Senior Advocacy Adviser – Food Systems

Starting Salary:  £44,766 - £48,225 (inc London Weighting)

Contract: Permanent  

Location: Romero House, London - Hybrid working with a minimum of 40% of your time in the London head Office

Job Profile 

We are looking for a Senior Advocacy Adviser who is passionate about working with partners across CAFOD programmes to influence the current food system so that it puts the needs of local communities and the environment first, enabling people to make decisions that affect their own lives and future generations. You will be committed to agroecology, changing the power dynamics within food systems and holding powerful actors to account. You will understand the key players and policy spaces and will have a good track record of working closely with others, especially partner organisations, to bring about policy change. 

You will work across the advocacy and international programmes teams to lead CAFODs Global Advocacy Programme on Food Systems. This links programme evidence with policy change at national, regional and global levels. It seeks to amplify partner, women’s, Church and social movement voices in decision‑making spaces to build support for agroecology, putting people and planet at the centre of how food is grown and governed. 

Your work will be focused on three interlinking areas: supporting partners at a national level, supporting partners and representing CAFOD in international spaces and influencing in the UK to support this. Working across advocacy colleagues, you will also advise how food systems and agroecology can be part of humanitarian response, climate justice and financial reform.  You will ensure that CAFOD’s global advocacy work on food systems is rooted in sound policy and analysis and in partner experience, giving priority to partner voices, to ambitious proposals for change that tackle systemic and historic injustices.

This post sits in the Advocacy team and is managed by the Director of Advocacy. It will work closely across CAFOD’s Advocacy, Communications and International Programme teams, with partners and with global networks. 

Key Responsibilities

1.     Lead CAFOD’s Global Advocacy Programme on Food Systems, developing policy and working closely with international programmes and other advocacy colleagues. 

·        Work closely with partners and coalitions to develop evidence-based joint advocacy work, including identifying opportunities at regional and international levels and supporting partners in these opportunities

·        Work with partners and coalitions to undertake research and develop policy positions

·        Track emerging trends and proposals on food systems and provide analysis for CAFOD and partners

·        Work with partners, country programmes and other colleagues to aggregate, reflect and learn from data that demonstrates whether and how change is happening.

·        Manage any budget delegated. 

2.     Influence global and national debates, policies and approaches on agriculture and food systems

·        Lead CAFOD’s policy work on the relevant aspects of the food system

·        Represent CAFOD in relevant fora and proactively build relationships with and influence decision-makers in the UK government and relevant multilateral bodies

·        Work in cooperation on UK focused advocacy work with supporters, Parliamentarians and government officials. 

3.     Work closely with partners and coalitions to develop evidence-based joint food systems advocacy initiatives

·        Actively participate in relevant networks/initiatives and develop strong working relationships with key allies including research institutions, social movements and church groups.

Person Specification  

·        Understanding CAFOD: Demonstrates and actively supports CAFOD’s vision, mission and values by understanding how a faith-based organisation develops policy positions that reflect organisational priorities and skills

·        Understanding international development: Good understanding of international development policy.

·        Working with others: Adopts a collaborative approach and is solutions-focused

·        Communicating: Strong communication skills, including the ability to produce clear written briefings, be persuasive in verbal discussions and understand the perspectives of others.

·        Taking the lead: Takes a lead in identifying solutions and making change happen. 

Job-specific Competencies

·        Proven background in policy and advocacy work with partner organisations in the global South and networking and influencing in international spaces.

·        Good understanding of global food systems including agroecology and the policy processes and decision-making spaces associated.

·        Able to apply an agroecology lens in crisis contexts, linking food systems policy and practice with humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery outcomes.

·        Good experience of research and analytical skills, strategic planning and ability to influence external actors to bring about policy change

·        Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership, including setting direction, aligning stakeholders and coordinating others to deliver results.

·        Proven experience of working in partnership with NGOs and other civil society organisations and networks 

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures.