This is a Permanent, 35 Hours vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.
Your role
We are looking for an experienced and passionate Senior Public Affairs Officer to work as part of our Policy & Influencing Team.
Imagine being part of an organisation whose common purpose is to help those who are severely impacted by mental illness. We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity – and that’s why equity is one of our core values. We draw on the expertise, unique perspectives and lived experience of our people – regardless of who they are or their background – to help us become inclusive and anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider that reflect the diverse communities we support as a mental health charity.
Job Summary
Rethink Mental Illness exists to improve the lives of people severely affected by mental illness. With a general election expected this year, followed by a new government, this is arguably the most crucial window for influencing policy on mental illness in the last decade.
As Senior Public Affairs and Stakeholder Officer, you will play a vital role in helping Rethink Mental Illness bring about policy improvements for people severely affected by mental illness, supporting our influencing and relationship building work with political stakeholders, and aiding our work planning for and influencing a new government.
You will be working closely with colleagues in the wider Policy and Influencing Team, Communications and Campaigns Team, and Chief Executives’ Office. And you will work particularly closely with the Public Affairs and Stakeholder Manager on devising and implementing influencing activity, including writing briefings and submissions for political audiences, developing election content, creativity utilising the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mental Health to create change, and drafting letters and correspondence to external stakeholders.
You will have some experience working in public affairs or politics, including an understanding of parliamentary processes and the political landscape in Westminster. You will be working with a range of internal and external stakeholders and will be able to build relationships and work proactively.
Your areas of work will involve both planned work but also a degree of fluidity with the need to adapt and develop according to priority as circumstances change and opportunities to influence are identified. Existing knowledge of the health sector is not required but would be a bonus.
You will predominantly be working with the following people and teams:
Person Specification
Desirable but not essential
Interviews are scheduled to take place on 8th and 9th May
*Appointments are typically made near the bottom of the pay range
*London Allowance is paid for roles that are based within the Greater London area only.
We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
Please see further details on our website
You can also follow us on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram and LinkedIn to find out more about the work we do!
Don’t meet all requirements?
If the role sounds exciting to you but your experience, skills or qualifications don’t exactly match every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply, you may be just the right person for our position!
Caring for our people.
We offer a wide range of support. Some of our benefits include:
Who are we?
We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”
It is an exciting time to join our growing charity. We are on a transformation journey, one that supports the delivery of the organisation strategy – delivering Communities that Care. Supporting employees, managers and leaders through this change is a key priority for the People function. Just like its key that we attract diverse people to come and work for us.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer. We recognise and support staff networks for our Black, Asian and minority ethnic and our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.
Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation
We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.
We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and (asexual) (LGBTQIA+), people with a disability, and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.
If you have any questions about the position, please contact - recruitment@rethink.org
Our Charity
Our work to achieve this is guided by seven core values:
What do we value?
Passion
We are passionate about leading the way to a better quality of life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.
Commitment
We work tirelessly to provide support for everyone severely affected by mental illness.
Openness
We are open and transparent in all our work with beneficiaries, supporters, partners and the public to achieve change for people severely affected by mental illness.
Hope
We offer hope of a better quality of life for all those severely affected by mental illness.
Expertise
We constantly use our expertise to provide practical and personal support for people who are severely affected by mental illness.
Understanding
People who are severely affected by mental illness are at the heart of everything we do in our organisation – our membership, our governance and our workforce.
Equity
We believe that in a world where discrimination and disadvantage exist, treating people with equity is critical to ensure justice and fairness for all.
Openness
We are open and transparent in all our work with beneficiaries, supporters, partners and the public to achieve change for people severely affected by mental illness.
What will you receive?
You will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your abilities with the opportunity to make a real difference every day. In addition, you will have excellent development opportunities including funded training, career development, and a range of e-learning courses. You will also receive:
Employer funded pension
Flexible
working
Life
assurance
Employee Assistance Programme
Eyecare vouchers
up to £55 towards the cost of new glasses or lenses
Training opportunities
e-learning courses & much more
Annual
leave
25 days rising to 30, plus bank holidays
Rethink
day
1 day’s additional leave (pro rata) on your Birthday
PULSE
Reward, Benefits and Recognition Platform
Employee Assistance Programme
Rethink day
1 day’s additional leave (pro rata) on your Birthday
For the full list, see our website here.
Our colleagues say
Please be mindful that we may need to close adverts early if we receive a high volume of applications, we, therefore, encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
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