Policy and Campaigns Manager

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Real Living Wage Employer

Flex pot

Buy/sell annual leave

Discounts and cash-back

Pension scheme with employer matching

Job summary

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is seeking a Policy and Campaigns Manager for Northern Ireland, a hybrid, office-based role with travel across Northern Ireland and occasional UK-wide duties.

You will lead policy development, influence government, and drive campaigns to improve outcomes for blind and partially sighted people, collaborating with colleagues across policy, communications, and engagement teams.

Qualifications

• Experience in a policy role with liaison, networking, project leadership and reporting.
• Experience networking with opinion formers including politicians and civil servants.
• Campaigning to secure policy changes and working with campaign groups.
• Knowledge of local government and devolved administration.
• Knowledge of UK political framework, campaigning techniques and advocacy.
• Knowledge of Equality Legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead policy positions and consultation responses across Northern Ireland.
• Develop and deliver campaigns to raise awareness and drive change.
• Build relationships with elected representatives, government officials, local authorities, and partners.
• Act as regional policy and campaigns expert monitoring developments.
• Recruit and empower volunteer campaigners to champion issues.
• Collaborate with policy, communications, marketing, engagement, and service teams.
• Engage with people with sight loss and local forums to identify priorities.

Skills

Policy experience

Stakeholder engagement

Campaign leadership

Networking with politicians

Policy development

Equality legislation knowledge

Job description

Guide Dogs - Be Part of Something Life-changing

Come and join us as a proactive and purpose-led Policy and Campaigns Manager for Northern Ireland and be part of something life-changing - helping people with sight loss live the life they choose.

As a Policy and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs, you'll be at the forefront of creating lasting change for people with sight loss across Northern Ireland. You'll develop and influence policy, lead impactful campaigns, and build strong partnerships with government bodies, local authorities, and key stakeholders to advance Guide Dogs' strategic objectives and improve outcomes for blind and partially sighted people. The Policy and Campaigns Manager will be an expert in policy development, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, political influencing, and campaign leadership, with the ability to turn insight into action and drive meaningful change in policy and practice. Our Policy and Campaigns Managers play a vital role in ensuring everything we do enables us to deliver on our purpose and exceed expectations.

This is an office-based role with flexibility for hybrid working. Ideally the successful candidate will live within a reasonable travelling distance of Belfast, as regular travel across Northern Ireland and attendance at meetings and events will be required. Occasionally you may be required to attend meetings and events across the UK.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of policy positions and consultation responses that influence decision-makers and support Guide Dogs' strategic objectives across Northern Ireland.
• Develop and deliver impactful campaigns that raise awareness, drive change, and improve outcomes for people with sight loss.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including elected representatives, government officials, local authorities, and partner organisations.
• Act as Guide Dogs' regional policy and campaigns expert, monitoring relevant developments and ensuring the organisation remains informed and influential on key issues.
• Recruit, support, and empower volunteer campaigners, enabling them to champion issues affecting blind and partially sighted people within their communities.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across policy, communications, marketing, engagement, and service teams to maximise the impact of campaigns and policy activity.
• Engage with people with sight loss, customer groups, and local forums to identify priorities and ensure their voices shape Guide Dogs' policy and campaigning work.

You

You’ll have a collaborative and influential approach to policy development and campaigning. You’ll enjoy building strong relationships and driving positive change for people with sight loss. You'll act with integrity and honesty in everything you do.

Skills and Competencies

• Experience of working in a policy role with responsibility for liaison, internal and external networking, project leadership and reporting.
• Experience of networking with and influencing opinion formers including politicians, civil servants and professional groups.
• Experience of campaigning to secure change in policy and practice and working with groups of campaigners.
• Knowledge of local government and devolved administration.
• Knowledge of political framework and environment in UK, campaigning techniques and advocacy-based campaigning.
• Knowledge of Equality Legislation.

We wouldn’t be able to change the lives of people with sight loss without our people. That’s why it’s important for us to provide a variety of benefits that reward our colleagues in a way that suits them and recognises the hard work and contribution that they make.

• 26 days annual leave. After three years of continuous employment, this increases to 28 days plus bank holidays.
• Real Living Wage Employer
• Flex pot - equal to a proportion of your annual salary to use on our wide variety of flexible benefits
• The option to buy and sell annual leave
• Discounts and cash-back scheme
• Excellent pension scheme (We will match your pension contributions plus 2% up to a maximum of 9% employer contribution)
• And lots more!

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Behind Every Guide Dog Is Someone Like You - We’re passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity. Bring your whole self to work regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We don’t want you to ‘fit’ our culture, we want you to enrich it.

If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier. We cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time.

Safer recruitment

Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service.

At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly.