Policy and Advocacy Manager Flexible Four Day Week Hybrid NEW

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Location: Old Street, London (at least two days per week in the office)

Accountable to: Head of Campaigns, Women for Refugee Women

Hours: 35 hours per week*, some flexibility required at evenings and weekends

*Please note that these are the contractual hours for this role. However, WRW currently operates a 4-day work week meaning staff can opt into working 32 hours per week spread across 4 days as long as they can manage their workload.

The role is full -time, however we are open to applications from people who would like to work part -time and job share for the right candidates.

Salary: £38,500 – 43,500 per annum, dependent on experience

Length of contract: Permanent

Main purpose of role

To develop policy goals and recommendations in line with Women for Refugee Women’s (WRW) overarching campaigns strategy to improve the lives of women seeking asylum in the UK; to develop and deliver policy interventions such as policy briefings, evidence for Parliamentary committees, responses to inquiries and consultations; to plan and carry out research projects for influencing purposes, ensuring that these are informed by and co-delivered with women in WRW’s network.

Job description

Strategy: To develop and set feasible policy goals over the short, medium and long term, in line with WRW’s overarching campaigns strategy to improve the lives of women seeking asylum, in consultation with the Campaigns team, and the women in WRW’s network; to provide regular analysis on the external context and assess the opportunities for bringing about policy change in order to inform the strategic direction of the Campaigns team.  

Policy: To lead the drafting of policy documents including briefings for MPs, civil servants and other influencing targets, evidence for Parliamentary committees, responses to inquiries and consultations, etc. 

Research: To identify research opportunities to advance WRW’s policy goals; to plan and write up research projects for influencing opportunities, ensuring that these are informed by and co-delivered with women in WRW’s network, and carry them out in partnership with the other staff of WRW and our campaigns groups.  

Influencing: To identify influencing avenues to advance our campaigning goals, and work with the Campaigns team to develop and maintain relationships with civil servants, parliamentarians, opinion-formers and other stakeholders. 

Law: To explore the potential for use of the law in achieving our policy goals, including working on possible strategic litigation in partnership with other organisations and with lawyers. 

Communications and media: To work closely with the Campaigns team to give input and advice on WRW’s communications through mainstream and social media to ensure that these are accurate and well-targeted; to act as a spokesperson for WRW’s campaigns, including on media platforms and at events, panels and other platforms to reach target audiences.   

Partnerships: To work closely with policy colleagues in the sector to share intel, pool expertise, and advance joint goals; to represent WRW at conferences and forums, consolidating and initiating partnerships with partner organisations and other stakeholders in order to drive forward our policy work. 

Support to refugee women: To ensure that our policy work is informed by the experiences of women seeking asylum; to ensure that the women in WRW’s network have an opportunity to shape WRW’s policy goals and are kept abreast of developments in our campaign to achieve these.  

Line Management: This role currently has no line management responsibilities but this may be introduced to the role at a later date, depending on the resourcing of the Campaigns team.  

Organisational input:

Grassroots: to work with the Grassroots team in ensuring that the women in WRW’s network understand the policy and research function of the organisation and are updated regularly about our progress towards achieving these; 

Monitoring and evaluation: to assist with the evaluation and monitoring of WRW’s policy work and its effectiveness. 

Support with fundraising: to support the work of the Grants Fundraising Manager through contributing to grants applications and reports. 

Policy compliance: to stay well informed about WRW’s existing policies on issues such as safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection, to ensure that all policy and research observes the letter and spirit of such policies, and to keep up to date in developments in best practice in these areas, so that WRW remains a well-run and effective organisation.  

Organisational: to participate in and support activities such as staff meetings and workshops aimed at building a stronger organisation. 

WRW is a small busy team that responds quickly to situations that are often fast moving and unpredictable. As a member of this team you would be expected to be flexible in the way that you work and to help out with other duties where appropriate.  

Person Specification

Essential

• Thorough understanding of the UK asylum process and how it affects women and its political and legal context. 
• Knowledge and understanding of social research methods, including qualitative methods and participatory action approaches. 
• Experience of producing compelling policy and research documents, preferably in a political, legal or campaigning environment.  
• Experience of working within the UK Parliament.
• Thorough understanding of the UK parliamentary processes and how a charity can lobby for change.
• Understanding of how strategic litigation can be used to create policy change. 
• Commitment to social justice and a demonstrable passion for creating change on behalf of women or other marginalised groups. 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.  
• Ability to work under pressure and to work co-operatively as part of a small team. 
• Commitment to equal opportunities and the rights of women seeking asylum.  

Desirable

• Experience of using strategic litigation to create policy change.  
• Experience of dealing with the mainstream media and using social media.  
• Experience of working directly with women who have survived violence or other vulnerable groups.  

Women for Refugee Women particularly welcomes applications from individuals with experience of  seeking asylum. 

The role is full -time, however we are open to applications from people who would like to work part -time and job share for the right candidates. Please indicate in your application if this is your preference, and if you are applying with another candidate as part of a job-share.

Application Process

Please apply via CharityJob by Saturday 10th October, 11:30pm. First round interviews will take place w/c 19th October 2026.

Please get in touch if there are any reasonable adjustments you would like us to make during the application process.

We are part of the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative. The network supports inclusive recruitment of people with lived experience of the UK asylum or immigration system. If this is your experience, you can find useful resources here. You can also ask for free and private help with your application by filling in this form.

Download the Job Description