Policy Manager

To manage the programme’s policy activity and provide support and expertise to help ensure effective delivery of the programme’s strategy to influence policy change. Working closely with internal and external stakeholders, the role will plan and deliver activities to help ensure Trussell’s analysis and arguments are taken up and the organisation’s policy recommendations are reflected in decisions made by UK government, in line with the programme goals.

This role is part of Trussell’s Making Social Security Work programme, the goal of which is to ensure that social security and employment support are accessible, well-designed and sufficiently funded in order to prevent people experiencing hunger and hardship, and that the UK public view social security as an asset to society. This role is focused on the successful delivery of the overall programme outcomes, contributing to the fulfilment of our long term vision of a UK without the need for food banks.

Key responsibilities

• Develop credible policy proposals: Plan and deliver policy development activities to achieve the goals of the Making Social Security Work programme. Create credible proposals, including embedding participatory approaches to ensure policy positions are rooted in the lived experience of individuals affected by poverty, to build a strong case for policymakers to implement asks.
• Manage policy influencing activities: Plan and deliver policy influencing activities to strengthen Trussell’s ability to secure policy change. This includes briefings and presentations promoting the organisation’s policy positions to external stakeholders and audiences, ensuring alignment across programmes and all nations and regions of the UK. Ensure policy outputs are timely, high-quality and support engagement with key audiences, including UK government officials and Parliamentarians.
• Coordinate reactive policy work: Ensure Trussell’s policy positions are included in real-time debates on key issues. Coordinate responses to reactive work on relevant policy issues, including policy consultations, activity in Parliament, in the media or in response to requests from food banks in the Trussell community so Trussell’s voice, evidence and analysis are included in key policy debates, raising the organisation’s profile and influence.
• Build stakeholder relationships and networks: Build collaborative relationships and networks with anti-poverty sector organisations and other external stakeholders to strengthen UK policy activity. Represent Trussell in key sector coalitions and share detailed policy analysis and recommendations with external stakeholders and audiences to raise the organisation’s profile and influence.

Person Specification

Core knowledge

• Good knowledge of policy issues relevant to Trussell’s vision, including social security, disability and employment.
• Good understanding of the machinery of government and policy making in the UK at the national, regional and local levels and of effective policy development and influencing.
• Good understanding of how to use evidence and analysis to develop, judge and advocate for policy solutions.
• Proficiency in MS Office (e.g. Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and project management processes.

Essential skills

• Skills in developing policy solutions, ability to use different approaches and tailor solutions to organisational goals and external context.
• Good ability to make effective and appropriate use of evidence and analysis when developing and advocating for policy solutions, as well as identify gaps in evidence and make recommendations for filling them.
• Excellent communication skills, including written, presentations and speaking, ability to adapt to influence different audiences.
• Collaborative interpersonal skills, ability to build relationships and influence internal and external stakeholders.
• Effective project management and ability to balance competing priorities, meet tight deadlines and maintain a constructive approach to challenges.
• Role models inclusive behaviour and values, demonstrates commitment to the values of Trussell and empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially excluded backgrounds.

Key experience

• Track record of successfully delivering strategic policy influencing activity based on robust evidence from development to evaluation.
• Experience of informing campaigns activity to mobilise support for policy change.
• Experience line managing or task managing staff and contributing to team development.

Special Requirements

None