Advocacy Manager (Nature Towns and Cities)

Summary

***INTERNAL AND PARTNER APPLICANTS ONLY PLEASE***
Applications will only be considered from current employees of the National Trust, National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Natural England.

We're looking for an Advocacy Manager to lead the development and delivery of advocacy activity across the Nature Towns and Cities coalition.

About the role profile: This role is being recruited using the National Trust's External Affairs Consultant (Grade 5) role profile and will be known internally by this title. While the profile reflects the broad skills, knowledge and experience required, the responsibilities and focus of this post are most accurately described in this advert.

What it's like to work here

This is a high-profile role that will build understanding, awareness and support for the Nature Towns and Cities mission among political decision-makers and key stakeholders across the UK. Working across a unique coalition of partners, you'll help ensure the benefits of urban nature are understood by politicians, policy-makers and sector leaders, while strengthening relationships that support delivery of the programme.

Nature Towns and Cities is working to put nature and green space at the heart of towns, cities and neighbourhoods across the UK. Through this role, you'll help build the partnerships, visibility and political support needed to enable long-term action and investment in urban nature.

What you'll be doing

You'll lead the delivery of the Nature Towns and Cities advocacy strategy, building awareness, understanding and support for the programme among political audiences and stakeholders across Westminster, Holyrood, Cardiff Bay and Stormont. This includes helping decision-makers understand the scale of unequal access to nature and the role Nature Towns and Cities can play in addressing it.

A confident relationship-builder, you'll develop and maintain networks with parliamentarians, government officials, local government leaders, metro mayors, city and regional partners, sector organisations and other influential stakeholders across all four nations who can champion the programme and its goals.

Working across the coalition will be your natural mode. You'll collaborate with colleagues from Natural England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust and a growing range of partners across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to identify opportunities and tailor engagement approaches to different political and policy contexts while maintaining a coherent UK-wide narrative.

You'll help tell the story of Nature Towns and Cities by developing briefings, presentations and stakeholder engagement materials that demonstrate the impact of the programme and showcase action taking place in towns and cities across the UK.

You'll monitor political and policy developments across all four nations, identifying opportunities for engagement and providing insight to programme partners. While the role does not undertake party-political activity or lobbying on behalf of individual organisations, it plays an important role in building understanding of the programme, sharing evidence, convening stakeholders and fostering constructive relationships with decision-makers across the UK.

You'll also coordinate advocacy activity across partners, ensuring learning, intelligence and opportunities are shared effectively and helping to build a strong network of supporters and champions for Nature Towns and Cities.

For line management purposes, this role will sit within the National Trust's Communications and Advocacy Department and report to the Head of Public Affairs. The successful candidate will work on behalf of the Nature Towns and Cities programme, with accountability to the Nature Towns and Cities Portfolio Board and the Public Affairs leads of the National Trust, Natural England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The role will lead and deliver an agreed advocacy strategy.

Who we're looking for

We welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. We're particularly interested in hearing from applicants who have experience of political engagement, stakeholder management, partnership working and building support for complex programmes or initiatives.

You'll bring:

• Experience of delivering advocacy, public affairs, stakeholder engagement or external affairs activity.
• Strong understanding of political institutions, policy-making processes and stakeholder landscapes across the UK, including experience of working within devolved policy and political environments.
• Experience of building and maintaining relationships with senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Excellent communication skills, including developing briefings, presentations and stakeholder engagement materials.
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries and managing multiple stakeholder interests.
• Strong project management and coordination skills.
• An ability to identify opportunities, build consensus and bring partners together around shared objectives.
• A proactive, collaborative and politically aware approach.
• A commitment to inclusive and equitable ways of working.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

•Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

•Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

•Rental deposit loan scheme

•Season ticket loan

•EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)

•Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

•Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

•Flexible working whenever possible

•Employee assistance programme

•Free parking at most Trust places