Public Affairs Officer

Job description

**Main PURPOSE**

As the Public Affairs Officer in the new External Affairs team at Women’s Aid, you will play a pivotal role in our government and parliamentary engagement work. This will include leading on monitoring parliamentary activity and identifying opportunities for Women’s Aid to influence the political agenda and ensure parliamentarians are kept up to date on issues related to domestic abuse. You will play a pivotal role in supporting our influencing work on key pieces of legislation, Women’s Aid’s next big campaign and assisting Women’s Aid’s secretariat role to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Domestic Violence and Abuse. Alongside organising meetings and events for the APPG and with key political stakeholders, you will lead on the development of public affairs and campaigns materials, including policy bulletins, briefings, speaking notes and letters to government ministers.

**DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**
- **Public Affairs**
- Carry out regular political monitoring, keeping the team updated with important developments for Women’s Aid, identifying opportunities for influence and providing analysis on policy announcements.
- Draft newsletters, correspondence, and website and social media content for parliamentarians, Women’s Aid’s member services and campaigners on a range of campaign and policy priorities.
- Support Women’s Aid’s work on key pieces of legislation - responding to queries, drafting briefings and parliamentary questions, working with Parliamentarians on draft amendments, and the development of joint sector work.
- Facilitate Women’s Aid’s programme of engagement with Parliamentarians and other key stakeholders, including by contributing to the development of a parliamentary engagement strategy, carrying out research, drafting correspondence and briefings, and representing Women’s Aid at external meetings.
- Work with the Policy team in responding to a range of policy requests from government and Parliament, including assisting with developing consultation responses, evidence submissions and policy briefings.
- Coordinate and keep up to date records of Women’s Aid’s engagement with Parliamentarians and other key stakeholders and progress on our next big campaign, and supporting the team’s ongoing monitoring and evaluation including using Hansard.
- Assist Women’s Aid’s secretariat role to the APPG on Domestic Violence and Abuse, including organising meetings and events, responding to queries from the public and APPG officers, researching and writing briefings, attending meetings and taking minutes and providing additional administrative support.
- Shape and deliver events related to our priorities, including policy webinars, parliamentary events for International Women’s Day, and Women’s Aid’s Public Policy Conference and Annual Conference, with logístical support from the Events Officer.
- Lead on projects that widen participation in Women’s Aid public affairs and campaigning work, including organising meetings with survivors and our member services.
- **General responsibilities**
- Provide general administrative support to the External Affairs team as required, including attending meetings and events and taking minutes, deputising for the Public Affairs Manager where required.
- Take direction and lead on projects and priorities from your line manager, which may vary from time to time.
- Contribute to team meetings and organisational priorities, and to participate in supervision and appraisal meetings
- Carry out word-processing, filing, and administrative tasks necessary to comply with the job description.
- Abide by all organisational policies, codes of conduct and practice, and to work within a framework of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.

**PERSON SPECIFICATION**: Public Affairs Officer**

**EXPERIENCE**

**Essential**:

- Previous experience of working in a political role or exposure within parliamentary institutions;
- Experience of engaging with stakeholders at a national level;
- Supporting the delivery of projects and campaigns;
- Liaising and working with external organisations and individuals, including via correspondence;
- Drafting written communications such as briefings, written parliamentary questions, government consultations, parliamentary inquiry responses, and political analysis;
- Maintaining administrative systems.

**Desirable**:

- Experience of working on campaigns or within the charity sector;
- Experience of engaging with government and civil servants or other public sector agencies;
- Experience of working with political monitoring systems such as Dods or Dehavilland;
- Experience of working with a database or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

**KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS**

**Essential**:

- Effective oral communication skills, including the ability to deal with a range of enquiries to a busy team;
- Understanding of the workings of Parliamen