Job description
70 people die every day from alcohol across the UK – and the UK Government is not doing enough to stop this. Join our small but mighty team to help drive change and improve the lives of people affected by alcohol.
We are looking for a Policy and Advocacy Manager to lead our policy campaigns and get the UK Government to take action to reduce alcohol harm. Our work has never been more urgent: alcohol deaths in 2020 and 2021 reached record high levels.
The Alcohol Health Alliance UK is a partnership of more than 60 organisations, working together to reduce alcohol harm. We are one of the largest public health alliances, including major charities, medical royal colleges and treatment services. In this role, you will be based at the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) in Westminster and reporting to the IAS Chief Executive.
Post title: Policy and Advocacy Manager
Contract: 24 months fixed term, full time
Location: Hybrid. Office address is Alliance House, 12 Caxton Street, London, SW1H 0QS
Reports to: IAS Chief Executive
Salary: £38,000-£43,000 per year (dependent on experience) + generous defined contribution pension
Holiday Entitlement: 25 days plus bank holidays
Purpose of role
Lead on campaigning and policy activities for the Alcohol Health Alliance. You will identify opportunities to influence policy development and legislation, build relationships with Parliamentarians, stakeholders and government, and advocate in support of campaign priorities.
It is an exciting and varied role that cuts across public affairs, campaigns and policy work. You will work on a range of alcohol policies, including some of the biggest social and political issues of the day such as addiction, health inequalities, corporate marketing, domestic abuse, homelessness, and the influence of business in setting government policy.
What you will do
- Managing the policy and advocacy function of the AHA
- Line manage the Parliamentary and Campaigns Officer and the Policy and Communications Officer with responsibility for overseeing work, development, recruitment and retention
- Drive the AHA’s public affairs activities and raise the AHA’s profile in Parliament by:
- Building and managing effective relationships with the Government, Parliamentarians and other stakeholders, including providing support to the Alcohol Harm Commission
- Influencing parliamentary debates, legislation, consultations and select committees
- Overseeing the organisation of Parliamentary events and the AHA’s party conference activity
- Translate complex research and policy analysis into campaign messages and produce policy documents, briefing notes and research reports
- Working with the Communications and Campaigns Manager to shape and deliver the AHA’s public campaigning strategy, including:
- Building the AHA’s online supporter base through regular engaging communications
- Developing the AHA’s digital campaigns programme using a range of techniques
- Maximise impact through continuously evaluating and monitoring the effectiveness of the AHA’s work
- Work closely with the AHA Comms and Campaigns Manager, AHA Chair, chair of the AHA Comms and Advocacy Group and AHA members to develop campaigning priorities and approaches
- Represent the AHA at external meetings and conferences
What we can offer you
- Annual leave of 25 days a year, plus Bank Holidays and time off between Christmas and New Year
- 14.5% employer contribution pension scheme
- Life assurance and enhanced pay for sickness leave
- Our staff are free to work in the environment that works best for them. We offer hybrid working with an office location in the heart of Westminster
- An energetic and creative team of like-minded people dedicated to making a difference to society
Person specification
You will be proactive and self-motivated, able to balance priorities in a fast-paced environment. Essential requirements for this role are:
- Experience of planning and delivering successful campaigns, public affairs and policy activities to achieve positive change
- Experience of writing briefings and reports for a political audience
- Experience of mobilising the public to bring about political change
- Experience of stakeholder management, coordinating member organisations in a coalition and working in partnership with other organisations
- Excellent knowledge of Westminster, Whitehall and parliamentary procedures
- Outstanding communications skills, both written and oral, with the ability to translate complex research, statistics and data into engaging copy for a range of audiences
- Experience of management and leadership, either formal line management or more informal leadership experience
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to develop positive working relationships with senior colleagues and stakeholders
Desirable, but not essential, requirements for this role are:
- An understanding of alcohol and/or public health policy
- Experience in digital campaigning techniques
How to apply
To apply for this role, please send a CV and cover letter to recruitment@ias.org.uk setting out why you want to work with us and why you would excel in the role given the role description.
Deadline for applications is 9am 13 February 2023. We are looking for candidates to start as soon as possible and may appoint before the closing date.
Interviews will be held on Monday 20 February 2023, though we may also conduct interviews on a rolling basis as applications are received. Please confirm your availability for interview on 20 February in your cover letter.
No agencies & no calls, please.
Our approach to recruitment
We value diversity and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We seek to employ people based on their ability to carry out the requirements of the role and no applicant will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of disability, gender, race, religion or belief, age, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status or caring responsibilities. Please let us know if you require additional support to make an application, for example, if you require documentation in an alternative format.
