Head of Policy & Public Affairs (18-month FTC)

VMA GROUP is proud to have partnered once again with Stonewall, one of the largest and most influential LGBTQ+ rights organisations in Europe, this time to recruit a brand-new Head of Policy & Public Affairs (18-month FTC) to support its work during a critical stage in its evolution.

Stonewall’s stated aim is for equality and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people in the UK and worldwide - a world where everyone, everywhere is free to be themselves.

This new position will play a critical part in achieving that by leading the delivery of Stonewall’s policy & advocacy work to advance and defend LGBTQ+ rights from attack in Parliament, across the nations and with the UK Government.

Reporting to the Director of Campaigns & Human Rights, you will manage the Policy & Public Affairs team to deliver the charity’s vision, using your specialist experience to help develop directorate strategy and turn it into action and impact.

You will need demonstrable experience at a national level in a charity, membership organisation, or similar. You’ll also need to show that you have successfully delivered impactful, public-facing campaigns.

For a senior role in public affairs, you’ll need to know your way around Westminster and feel at home in those environments, while leveraging your understanding of how to use Government(s) to secure & deliver change.

In this post, you’ll be accountable for building & maintaining key UK Government and political relationships aligned to Stonewall’s policy priorities. You’ll also ensure the organisation is contributing to the development of effective policy positions, arguments, and outputs to build support for its thought leadership work across the UK.

With responsibility for 5 geographically-dispersed direct reports, you’ll understand how to support & develop teams in transition with an empathetic, inclusive approach and will instinctively role-model the charity’s values and standards of behaviour in everything you do.

As a senior team member, you’ll need to ensure that the voices of all communities Stonewall represents - and their allies - are heard in the decisions it makes, with a particular focus on trans and BAME communities who have historically been excluded. While you don’t need direct sector experience, an interest in and/or a professional understanding in these areas would be helpful.

You’ll need to divide your time between the London HQ and home, as well as ensuring a regular presence in & around Westminster for what continues to be a closely-watched, politically mobile charity.

If this sounds like you and you’re available imminently, please contact stonewall@vmagroup.com for an informal conversation and to hear more about salary, etc.