Role outline and purpose  

Through management of the policy and public affairs function in Northern Ireland, the Policy & Public Affairs Manager will ensure the Trussell Trust strengthens its influence in Northern Ireland and helps bring about the policy changes required to end the need for food banks. 

Using specialist policy knowledge about the structural causes of poverty and hunger in Northern Ireland and the UK, and sound political and procedural knowledge, the Policy & Public Affairs Manager will ensure our policy influencing has a robust evidence base and manage advocacy strategies to achieve policy change at different levels of government, with a particular focus on national government in NI (Stormont) and ensuring close alignment with the Trussell Trust’s work to influence the UK Government (Westminster). 

Role responsibilities 

• Strategy: Support the Northern Ireland Network Lead in the development and delivery of the Changing Policy strand of the Trussell Trust’s organisational strategy, with a specific focus on the role of key stakeholders in NI in ending the need for food banks, and supporting the alignment of policy advocacy across the UK nations and regions. 

• Policy advocacy plans: Establish and maintain momentum in policy advocacy plans for the Trussell Trust in NI, and inform wider influencing across audiences, through strong internal networks. 

• Policy and public affairs:  Support the Northern Ireland Network Lead with developing and implementing the Trussell Trust’s policy positions on priority issues and public affairs activity in support of our changing policy goals, including impact measurement. 

• Research and analysis: Undertake research and analysis and disseminate research findings to a range of audiences through written and verbal briefings, working collaboratively with the Research and Operations teams to build a robust evidence base for the organisation’s policy and public affairs activity in NI. 

• Partnerships and networks: Build collaborative external partnerships and develop networks to strengthen policy and public affairs activity in NI and represent the Trussell Trust and promote the organisation’s policy positions to external stakeholders and audiences, including NI Government and the media. 

• Campaigns: Work with OLM colleagues and the Northern Ireland Network Lead to ensure campaigning activity supports and strengthens policy and public affairs work, and the organisation amplifies the voice of the food bank network and people with lived experience of poverty. 

Person Specification 

Technical skills and minimum knowledge: 

• Policy expertise: Demonstrates a detailed understanding of policies that affect poverty and hunger in NI and the UK. Can explain policy motivations of the main political parties and can advise on how most effectively to influence them. Track record of developing policy positions and recommendations based on robust evidence, and delivering strategic policy and public affairs activity from development to evaluation. 

• Public affairs expertise: Can explain components of effective political influencing, including detailed knowledge of the machinery and structure of government (UK, NI, local) and experience of informing campaigns activity to mobilise support for policy change. Track record of successfully influencing politicians and key decision-makers across the political spectrum, building broad based support to achieve strategic goals at different levels of government. 

• Managing projects, particularly for policy and public affairs purposes, with a clear understanding of key steps in the project cycle. 

Behaviours and competencies: 

• Demonstrates a commitment to the values of the Trussell Trust. 

• Demonstrates empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially-excluded backgrounds.  

• Role models inclusive behaviour, values and leadership 

• Shows outstanding interpersonal skills; is communicative and approachable; written communication is succinct and convincing. 

• Ability to manage multiple projects, identifying conflicting demands and establishing clear priorities in order to meet agreed objectives demonstrating excellent decision-making ability. 

• Demonstrates resilience, resourcefulness, flexibility and perseverance. 

Key Stakeholders 

• Northern Ireland Network Lead  

• Area managers 

• OLM Manager for NI  

• Lived Experience Policy Advocates  

• UK policy and public affairs team 

• Scotland and Wales policy leads 

• Research team 

• Financial inclusion team 

• Public engagement directorate 

• Anti-poverty sector organisations 

• Elected representatives, including MLAs, MPs and Councillors 

• NI Government