Parliamentary and Campaigns Manager job description and person specification, December 2017 Page 1 of 5

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1 Job description Job title Interim Parliamentary and Campaigns Manager Responsible to Head of Policy and Campaigns Responsible for 2 direct reports: Senior Campaigns Officer, and Senior Parliamentary Officer. Also maintains close links to the Policy and Campaigns Officer, Mind Cymru. Department External Relations Section Policy and Campaigns Remit of post covers England and Wales Salary Grade E Hours of work Full time (35 hours a week) Located at Stratford Type of contract: Fixed term until mid January 2019 Main purpose and scope of the job We re Mind, the mental health charity. We won t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. We provide advice and support to empower anybody experiencing a mental health problem and we campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. The purpose of the job is to support the delivery of Mind s strategic objectives by overseeing our work with both Houses of Parliament, the Government and our network of campaigners, and work with others to manage stakeholders across the health, care and social policy sectors. You ll need excellent political nous to ensure that Mind maintains effective relationships across all political parties and can influence policy and legislation, and you ll bring a deep understanding of best practice in campaigning to ensure that our campaigners are engaged and empowered, our message is heard, and our work complies with charity and data protection law. You will report to the Head of Policy and Campaigns and manage the Campaigns Team one of four sub-teams within the wider Policy and Campaigns team. You ll line manage the Senior Campaigns Officer and the Senior Parliamentary Officer, and maintain a close link to the Policy and Campaigns Officer, Mind Cymru. You will also work closely with all members of the team, as well as the broader External Relations department (Communications, Media, Information and Legal), colleagues in our Networks and Communities department, and across our network of Local Minds in England and Wales Page 1 of 5

2 Mind aims to ensure that the needs and interests of mental health service users, women, black and minority ethnic communities, disabled people, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender and people of all ages are reflected in all its activities. All staff are expected to contribute to this aim. Key responsibilities Strategic direction and planning 1. Oversee the implementation of Mind s political engagement strategy, deciding on priorities and making decisions about the most appropriate course of actions to achieve Mind s policy and campaigning objectives in Westminster and in the Welsh Assembly. 2. Oversee the implementation of Mind's Campaigning Strategy, ensuring that campaigners remain at the heart of all we do, that Mind is a sector leader in terms of campaigning, and that we are compliant with new charity regulations. Within this, oversee our move to a Community Organising approach. 3. Lead on identifying key political and campaigning opportunities and risks, and provide strategic direction to Heads, Directors and the Chief Executive in relation to this. 4. Actively contribute to Mind s strategic and corporate objectives, reporting into cross organisational programmes and projects as required, and reporting on performance indicators and milestones on a quarterly basis. 5. Set and manage the budget for the Campaigns Team, reporting to the finance team on a quarterly basis. Political engagement 6. Directly represent Mind externally with senior political and parliamentary audiences, including at one-to-one meetings, seminars and events, and frequently take the lead in representing the organisation s interests and views. 7. Keep abreast of the political and legislative climate and advise the organisation on the opportunities these provide to further Mind s objectives. Advise and support senior Mind staff in their political relationships with Ministers and senior advisers. 8. Proactively build and maintain effective relationships with MPs, Peers and relevant research staff, and colleagues in ally organisations. Produce high quality written briefings, publications and other materials that communicate complex messages as required. 9. Oversee the planning and implementation of parliamentary activities and events that support Mind campaigns, including our presence at the party conferences, in close collaboration with the Policy and Campaigns team and Mind Cymru Campaigner engagement 10. Provide corporate leadership and expertise around campaigning, including advice and guidance to senior management and trustees. 11. Work with other members of the Policy and Campaigns team, the External Relations department, Mind Cymru and the Fundraising department to ensure that our local and national campaigns are coordinated across the organisation. 12. Feed into the development and implementation of Mind s cross-organisational Supporter Engagement Strategy, our move to a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, and 2017 Page 2 of 5

3 work to ensure Mind is GDPR compliant, so that contact with beneficiaries and supporters is better managed and more meaningful. Management 13. Manage staff in the Campaigns team including undertaking appraisals, supervisions, and team meetings, and engaging, developing and supporting staff in accordance with Mind s commitment to a mentally healthy workplace. 14. Maintain a close relationship with the Policy and Campaigns Officer in Wales, ensuring that Mind s political, policy and campaigning work is two-nation. 15. Establish effective working relationships and good rapport with colleagues across the organisation, overseeing or supporting the political or campaigning aspects of their work and representing the Policy and Campaigns team s interests. Expectations: 1. To attend and contribute to meetings, training and other events as required. 2. To attend and contribute to the supervision and appraisal process. 3. To ensure that all responsibilities and activities within this post are in accordance with the terms and spirit of Mind s policies 4. To occasionally travel to meetings in England and Wales, which may require the need to work unsociable hours e.g. attending evening or weekend meetings or for overnight stay. 5. To adhere to relevant legal and statutory requirements including the Data Protection Act and the Health and Safety at Work Act. 6. To use Mind s resources responsibly. 7. To contribute to making Mind a Greener workplace 8. The nature of the post will require flexibility in undertaking the role. 9. Undertake other duties that may from time to time be necessary, that are compatible with the nature and grade of the post Page 3 of 5

4 Person specification: Interim Parliamentary and Campaigns Manager Essential criteria Experience 1. Substantial experience in a parliamentary or public affairs role, with significant experience of planning and delivering strategies to bring about policy or legislative change. 2. Demonstrable experience of voluntary sector campaigning and of engaging service users and/or campaigners in your work. 3. Experience of managing staff including undertaking supervisions and appraisals, engaging and developing staff 4. Experience of budget management including developing, forecasting, monitoring, and reporting on budgets 5. Experience of project and event management, and of prioritising multiple projects to meet agreed deadlines and targets. Knowledge and Understanding 6. Thorough knowledge and understanding of UK legislative and parliamentary procedures and demonstrable experience of influencing Parliament and Government. Detailed understanding of online and offline campaigning techniques, and knowledge of using campaign planning tools such as Theory of Change to ensure the success of campaigns. 7. Knowledge of current health, social and/or disability policy areas and awareness of how they impact on mental health. 8. Understanding of local and national government structures and arm s length bodies, and the relationships between them 9. An understanding and commitment to the aims and objectives of Mind. 10. Understanding of what equal opportunities means in relation to this post and the ability to incorporate equality practices into all aspects of the work. Skills and/or abilities 11. Excellent communication skills including oral, written, negotiation and persuasion skills. 12. Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills including being able to influence, negotiate and deal with conflict. Proven success in working with and building productive, professional relationships and partnerships with a wide range of individuals and organizations including those with differing perspectives and in challenging circumstances. 13. Strong political judgment and decision making skills. 14. Excellent planning and organisation skills to deliver work to agreed deadlines and standards. 15. Good team working skills including understanding the role and demands of working with other organisations in coalition. 16. Excellent IT skills including use of MS Office and databases Page 4 of 5

5 Desirable criteria 1. Knowledge of mental health related policy issues. 2. Experience of involving people with lived experience or stakeholders in parliamentary work. 3. Direct / indirect experience of mental health problems Page 5 of 5