Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, we now work in over 40 crisis-affected countries as well as communities throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America.

The Global Advocacy & Influence Department is a dynamic team that uses the power of IRC’s ideas to solve the biggest challenges facing IRC’s clients. From the drivers of conflict to the needs displaced people, the team partners with politicians, policy makers and civil society to bring these solutions to life. We take pride in being solutions-oriented and creative. We are precise in our tactics, and messages. We lead change year over year, knowing that system change takes dedicated focus while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Finally, we are collaborative, working not only with programs, strategy, research and innovation, and communications teams across the IRC, but also externally, constantly seeking to new ideas and perspectives from others in the humanitarian sector and beyond.

IRC UK

IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in England. In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.

Job Overview

As the Advocacy Manager, you are responsible for crafting our influence strategies on international development and humanitarian issues, using IRC’s programmatic and research evidence, surgical policy and practice solutions, and trusted brand to inspire collective action. You are the go-to expert for understanding current political and policy trends in the UK and how our policies support or clash with political agendas. You contribute your fresh insights and analysis to inform IRC’s influence approaches, tactics, and messages.  

Major Responsibilities:

• Advocacy Strategy: Lead and deliver advocacy strategies, collaborating with policy leads, public advocacy and communications colleagues, to advance IRC’s key advocacy objectives. 
• Influence Analysis: Develop power maps for key policy issues to identify influence priorities and targets. Work with team to support development and execution of creative influence strategies, including with nontraditional partners encouraging IRC to develop innovative approaches to advocacy as usual.  
• Stakeholder management: Support efforts to build IRC’s credibility, profile and relationships by engaging with political stakeholders and supporting opportunities to raise IRC’s profile at key meetings and events. 
• Political and Policy Tracking. Expand IRC’s political reach by tracking and analysing shifting government positions, individuals engaging on our issues, and the politics around our issues. Translate policy asks into political asks. Track political processes and profile opportunities / events; including bills, select committee inquiries, and other parliamentary and political developments.  Analyse and report on relevant political and policy trends and regularly communicate across external relations teams.  
• Policy Engagement: Contribute to policy generation by providing UK specific analysis that increases the credibility and efficacy of our solutions.  Support IRC’s policy team in identifying and developing policy priorities that are impactful and achievable for the UK. 
• Communications: Provide market and audience expertise to communications team to craft public advocacy in the UK. Support team in developing communications strategy and develop materials for advocacy targets, including digital/social content and take actions. Support planning and implementation of strategic activities including events. 
• Spokesperson: Act as an IRC spokesperson and as a key interlocutor with political stakeholders. 
• Teamwork: Support a positive team culture by acting openly and collaboratively, supporting colleagues in their work and sharing credit with others where appropriate. 
• Steward Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: both in the culture of IRC, as well as in the policy solutions we develop and the ways we wield influence.  

Key Working Relationships:

Position reports to: UK Advocacy Director

Internal contacts: Policy and Advocacy colleagues across the globe, Communications, Technical Excellence leads; International Programs leads, Awards Management; President’s Office, External Relations Department

External contacts: Parliamentarians, government officials, key opinion formers, think tanks and sector colleagues in the UK.

Job Requirements:

Work experience:

• Demonstrated experience in advocacy strategy development with a focus on creativity, strategy, and critical thinking. 5-7 years of experience working on complex humanitarian, and/or development issues. 

Demonstrated skills and competencies:

• Proven success in creating and implementing strategies that influence/impact on legislative and executive policy.
• Deep understanding of relevant the UK’s political structures and processes, and familiar with leverage points within these institutions that can be targeted to achieve policy change objectives.

• Ability to think strategically and creatively, being oriented towards solutions when traditional advocacy means do not suffice.

• Extensive knowledge of international development issues, and an understanding of nutrition policy and advocacy is an asset.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with experts, high level decision-makers, and colleagues in the humanitarian and development fields. 
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to translate sophisticated material and data into coherent narratives that resonate with policymakers. 

• Strong network of influencers and policy makers in the UK. 

• Ability to work quickly against deadlines. 

• Initiative and ability to work independently on fast-paced issues, and balance competing demands. 

This is a fixed term contract for 2 years.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

The application deadline is 30th July 2025.

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.   

The IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including flexible hours (when possible), enhanced maternity/adoption leave and pay and gender-sensitive security protocols.

IRC UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

IRC UK welcomes applications from all candidates, including underrepresented groups and refugees who have the right to work in the UK.

IRC UK will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application and/or interview process, and for essential job functions if appointed to a role. Please contact us if you may need such adjustments. 

If you have any questions or need assistance with the online recruitment process, please contact the IRC UK HR team at applications@rescue-uk.org  

#LI-6