Public Policy Manager (12 Month Contract)

Starting Salary: £46,819 - £50,562 (inc London Weighting)

Contract: Temporary - 12 months

Location: Romero House, London

Hybrid working with at least 40% of your time in the London Office.

Job Profile

This role is responsible for ensuring that CAFOD has strong, well researched and robust policy positions across our core advocacy areas, including – but not limited to - climate, debt, food systems and aid. You will work with programmes colleagues to ensure CAFOD’s policy positions are strongly rooted in the experience of our overseas partners and promotes their voices and perspectives. This post will also provide support and advice to our international programmes on advocacy development, research and monitoring.

This role will also work closely with colleagues across UK Advocacy, Campaigns, Government Relations and Media to ensure CAFOD has credible advocacy plans which are effectively influencing decision-makers.  

The post holder will be responsible for line managing four policy posts and will be managed by the Director of Advocacy and Communications

Key Responsibilities

Ensure CAFOD’s policy and advocacy work is robust and rooted in the experience of our partners and provide support to international partners.

• Support the development of key policy positions across our advocacy areas and ensure these are developed strategically and take in to account the experience of our partners, Catholic Social Teaching and current political trends, both in the UK and domestically.
• Work cross-organisationally to help develop and deliver advocacy plans which are well targeted towards the appropriate decision makers.
• Working closely with relevant policy leads, take the lead on signing off public policy positions, statements and external briefs directed towards decision makers.
• Provide oversight of CAFOD’s policy positions and advocacy plans, ensuring consistency and balancing priorities to enable us to deliver across different thematic areas.  
• Work as part of the International Programme Leadership Team (IPLT) and its individual members to ensure strong links with the international programme and provide guidance, expertise and support for advocacy work across CAFODs programmes. Especially in support of our aim of local leadership and equitable partnerships.
• Work closely with international teams on the delivery of the Global Advocacy Programme on Food Systems and Land.
• Provide policy advice to the Director of CAFOD and other Executive members.

Work closely with other Teams to bring about change through CAFODs advocacy work.

• To be an active member of the Advocacy, Communications and Education Leadership Team. Through which priorities for our advocacy work will be discussed and agreed,planning, budgeting, reviewing, approving and managing change and ensuring effective communication across the Group

• Contribute to the formulation and implementation of joint advocacy strategies across the organisation working particularly closely with the Campaigns Outreach and Campaigns and External Networks Managers.

Develop CAFODs relationships with decision-makers and other organisations to best affect the change we’re seeking. 

• Represent CAFOD at policy and lobby meetings, especially with civil servants 
• Represent CAFOD in public meetings
• Support the Government and Parliamentary Relations Co-ordinator on engagement with Special Advisers and others
• Manage CAFOD’s policy relationship with other NGOs such as via Bond, CIDSE and CI groups.
• Act as a CAFOD spokesperson for media interviews

Manage the Policy Leads and support accountability

• Manage four members of staff: the Lead Economist, Lead Analysts on Food Systems, Climate and the Food Systems and Business and Human Rights Adviser.
• Ensure that the different policy areas are working as closely as appropriate with clear objectives and timelines and monitoring mechanisms.

• Efficiently and effectively manage the budget and grants including planning, forecasting, monitoring and reporting
• Manage internal reporting on KPI’s, organisational outcomes and advocacy strategies to the Exec and Board. 

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

Person Specification

1. Proven experience of working on policy development and implementation with a good understanding of how UK government departments work
2. Experience of working with UK government officials and elected representatives.
3. Experience of successfully running advocacy campaigns that have resulted in meaningful policy change, preferably on international issues.
4. Good understanding and experience of working with partners overseas, developing advocacy and research projects with them.
5. Good knowledge of the UK and international political arena and events, and an understanding of how to influence change.
6. Understanding of the Catholic church and knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching.
7. Excellent inter-personal skills with experience of working with multiple external stakeholders, and as part of a team.
8. A track record of strong written and spoken communication skills.
9. Leadership skills, with experience of project management and/or people management.
10. Highly organised, able to manage a busy workload and consistently meet deadlines.

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 his/her understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures.

Please click here for a full list of CAFOD’s Staff Benefits

Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities.