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Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing
Posted 1 day 9 hours ago by The Children's Society
Permanent
Full Time
Other
Not Specified, United Kingdom
Job Description
Do you have a passion to help Children and Young People and want to make a difference?
Are you a senior leader with excellent intuition and ability to make powerful, high impact policy positions, influencing national, regional and local government and decision makers?
Are you a driven, collaborative leader who wants to shape and significantly grow The Children's Society's impact and reach?
If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing to join our dynamic and ambitious team.
Permanent contract (following 6-month probation period), working full time (35 hours a week).
The role can be situated in our The Children's Society's national office at Whitecross Studios, Old Street, London, or one of our regional offices (currently in Birmingham and Greater Manchester), with hybrid working options available. Alternatively, home-based by arrangement with the ability to frequently travel to the national office and other venues as required.
Salary: £61,125.54 per annum (National), £63,990.72 per annum (London)
The Children's Society is clear on the impact it wants to create for young people -directly through our services for young people and through our systems change and influencing work at all levels in society. The Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing is part of the Senior Leadership Team at The Children's Society, a Senior Leader within the Youth Impact domain. The Youth Impact domain is where all of our service delivery for young people and a lot of systems change activity takes place.
The Director will lead our Policy, Advocacy and Influencing Knowledge Group - a team of people who work hard to influence government policy for the benefit of young people through astute public affairs and campaigning. Our charity has been campaigning for change for young people for years, we have an excellent track record, and have had a number of policy successes, reaching young people way beyond the boundaries of our charity. We work well in collaboration with other charities, especially children's charities - the role holder will lead our strategic partnerships and external coalitions to build our external presence and collaboration opportunities. The recently published impact report of the Children's Charities coalition is an excellent example of this. Maintaining a relentless focus on the external environment to ensure that the charity responds to sector developments and remains a strategic leader in the field will be an essential part of the role. Your ability to cultivate a rapid response culture to opportunities to achieve impact will be vital.
Our collaborative culture at The Children's Society means that this role holder will work very closely with colleagues who lead research, evaluation and impact activities. Our developing Impact Measurement Framework will form part of the work of the Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing - ensuring the impact of the team, and reach of The Children's Society is effectively captured and reported.
Integrated working with colleagues across our impact domain is essential, for example with those who lead on external communications and messaging, bringing together compelling evidence to drive change - in public awareness and attitudes, and in policies and systems - that can improve young people's lives. Policy, advocacy and influencing works to put young people's voice and experience at the centre of our thinking and outputs. Internal collaboration with our wide range of young people's services is essential and the Director will be required to work with other leaders in the organisation to expand this work.
This is a newly formed Director role that will an active member of our Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the Executive Director of Youth Impact. It is a strategic, national role. With your energy, enthusiasm and passion to make a difference in young people's lives, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic policy approach, influencing government for the benefit of young people - through political influencing (public affairs and campaigning). Your leadership, and the work of your team will help us drive forward the achievement of our goal.
Key responsibilities will be to:
-Lead and inspire ambitious policy, advocacy and influencing strategies to achieve policy change in the best interests of young people - through effective and aligned policy, public affairs and campaigning plans to influence change
-Lead the generation of The Children's Society's policy positions - playing to the unique strengths of our charity, aligned with our goal and strategic objectives - influenced by young peoples voice and experience
-Maintain the charity's strong external policy presence and political influence, ensuring strategically driven developments - through frameworks for proactive and reactive lobbying and campaigning.
-Build and grow strategically aligned external partnerships and coalitions - adding value, yet maintaining The Children's Society's own presence externally.
-Effectively communicate - verbally, written, illustratively The Children's Society's ambitions for change, and influential positions - reporting internally and externally to a range of audiences
You will be expected to represent the organisational externally, at the highest levels, with a wide variety of people and organisations. These could be supporters, politicians, civil servants, funders, media, partners - the list is endless. The effective verbal, written and visual communication skills you have will be important. You are likely to represent The Children's Society through media and public speaking - a good track record here will be encouraged.
The Children's Society ensures that youth voice is central to its work and drives its strategic objectives. The post holder will be expected to develop youth voice activity throughout our work, upholding the highest standards of promoting safe and ethical practice.
The Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing is a senior leadership position in the charity. This means you will get involved in cross-organisational development activities and will have an important role in championing our strategic objectives. Supporting and participating in integrated approaches within the organisation will be important - to ensure consistent messaging and to increase our external profile, brand and support network - to widen the reach and impact of our charity.
Here are just some of our benefits:
-Flexible working hours: 8 to 4, 9 to 5, 10 to 6, or in between (to be agreed with your manager).
-Family-friendly policies: Including enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
-Pension: Stakeholder pension scheme: with company-matched employee contributions of up to 8%.
-'Xtras': Employee discount scheme offering a range of savings across groceries, fuel, clothing, and holidays.
-Free confidential counselling service: Available to all staff and volunteers.
-28 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays.
Recruitment process
The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 19th January 2025. If after 14 days, we have received enough applications we can close this vacancy from the 3rd January 2025 onwards.
First interviews will be held on the week commencing 27th January 2025, followed by further shortlisting.
Second interviews will be held on the week commencing 3rd February 2025.
We are currently working on agreeing a date for a young people's panel. We will advise shortlisted candidates of this date as soon as possible.
About us
The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We run more than 70 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we lobby and campaign to get laws and policies changed to make children's lives happier and safer. Every day we're changing the lives of children in this country for the better - you can find out more by reading our 'Impact Report'
The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across our services.
Therefore, candidates will be required to complete an "Employment history template" document prior to interview. The fully completed document should be loaded by the candidate at the point of uploading your CV.
IN1
Are you a senior leader with excellent intuition and ability to make powerful, high impact policy positions, influencing national, regional and local government and decision makers?
Are you a driven, collaborative leader who wants to shape and significantly grow The Children's Society's impact and reach?
If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing to join our dynamic and ambitious team.
Permanent contract (following 6-month probation period), working full time (35 hours a week).
The role can be situated in our The Children's Society's national office at Whitecross Studios, Old Street, London, or one of our regional offices (currently in Birmingham and Greater Manchester), with hybrid working options available. Alternatively, home-based by arrangement with the ability to frequently travel to the national office and other venues as required.
Salary: £61,125.54 per annum (National), £63,990.72 per annum (London)
The Children's Society is clear on the impact it wants to create for young people -directly through our services for young people and through our systems change and influencing work at all levels in society. The Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing is part of the Senior Leadership Team at The Children's Society, a Senior Leader within the Youth Impact domain. The Youth Impact domain is where all of our service delivery for young people and a lot of systems change activity takes place.
The Director will lead our Policy, Advocacy and Influencing Knowledge Group - a team of people who work hard to influence government policy for the benefit of young people through astute public affairs and campaigning. Our charity has been campaigning for change for young people for years, we have an excellent track record, and have had a number of policy successes, reaching young people way beyond the boundaries of our charity. We work well in collaboration with other charities, especially children's charities - the role holder will lead our strategic partnerships and external coalitions to build our external presence and collaboration opportunities. The recently published impact report of the Children's Charities coalition is an excellent example of this. Maintaining a relentless focus on the external environment to ensure that the charity responds to sector developments and remains a strategic leader in the field will be an essential part of the role. Your ability to cultivate a rapid response culture to opportunities to achieve impact will be vital.
Our collaborative culture at The Children's Society means that this role holder will work very closely with colleagues who lead research, evaluation and impact activities. Our developing Impact Measurement Framework will form part of the work of the Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing - ensuring the impact of the team, and reach of The Children's Society is effectively captured and reported.
Integrated working with colleagues across our impact domain is essential, for example with those who lead on external communications and messaging, bringing together compelling evidence to drive change - in public awareness and attitudes, and in policies and systems - that can improve young people's lives. Policy, advocacy and influencing works to put young people's voice and experience at the centre of our thinking and outputs. Internal collaboration with our wide range of young people's services is essential and the Director will be required to work with other leaders in the organisation to expand this work.
This is a newly formed Director role that will an active member of our Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the Executive Director of Youth Impact. It is a strategic, national role. With your energy, enthusiasm and passion to make a difference in young people's lives, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic policy approach, influencing government for the benefit of young people - through political influencing (public affairs and campaigning). Your leadership, and the work of your team will help us drive forward the achievement of our goal.
Key responsibilities will be to:
-Lead and inspire ambitious policy, advocacy and influencing strategies to achieve policy change in the best interests of young people - through effective and aligned policy, public affairs and campaigning plans to influence change
-Lead the generation of The Children's Society's policy positions - playing to the unique strengths of our charity, aligned with our goal and strategic objectives - influenced by young peoples voice and experience
-Maintain the charity's strong external policy presence and political influence, ensuring strategically driven developments - through frameworks for proactive and reactive lobbying and campaigning.
-Build and grow strategically aligned external partnerships and coalitions - adding value, yet maintaining The Children's Society's own presence externally.
-Effectively communicate - verbally, written, illustratively The Children's Society's ambitions for change, and influential positions - reporting internally and externally to a range of audiences
You will be expected to represent the organisational externally, at the highest levels, with a wide variety of people and organisations. These could be supporters, politicians, civil servants, funders, media, partners - the list is endless. The effective verbal, written and visual communication skills you have will be important. You are likely to represent The Children's Society through media and public speaking - a good track record here will be encouraged.
The Children's Society ensures that youth voice is central to its work and drives its strategic objectives. The post holder will be expected to develop youth voice activity throughout our work, upholding the highest standards of promoting safe and ethical practice.
The Director of Policy, Advocacy and Influencing is a senior leadership position in the charity. This means you will get involved in cross-organisational development activities and will have an important role in championing our strategic objectives. Supporting and participating in integrated approaches within the organisation will be important - to ensure consistent messaging and to increase our external profile, brand and support network - to widen the reach and impact of our charity.
Here are just some of our benefits:
-Flexible working hours: 8 to 4, 9 to 5, 10 to 6, or in between (to be agreed with your manager).
-Family-friendly policies: Including enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
-Pension: Stakeholder pension scheme: with company-matched employee contributions of up to 8%.
-'Xtras': Employee discount scheme offering a range of savings across groceries, fuel, clothing, and holidays.
-Free confidential counselling service: Available to all staff and volunteers.
-28 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays.
Recruitment process
The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 19th January 2025. If after 14 days, we have received enough applications we can close this vacancy from the 3rd January 2025 onwards.
First interviews will be held on the week commencing 27th January 2025, followed by further shortlisting.
Second interviews will be held on the week commencing 3rd February 2025.
We are currently working on agreeing a date for a young people's panel. We will advise shortlisted candidates of this date as soon as possible.
About us
The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We run more than 70 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we lobby and campaign to get laws and policies changed to make children's lives happier and safer. Every day we're changing the lives of children in this country for the better - you can find out more by reading our 'Impact Report'
The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across our services.
Therefore, candidates will be required to complete an "Employment history template" document prior to interview. The fully completed document should be loaded by the candidate at the point of uploading your CV.
IN1
