Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Officer

VACANCY:

PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT OFFICER

PART-TIME (FOUR DAYS A WEEK) FIXED TERM TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2023

Background:

Founded in 2011, Kaleidoscope Trust works to uphold the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) people in countries around the world where they are discriminated against or marginalised due to their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression. We work with British and international institutions and partners to support the work of LGBT+ activists to bring about positive legislative, policy and social change for LGBT+ people everywhere. We do this principally through our research- and evidence-based advocacy and our high-impact programmes. A significant result of our work was our contribution to influencing former Prime Minister Theresa May to express her deep regret for the legacy of discrimination and violence that colonial-era legislation continues to inflict on people across the Commonwealth at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Kaleidoscope Trust helped found the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights, in 2015. We are also a founding member and hosts the Secretariat of The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN), the first civil society network to sustainably advocate on behalf of LGBT+ people in the Commonwealth. Since its foundation in 2013, TCEN has actively participated in Commonwealth spaces to raise the profile and mainstream the discussion of LGBT+ people and their rights and concerns, and to engage with national-level decision-makers and policymakers on these topics. The network currently comprises over 65 member organisations representing 47 Commonwealth countries drawn from all regions, and was accredited to the Commonwealth in 2017.

The Role:

The Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Officer work will focus on providing high quality political monitoring and analysis support as well as on maintaining stakeholder relationships as part of the development of Kaleidoscope Trust’s policy, advocacy and public affairs and to deliver on our strategic priorities. This role aims to:

• Help raise Kaleidoscope Trust’s international profile and promote our policy agenda with key influencers and policymakers, helping to establish us as the go-to authoritative voice on issues affecting the LGBTI+ sector internationally.
• Monitor and support the maintenance of Kaleidoscope Trust’s stakeholder relationships.
• Contribute to the drafting of insightful and compelling policy submissions, briefings and papers.
• Identify and share insights into relevant emerging UK and international political and policy trends helping to anticipate issues, risks and opportunities.
• Fulfil the key responsibilities of the job role in a professional manner while adapting to often changing circumstances and re-prioritising accordingly.

The Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Officer will report to the Head of Policy and Public Affairs.

Key Responsibilities:

General

1. Support the Policy and Public Affairs Team to deliver Kaleidoscope Trust’s Policy and Public Affairs Strategy, across both its UK and international workstreams.
2. Contribute to upholding a positive, supportive and productive culture and working environment within the team and across the organisation.
3. Take an inclusive and human-centred approach to designing all content aimed at external audiences while supporting the wider team and organisation embed this approach in their respective work.
4. Work closely with agencies, consultants, freelancers, and external partners, where appropriate, to ensure high-quality output and value for money.
5. Undertake any other duties which reasonably fall within the purpose of the role.
6. Willingness to travel, within reasonable expectations, to attend external conferences, events, and meetings.

Monitoring and Policy Development

1. Monitor statements and analyse changes in positions and commitments related to LGBT+ made by UK ministers, MPs, Peers, government spokespeople, and key civil servants in national and international spaces.
2. Monitor statements and analyse changes in positions and commitments by key decision-makers and policymakers at other relevant governments and international institutions, in particular in the Commonwealth.
3. Support the Policy and Public Affairs Team with developing and implementing a strategic and coordinated approach to our UK government, Commonwealth and international policy engagement.
4. Support the Policy and Public Affairs Team with monitoring political news, reporting on trends and changes in the external policy environment and working with relevant internal and external stakeholders as appropriate to map out upcoming strategic political opportunities for LGBT+ rights advocacy in the UK, the Commonwealth and with other relevant institutions, processes and spaces.
5. Contribute to reporting and evaluating Kaleidoscope Trust’s international policy and public affairs achievements in accordance with the organisation’s impact and stakeholder engagement framework.

Advocacy and Communications

1. Support the drafting of insightful and compelling policy submissions, briefings and papers.
2. Contribute to Kaleidoscope Trust’s internal and external communications related to policy and advocacy by contributing to timely and relevant updates on the external policy environment, opportunities and our engagement activities.
3. Support the Head of Policy and Public Affairs to develop the organisation’s policy and its strategic deployment through programming and advocacy in line with the objectives of Kaleidoscope Trust.
4. With the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, coordinate the organisation’s input into (inter)governmental policy issues, APPG newsletters, governmental consultations and requests for information, working with relevant colleagues and partners.
5. Support the Policy and Public Affairs Team to build and maintain relationships with key media, policy and political stakeholders to increase Kaleidoscope Trust’s reputation, profile and influence across relevant international forums.
6. Support the Policy and Public Affairs Team to mobilise action and deliver strategically relevant engagement activities around political opportunities.

Events, Campaigns and Thought Leadership

1. Support the implementation of policy influencing campaigns that will help achieve Kaleidoscope Trust’s policy and advocacy objectives – both by working with the wider team and in some cases self-managing smaller time constrained projects.
2. Provide support to senior leadership with organising and preparing for meetings and with coordinating public speaking engagements, under the guidance of the Head of Policy and Public Affairs.
3. Alongside the wider Policy and Public Affairs Team, support organising policy roundtables and public events involving UK and international policymakers, decisionmakers and civil society.

Person Specification:

We are looking for a candidate who can demonstrate:

Essential criteria

• Monitoring and collecting data/evidence for impact and evaluation frameworks.
• Organising and managing online, in-person and hybrid meetings and events, including across multiple time zones and with a variety of participants.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to support communications to promote policy positions to different audiences.
• Ability to react swiftly to events in a fast-paced media and political environment.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and deliver to deadlines.
• Committed to safeguarding principles, and willing to put the welfare of LGBTI+ people at the forefront of their work.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office Suite programmes, and/or G Suite programmes.
• Willingness to “pitch in” and support colleagues outside the parameters of the job description where necessary.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of LGBTI+ rights, human rights, international development or social change
• Experience of project management and/or planning projects, or of project management principles.
• Knowledge of the functioning of UK governmental and parliamentary processes and/or the international system and how intergovernmental bodies work.
• Working in cross-cultural environments with a range of partners with different backgrounds and at different levels.

Terms and Conditions:

• This role is part time, four days a week, on a fixed-term basis until 1 September 2023 (with likelihood of extension).
• The salary is £33,000 p.a. (pro rata) plus pension contributions.
• The post-holder is entitled to standard annual leave of 25 days (pro rata) plus bank holidays.
• The post-holder will be managed by Kaleidoscope Trust’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs.
• The post-holder will be based out of Kaleidoscope Trust’s office in Bethnal Green, London.
• Staff who are part-time, and/or based outside of London, may be permitted (with the agreement of their line manager) to work from home predominantly, with the occasional requirement to travel to the office for appraisals and key meetings or events.
• Standard core hours of work are 9:00am – 5:30pm GMT/BST with possible requirement to work very occasionally at evenings and weekends (which will accrue Time Off In Lieu).
• The post-holder must possess the right to live and work in the United Kingdom for the period of the contract.
• Start date: Immediate.