Senior Advocacy Manager
Role Title: Senior Advocacy Manager
Salary: £46,537 to 47,822
Location: London
Tenure: Permanent -Full time
ActionAid UK is a member of the ActionAid Federation, an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty. As part of the ActionAid Federation, we work with women and girls, our partners, and dedicated staff in 43 countries to end violence and fight poverty so that all women, everywhere, can create the future they want.
Are you a keen advocate of women and girls’ rights in emergencies?
Do you want to play a pivotal role in shaping policies and driving advocacy to promote gender equality, safety, and economic empowerment?
Then we'd love to hear from you!
As a key player in our Advocacy and Influencing Department, you’ll lead on high-impact strategies to advance ActionAid’s mission. Collaborating across teams and building relationships with decision-makers, you’ll amplify our voice on priority issues, pushing boundaries to improve international development policies. Your work will ensure that ActionAid UK’s advocacy is bold, effective, and rooted in feminist principles.
Why This Role Is Exciting:
• Shape the Future of Advocacy: Develop and implement dynamic strategies that influence decision-makers and create lasting change for women and girls worldwide.
• Be a Political Game-Changer: Build strong relationships with senior policymakers, MPs, and influencers, positioning ActionAid as a leader in the sector.
• Lead with Innovation: Collaborate across departments to integrate cutting-edge advocacy with media, digital, and brand campaigns for maximum impact.
• Drive Thematic Change: Focus on key issues that matter, delivering tangible results that align with ActionAid’s ambitious goals.
• Join a Feminist Organisation: Work in a values-driven environment committed to anti-racism, decolonisation, and feminist principles.
What You Bring:
• A proven track record of developing and implementing successful advocacy & Influencing strategies.
• Deep knowledge of the UK political system (Parliament/Whitehall) and a flair for building influential networks.
• Excellent writing, negotiation, and presentation skills to communicate complex ideas effectively.
• A collaborative mindset and leadership experience, with the ability to inspire and manage individuals.
• A commitment to ActionAid’s vision of creating a more just and equitable world.
What’s in It for You?
• The opportunity to influence key policy decisions that shape the lives of women and girls globally.
• A dynamic and supportive workplace that fosters professional growth and innovation.
• The chance to lead in a role where your voice and expertise will truly make a difference.
If you’re ready to use your skills to drive transformational change, we’d love to hear from you. Join us in our mission to create a world where women and girls are empowered to thrive.
Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate will be asked to participate in criminal records checks at the point of offer.
Additional Information:
Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging:
Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging are key to our organisational culture. We are on a journey to become not only an anti-racist organisation but one that proudly
celebrates the diversity of all applicants and employees. We look forward to you bringing your full self to work, proudly sharing your unique perspective and helping us to shape our combined future. We especially welcome applications from those from underrepresented/marginalised communities.
AAUK is a disability Confident Committed organisation and as such any candidate that declares a disability will be shortlisted for interview if they meet the essential criteria for the role.
Referencing and Safeguarding:
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include safeguarding, criminal records and terrorism
finance checks. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
ActionAid UK is committed to preventing any form of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse (including child abuse and adult at-risk abuse) and responding robustly when these harms take place. We expect all ActionAid UK Staff and ActionAid UK Representatives to share this commitment. We will not tolerate our Staff or other representatives carrying out any form of sexual harassment, exploitation or abuse towards anyone we come into contact with through our work.
Working practices:
ActionAid is committed to supporting flexible working. If you would like to discuss flexible working options, including the possibility of a job share for this role, there will be space to do so during the interview process.
ActionAid UK has a hybrid working policy for many of our roles. The requirement will vary from team to team and the responsibilities of individual roles. As a minimum, all colleagues are expected to attend the office 12 days per year, plus additional time for induction, training, and “Company Connection days.” Some roles may require in- office attendance on all days and if so, these will clearly be marked as in-office
roles.
Please note that ActionAid UK does not offer fully remote working
options. We encourage you to discuss hybrid working expectations at interview.
Recruitment Processes:
Please note that ActionAid UK may review, shortlist and interview candidates prior to the closing date so we encourage all candidates to apply as soon as possible.
If we receive a very high response, we may close the vacancy early and will not accept further submissions.
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Quick tips before you apply
Please read this carefully before you apply for the role. Please complete all sections of the application form as honestly and thoroughly as possible, showing how you meet the job description and person specification criteria.
To be considered for this role, you must be able to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.
Recruitment consultancies/agencies should not approach ActionAid with regards to open vacancies. We regret that agency candidates will not be considered.
Equal opportunities at ActionAid
ActionAid UK is absolutely committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We value diversity and lived experience, and acknowledge the underrepresentation of people from certain backgrounds, both within our organisation and across the sector. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; people with disabilities; people from the LGBT+ community; and for senior positions, applications from women.
We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment where all employees and volunteers feel respected and supported in fulfilling their potential.
If you have any questions or concerns about applying for a role at ActionAid, please contact us.
Gender pay gap at ActionAid UK
In 2017, the Government legislated that any organisation with over 250 employees needed to publish their gender pay gap. Even though ActionAid UK has fewer than 250 employees, as an organisation that champions the rights of women and girls we felt that it was important to publish our data. Download our gender pay gap report
Privacy Policy
ActionAid's privacy and data protection policy explains how we collect, manage and protect your personal information and keep your data securely - including how we use information about you if you apply for a job.
Benefits
Work-life balance
- Flexible working, core hours
- Generous annual leave
- Extra 5-day annual holiday purchase
- Pension contributions
- Employer-paid life assurance
Travel
- Interest-free season ticket loans
- Tax-free Bike2Work scheme
Health
- Reimbursement for eye tests and glasses
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave