The role

Director of Policy, Communications and Research

Introduction

The Director of Policy, Communications and Research is central to the Foundation leading and shaping our influencing, working through a range of approaches and with a range of partners, including charities, infrastructure organisations, other funders, think tanks, civil servants, politicians and Lloyds Banking Group. This role also supports the Foundation through leading our capabilities for research, evaluation and learning and to communicate effectively and with impact all of our work and programmes, championing our work and that of small charities and communities and being a credible and leading voice across the voluntary sector and beyond for change.

Your role

Voices In Exile

Ripon Community Link

The post holder will:

  1. Be a values-driven leader who can inspire staff, trustees, as well as wider stakeholders, fostering an inclusive culture with high levels of psychological safety.  

  2. Be responsible for setting and shaping the direction of our mission to influence the policy and practice of others, particularly governments in England and Wales, towards building a more just and compassionate society. The influencing priorities set in our current strategic plan were drawn from the concerns and insight of our charity partners and work in communities and include: championing small and local charities; increasing the availability and affordability of appropriate accommodation; improving the social security system for those facing the greatest challenges and improving support for refugees and asylum seekers. This role is central to amplifying these causes.

  3. Manage the overall delivery of a Department currently comprising 3 direct reports and 13 people along with a programme budget of some [£1.5m] for funding others and staff and a delivery budget of [£1.5m]. You will work with the team to establish the best approaches to influence, drawing on our success to date which has involved working through a “mixed toolbox” of: direct policy and public affairs work; strategic partnerships; grant funding others to influence; participating and shaping groups; commissioning and funding research and think tanks; using and capturing our own data; establishing networks and effective communications across all media and social channels.

  4. Be an effective ambassador in a range of contexts and expert at building, maintaining and developing a wide network of relationships formal and informal across those we fund and support, the wider voluntary sector, government, politicians, research organisations and other funders. In particular, this role will work with senior stakeholders in Lloyds Banking Group to engage them in the work of the Foundation and communicate it effectively and to identify and develop plans to influence on areas of mutual interest.

  5. Tell a compelling, coherent and cogent story of our work to a range of audiences through leading our communications team to promote our work and programmes across all channels and actively championing the importance of evidence and its collection, analysis and dissemination. This includes leading the development and implementation of the framework for the monitoring and evaluation of our own projects, funding and programmes supporting charities and working with communities, and through the commissioning or delivery of research. You will in many ways act as a thought leader for our work.

  6. Be an active member of the Senior Leadership Team supporting delivery of our strategy, modelling our values and collectively developing staff and using resources as efficiently and effectively as possible. You will play a key role informing and helping shape the Foundation’s strategy and future development through providing critical insight on the external context, challenges and opportunities and helping build links between programmes and partners to ensure we are greater than the sum of our parts.

Oswin Project