Public Affairs Manager (1903)

Public Affairs Manager

The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

These are exciting times for the charity, and we have an excellent opportunity for a creative and professional individual with outstanding collaborative and relationship-building skills to join our collaborative global department focused on influencing change, using campaigning and public affairs tactics. As Public Affairs Manager, you will bring to life our global influencing strategy and plans, with expectation of substantial external representation from local to United Nations level, to tackle the greatest threats working donkeys face locally and around the world, from the donkey skin trade to challenges working animals face in disasters.

About you:

• Substantial experience of working in a global strategic influencing role.
• Demonstrable experience of influencing results at institutional level, ideally with the UN and its various agencies, governments and other influential stakeholders.
• A strong understanding of animal welfare and linked agendas, including international development, including One Health and conservation.
• Proven senior coordination and collaborative skills, with the ability to multi-task and work with a number of conflicting demands to meet multiple deadlines.
• A good understanding of the challenges and opportunities when ensuring integration between organisational programming, influencing and campaigns work.
• Experience of leading teams to develop and implement effective strategies and supporting with budgets and work planning.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into easy-to-understand messages.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include:

• Working with departmental leadership to develop, design and implement plans to support the charity's strategic aims to influence decision-makers and build powerful partnerships for change.
• Representing externally at conferences and events, ensuring coordination among partners, and that communications advance public affairs diplomatically.
• Collaborating with coalition partners and other animal welfare networks ensuring positive partnerships and successful outcomes.
• Managing a small team, developing its vision and objectives, maintaining and empowering an inclusive work environment, setting clear objectives to meet departmental goals.
• Engaging with the positions and work of inter-governmental agencies, and how they could link with and/or support the work of the charity, such as UK Government, United Nations agencies, WOAH, European Union, AU-IBAR.
• Identifying new alliances and partnerships for the charity.

What we offer in return:

This is a full-time, permanent contract starting as soon as possible, working 35 hours per week, 08.30-16.30, Monday-Friday.

This role is nominally based on our site based in Sidmouth, Devon – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – and we offer hybrid working. But we are keen to make the role work for you, and so will consider fully remote / home working and flexible working patterns, where required.

Due to the seniority and nature of the role, flexibility will be required for working outside of core hours, and for occasional UK and international travel.

• Life assurance.
• 31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 with each full year of service.
• Wellbeing team.
• Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.
• Long service awards.
• Healthshield plan:
• Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
• Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
• Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.
• Free parking.
• Subsidised restaurant and shop.

Closing date for completed applications: Sunday 13 April 2025.

Initial interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 7 May 2025. Applicants successful at this stage will progress to final interviews, held via Microsoft Teams, on Thursday 15 May 2025.

The Donkey Sanctuary is a Disability Confident Employer.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.