The Policy and Strategic Partnerships Officer will provide support to the Associate Director-Engagement and Senior Leadership Team in delivering an ambitious evidence-led policy agenda, external relations, and engagement strategy.

The role will be responsible for providing cross-cutting support to the team by helping manage strategic engagement initiatives, formulate policy positions and external engagement through briefings, comms products and event management, and supporting stakeholder relationship management. The role will also undertake research, monitoring and analysis of thematic policy areas and stakeholder mapping, and support design of policy and evidence uptake strategies.

In addition, the Policy & Strategic Partnerships Officer will also:

• Uphold the organisation’s values and contribute to a positive organisational culture.
• Help to build the Centre’s external reputation through professional and effective engagement with stakeholders and clients, including at senior levels.
• Contribute to working creatively and collaboratively across teams to solve issues and get things done.

The Policy & Strategic Partnerships Officer will work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team of Centre staff and consultants, reporting to the Associate Director-Engagement and working closely with the Senior Policy & Engagement Adviser and the Projects & Communications Officer, and across the Evidence, Advisory, Engagement and Operations functions.

The role is ideally suited to someone who enjoys variety of tasks and working in multidisciplinary teams, with strong analytical and communications skills, with an understanding of how our stakeholders impact, and are impacted by, the global policy agenda.

Skills and experience

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:

• Experience of building impactful relationships with external stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Experience of designing and delivering impactful engagement and influencing plans/strategies.
• Ability to understand complex and technical policy issues and translate these for different audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English with the ability to tailor communications to a range of audiences, including at senior levels.
• Ability to use effective administration tools and processes to manage stakeholder communications, organise meetings, events and logistics, and coordinate briefings and reports.
• Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills.
• High standard of proofreading and editing with a keen eye for detail.
• Ability to work enthusiastically as a valued team member across multiple teams in parallel, with a proactive, collaborative, and problem-solving attitude.
• Excellent working level of computer literacy with MS Office packages.

Person specification

Successful candidates should:

• Demonstrate knowledge and interest in policy design and development, ideally within the areas of global affairs, international development, humanitarian affairs, international economic policy, or climate change.
• Demonstrate a passion for building resilience and reducing vulnerability in low- and middle-income countries and thinking creatively to evidence hard to measure change at systems levels.
• Show a clear understanding of and belief in the Centre’s values and mission.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to ongoing learning, including technical and non-technical skills.

The offer

This role is expected to be offered on a fixed term contract basis, starting in September 2022 and running to June 2025 in the first instance, including an initial probation period of up to 4 months. There will be a possibility of extension beyond 2025. The role will be contracted by DAI Global UK (or local partner/representative), who are the Centre’s managing agent.

The position is offered in the first instance as a position based in the UK, Nigeria or Pakistan. Whilst the role is primarily remote, regular visits to the Centre’s office in the City of London will be required (UK based employees are encouraged to be in the office a minimum of five days per month). Flexible, part-time and remote working arrangements will be considered. Applicants for the role must already have the right to work in the UK/Nigeria/Pakistan as relevant.

Other locations of employment may be considered, subject to feasibility. Candidates based elsewhere who fulfil the above skills and experience and person specification criteria and have interest in the role, may contact the Centre on the enquiry e-mail below in the first instance, to enquire whether the role could be offered in their preferred location.

A competitive salary and benefits package will be offered depending on experience (indicative gross salary range off up to £35,000 per annum where the role is based in the UK). The proposed salary will be confirmed at the offer stage.

The Centre is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and so we particularly encourage applications from diverse backgrounds that are typically under-represented in this sector and from citizens of countries affected by disasters.