Vacancy: Advocacy and Communications Officer

Title: Advocacy and Communications Officer

Salary: £34,320-37,960, dependent on experience

Start date: As soon as possible

Contract: Full time / 0.8

Duration: Contract (2 year fixed term)

Location: London (Vauxhall) / hybrid (average of one day in the office per week required)

Deadline: Please apply by 23.59 on 14/11/24. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the 20th November, and interviews will be held from Tuesday Nov 26th.

Overview and Summary

We are seeking to appoint an Advocacy and Communications Officer – a vital role for our 70-strong coalition during an exciting period for our work.

CJC is a broad coalition of NGOs, trade unions and law firms, encompassing a range of political and thematic priorities, from workers’ rights and modern slavery, to climate and the environment, global justice and the rights of women and girls, children and indigenous peoples. But what brings us together is a shared commitment to ending corporate impunity for human rights abuses and environmental destruction: in line with this, collaborative work for change alongside our partners is at the heart of all we do.

We’re at a crucial point in a campaign which spans advocacy, public communications and engagement with businesses, and seeks to ensure the implementation of a ‘Business, Human Rights and Environment Act’ in the UK. This legislation would help end corporate abuses of human rights and the environment, and make it easier for victims to access justice. At an exciting juncture for the campaign, the successful applicant will play a central role in shaping it and driving it forward, working alongside our civil society partners to do so.

Please note, applicants must hold the right to work in the UK to be considered for this role.  

CJC is an equal opportunities employer committed to refining anti-oppressive practises in its work. We particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in the business and human rights sector. 

What we’re looking for

The successful candidate will be highly motivated and have a real commitment to campaign for change on corporate accountability for human rights abuses.  You’ll be enthusiastic and full of ideas, able to juggle multiple deadlines and tasks, while being ready to show initiative and take ownership of your area of work.

You don’t need to be a policy expert on our issues, but you’ll need to have the ability to rapidly gain an understanding of what we work on and why, and advocate for these issues to Parliamentarians and civil servants.

Facilitating joint work alongside our coalition partners is fundamental to everything we do, so we’re looking for someone who already has experience of working in coalitions or in the not-for-profit sector – whether in the UK charity sector or elsewhere – and who will be at ease regularly communicating with other organisations and facilitating meetings which can have multiple organisations in attendance. We need someone who recognises and understands the value of civil society groups collaborating effectively, and is good communicator comfortable working with stakeholders at multiple levels.

You will update and ensure the delivery of the advocacy strategy for the campaign, leading regular calls with coalition partners, so it’s crucial that you’re comfortable with and enjoy collaborative work with others. You’ll drive forward our engagement with policy makers, thinking up strategies for engagement and potential approaches. You will be supported by a team and engaged Board, as well as Coalition partners, but will be encouraged to take ownership of your areas of work and develop proposals for action.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Advocacy

  • Lead on development of internal and external-facing advocacy materials, including parliamentary briefings and materials for decision makers, letters to parliamentarians, press releases, and meetings with relevant networks and individuals
  • In collaboration with the Director, refine advocacy strategy – and implement in collaboration with the Coalition
  • Lead CJC’s work on a collaborative international project for corporate accountability with partners from the Global North and South
  • Lead on engagement with parliamentarians and civil servants, identifying opportunities, setting up meetings, and ensuring maintenance and strengthening of relationships where possible
  • In time, take ownership of advocacy subgroup, facilitating meetings, setting agendas, and managing work with Coalition
  • Lead on multistakeholder initiatives involving parliamentary activity
  • Support the development of written responses to Government consultations and calls for evidence

Communications

  • Represent CJC in a range of external fora, including conferences and events
  • Feed into communications strategy developed by Director
  • Develop social media content for different platforms, enhancing our presence on different channels (especially Twitter and LinkedIn)
  • Lead on development of press releases and other external facing content
  • Develop organisational content and copy as required, including blogs for website

Coalition management

  • Facilitate calls and working group sessions, and be the primary point of contact for advocacy working group
  • Develop monthly updates on advocacy activity
  • Support partners’ initiatives and attend meetings with Parliamentarians and partners, as required
  • Identify and share relevant updates with the Coalition, e.g. research, Government calls for evidence, relevant case updates, etc.
  • Strengthen and maintain relationships with coalition partners focused on advocacy

Governance/administration

  • Support the Director to develop internal reports for Board and funders
  • Support on the development of fundraising bids
  • Support across other admin and governance areas, as required

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Background and motivation

  • A minimum of 3 years’ experience in an advocacy or campaigns role, preferably in the field of human rights, environmental justice, international development or social justice – though other areas will be considered if skills and knowledge are transferrable
  • Experience building or working with civil society coalitions, or an understanding of the principles and importance of coalition work
  • Organised self-starter with strong personal commitment to CJC’s mission, who is driven by achieving impact

Advocacy and communications

  • Experience of engaging with Parliamentarians and civil servants
  • Experience of developing and/or implementing successful advocacy strategies, plus ability to identify and maximise political and media opportunities
  • Experience of external representation, including lobbying, with public speaking experience desirable
  • An ability to understand and communicate complex technical information, including policy and legal developments, in a succinct and compelling way for a variety of audiences
  • A strong writer with an ability to competently draft policy briefs, joint letters, briefings, social media content, parliamentary questions and other outputs, and refine based on feedback of partners and team members
  • A strategic thinker, capable of thinking through the implications of different advocacy decisions and weighing the best course of action

Coalition working / interpersonal skills

  • An interest in collaboration and willingness and desire to support the work of other organisations and campaigns
  • An ability to build connections amongst partner organisations and with civil society organisations outside of the network

Application Instructions

Please send a CV and cover letter of no more than two sides outlining your reasons for applying for the role and why you believe you are suitable for it. Please also include between one to three samples of writing you may have available to share. This can be published pieces or extracts from unpublished written work (e.g. university work).

Applications should be sent to Eleanor.rosenbach@cjcoalition.org

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