Overview

Parliamentary Officer
Reference: JUL20211144
Closing date: 23:59, 01 August 2021
Location: Flexible
Salary: £27,574.00 – £30,590.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance, 26 days Annual Leave

This is a critically important time for our natural world. The nature and climate emergency requires urgent action and the CBD and UNFCCC COPs at the end of the year, and the passage of the Environment Bill through the Westminster Parliament, mean that the international community and the UK Government are looking to put in place actions to meet this crisis. As we start a new, critical decade for nature and our climate, the RSPB is refreshing its strategy to ensure that we are well placed to help revive our world.

What’s the role about?

The RSPB works in a range of policy areas across the four countries of the UK, in our overseas territories and internationally, to promote solutions to the nature and climate crises and to revive our world.

We are looking for a passionate and persuasive advocate to join our External Affairs team to support our policy experts in advocating their priorities across Whitehall and beyond.

You will engage with politicians and their staff, civil servants and broader stakeholders to ensure that our work has political resonance. You will work with policy, campaigning and communications colleagues to find innovative and creative ways to build support for the RSPB and its policies in Westminster and Whitehall by building and maintaining key relationships with political influencers.

As well as working with RSPB colleagues, this role will require you to form strong relationships with colleagues across the NGO sector, including through our partnerships with GreenerUK, Wildlife and Countryside Link and The Climate Coalition.

What we need from you:

You will be a talented and passionate advocate with the ability to engage parliamentarians with detailed policies, in a compelling and persuasive manner. You will have an ability to work in a fast-paced environment, prioritising work-streams and ensuring a strategic narrative is in place across all our advocacy.

You can form effective partnerships and create engaging and innovative ways to connect parliamentarians with the work of the RSPB and the natural world.

This job will require regular travel and working in Westminster, London.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject or work experience providing the same level of ability.
  • At least one years’ experience working in Parliament or undertaking Parliamentary advocacy.
  • Demonstrable experience of analysing complex issues in a fast-paced environment
  • Demonstrable experience of advocacy and negotiation to successfully influence others
  • Effective prioritisation in response to many competing demands
  • Persuasive, professional and engaging written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex issues in an accessible manner to a range of audiences.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills with a clear ability to build relationships
  • Strong negotiation and influencing skills allowing you to engage with and influence key stakeholders.
  • Strong time management and organisational skills
  • A good understanding of politics and political processes in the UK, in particular at Westminster
  • A working knowledge of political institutions at a UK level in relation to their impact on environment/biodiversity policy
  • Competent use of Microsoft Office

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

  • Understanding of environment/biodiversity policy with experience in undertaking parliamentary advocacy in a relevant field.
  • Understanding of the role of communications/campaigns in supporting policy advocacy
  • Proven experience of operating in a communications, policy, campaigning or advocacy in a role that has secured better decisions

Closing date: 23:59, 01 August 2021