecting our vulnerable clients. If you embrace our values and are committed to making real and lasting change for refugees, asylum seekers and survivors of modern slavery, we’d love to hear from you!

The Role:

We are currently looking for a Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer to join our vibrant and committed Communications team, on a Permanent Contract.

This is an exciting new role that will support our ever-expanding Migrant Help team and contribute to the overall success of the organisation in line with its aims and objectives. As part of the communications team, you will work closely with the Head of Communications and other relevant departments and lead on key policy areas, researching and developing evidence-based policy positions and recommendations. You will offer expertise and valuable information not just to the communications team, but also to the wider organisation, especially senior management, by providing clear briefings and keeping the organisation up to date with policy development.

Your work will enable Migrant Help to be ‘always on with messaging’ around current political events and policy developments. You will help establish Migrant Help as a thought leader in the area, inform its responses to current affairs and feed into our awareness raising activities.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Support the development of Migrant Help’s policy and influence work directly on behalf of the charity at a senior level with external stakeholders, developing contacts, building relationships, increasing the charity’s profile and spotting/acting on opportunities to influence
• Be the charity’s main contact on issues relating to immigration policy, working to safeguard the health, wellbeing and safety of our clients
• Work with colleagues across the organisation to ensure that the experience and views of Migrant Help’s clients, and key stakeholders, are reflected in the charity’s policy work
• Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders, including civil servants, charities, researchers, policymakers and immigration professionals to influence policy, working in coalition where appropriate
• Provide strategic advice on key areas of policy work and expert commentary in response to external events and opportunities to the chief executive, senior leadership and other colleagues
• Working with the Strategy and Engagement Team, develop research to build evidence in support of our policy positions and help inform and influence policy by being the integrated link between policy, research and communications
• Develop and communicate insights from our services with a range of stakeholders, including commissioning bodies
• Draft clear, well-researched policy briefings based on research, case studies and data for internal consideration and sharing with stakeholder
• Support public engagement by providing compelling written and verbal communications including drafting updates on policy and key issues for our website and social media
• (OISC) accreditation level

Experience and skills:

• Experience of working empathetically with a complex caseload of vulnerable people facing transition and uncertainty
• ​Have a thorough understanding of how government policy affects migrants in the UK, particularly people seeking asylum, refugees and survivors of modern slavery
• Analytical skills, with the ability to understand complex information and summarise key points in a strategic way
• Excellent networking and presenting skills with the ability to deliver policy information clearly and succinctly
• Strong experience in communicating complex subject matter using social media to reach a diverse population in a compelling and engaging fashion
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure, both individually and in a team

Benefits:

• Flexibility and work life balance
• Enhanced family friendly provisions
• Additional holiday entitlements
• Perkbox benefits
• Non-contributory pension scheme

Please click on the APPLY button to complete the application form for this role.

Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of: Cof; Public Affairs, Policy Manager, Senior Policy Manager, Senior Policy Adviser, Local Council Policy Manager, Non-Profit Programme Manager, Policy coordinator, Policy Adviser, Non-Profit Programme Manager, Public Sector Policy Management, Policy officer, officer and Committee Support Officer may also be considered for this role.