Public Affairs Officer

Job Description

Public Affairs Officer

Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Reporting to Head of Policy Campaigns and Impact

Permanent

London/Hybrid with 2 days in office in London (London Bridge/SE1 3GN)

Full time 35 hours per week with flexible working hours

35708.40 6000 London Weighting

Benefits include: 25 days AL Bank Holidays a Salary Sacrifice Scheme for Pensions where JRF puts in 6% with a 3% minimum from the employee cycle to work employee assistance programme gym discounts eye-care vouchers a health cash plan and season ticket loans. You can also buy and sell a week of leave.

Charity People are proud to be partnering with Joseph Rowntree Foundation to recruit a Public Affairs Officer.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation is an independent social change organisation working to support and speed up the transition to a more equitable and just future free from poverty where people and planet can flourish.

The Public Affairs Officer will work closely with the wider Campaigns and Public Affairs Team which is responsible for JRFs policy influencing and cross organisational influencing strategies. The role will also involve close work with JRF colleagues in Policy Research and Communications and Public engagement.

You will help to identify new relationships with key MPs Peers and Staffers assisting with regular political monitoring and horizon scanning and ensuring that planning and content management systems are regularly updated. It will also help to ensure that JRF are connecting the dots across all areas they influence on including social security work housing family and care housing and energy.

The first six months would focus on relationship building getting to grips with JRFs processes laying the groundwork for regular reporting updates. This would include:

• Work across broader JRF teams to offer support to the different Stretch Policy Groups on mapping potential MPs to influence.
• Taking ownership of the system for tracking impact and measuring progress against our organisational influencing objectives.
• Looking for potential opportunities in parliament to make use of JRFs policy proposals.
• Work closely with the Senior Public Affairs Officer to ensure we are co-ordinating political engagement effectively.

Key responsibilities

• Public affairs support: Assist in the delivery of policy and advocacy activities including parliamentary events building our presence at party or sectoral conferences written briefings and MP engagement.
• Horizon scanning: With a focus on the Westminster parliament UK government departments and the main city regions (England) keep a running watch for suitable opportunities for JRF to advance its arguments with key audiences and ensure that relevant colleagues are alerted well in advance to be able to respond.
• Stakeholder mapping: Identify parliamentarians who may be interested in working with us build detailed profiles of the issues that matter to them and maintain a core list of public affairs stakeholders.
• Stakeholder engagement: Support colleagues (by gathering information through desk top research or other methods) to prepare for their interactions with high value targets and record top level details of any contact between them and JRF.
• Network building: Build an effective network of contacts among the support staff in political offices and/or opposite numbers in other organisations with a view to identifying opportunities for collaboration between JRF and their employers.
• Representation and insight gathering: Observe speeches conferences and select committee hearings and report any noteworthy points.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following knowledge and experience:

• Experience of working (either in a paid or voluntary capacity) in a public affairs/policy/political team and demonstrating initiative and flexibility to deal with a range of tasks.
• Experience of networking and using interpersonal skills to develop and promote excellent relationships.
• Experience of analysing information conducting research and finding positive solutions to challenges.
• Confidence managing multiple projects to tight deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience of tracking political engagement across a project / campaign (desirable)
• Experience working with people who have lived experience of poverty and hardship campaigning for change (desirable)
• A strong understanding of UK Government and Parliamentary procedure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including engaging with parliamentary audiences.
• A good understanding of the issues facing low-income households in the UK and how political developments may affect them.
• An understanding of JRFs mission and work and the context behind our policy aims.
• A commitment to equity diversity and inclusion and how this can be best applied to the role.

The successful candidate will be based at JRFs London office. Additionally the Campaigns and Public Affairs Team find being in the office beneficial to their work and team building therefore hybrid working at JRF means staff are encouraged to attend the office at least twice a week. The role is subject to satisfactory references.

How to apply:

The application process is CV and Supporting Statement. For more information about the role and for the full job pack please share your CV via the link below. The closing date is 9am on Friday 16 January. Interviews will take place w/c 26 January. We will be hosting a webinar on Thursday 8 January at 1pm for candidates interested in the role (this will be recorded and shared if you are unable to attend).

As part of our commitments under the Disability Confident Scheme Joseph Rowntree Foundation/Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust operates a guaranteed interview scheme. Candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria set out in the job description and person specification will be offered an interview.

Charity People is a forward thinking inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age disability (including hidden disabilities) gender gender identity or gender reassignment marriage and civil partnership pregnancy and maternity race religion or belief or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.