Manager - Advocacy

Humsafar; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading advocacy organization in Mumbai is seeking an experienced Advocacy Manager to lead its external engagement and advocacy efforts. This role involves managing donor partnerships, representing the organization on various platforms, and integrating community needs into strategic decisions. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in advocacy, leadership, and a commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion. This position is essential for guiding important initiatives and requires excellent communication skills, as well as the ability to respond to dynamic situations. Salary is competitive and in line with market rates.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in a relevant role.
• Experience managing a team of 3 or more people.
• Strong financial acumen and budget management experience.
• Strategic, detail-oriented, and solution-driven.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for diverse forums.
• Fluency in English and Hindi; Marathi an added advantage.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to the advocacy portfolio.
• Lead advocacy projects and manage stakeholder relationships.
• Represent the organization at national and international forums.
• Represent the organization at national and international forums and policy consultations.
• Lead crisis response related to discrimination, violence, or rights denial.
• Translate community needs into programs, policy requirements and partnerships.
• Oversee advocacy work-plans, budgets, timelines, and deliverables.
• Mentor the advocacy team and ensure ethical practice and capacity building.
• Participate in senior management discussions with community perspectives.

Skills

Leadership

Advocacy

Policy Understanding

Community Engagement

Team Management

Communication Skills

Job description

Work Experience

Minimum 5 years in a relevant role

Reporting to

CEO

Last Date to Apply

28-February-2026

Background

Founded in April 1994, The Humsafar Trust (HST) is India’s first community-based organization (CBO) of selfidentified LGBTQ+ persons. HST’s Advocacy & Inclusion vertical engages with communities and stakeholders to promote the meaningful inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons. Through outreach with corporates and other workspaces, it has been helping create inclusive environments, supporting incidents of discrimination, designing policy change, and setting up partnerships with over 75 organizations across India. Additionally, HST organizes awareness and sensitization workshops for healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies, judiciary, legislators, politicians and political parties, government bodies, media, and student communities to sensitize them on LGBTQ+ issues. HST’s Advocacy & Inclusion vertical implements various initiatives to empower LGBTQ+ youth that shape the course of the movement.

Job Responsibilities

The Advocacy Manager will provide strategic leadership to The Humsafar Trust’s advocacy and external engagement portfolio. The role will lead advocacy strategy, donor and CSR partnerships, crisis response, organisational representation, and integration of community needs into management decisions. The position requires strong leadership, policy understanding, and experience in managing complex advocacy initiatives within the LGBTQ+ and development sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to the organisation’s advocacy, external engagement, and inclusion portfolio.
• Lead design, planning, and provide oversight to CSR - and grant‑funded advocacy projects, including programmatic and financial accountability.
• Liaise with CSR partners, donors, foundations, and institutional stakeholders and manage high‑level relationships.
• Represent The Humsafar Trust at national and international forums, policy consultations, conferences, media platforms, and development sector spaces.
• Lead organisational crisis response related to discrimination, violence, legal exclusion, health emergencies, or institutional denial of rights to LGBTQ+ persons.
• Identify emerging advocacy priorities and translate community needs into programs, policy requirements and partnerships.
• Approve advocacy work‑plans, budgets, timelines, reports, and key deliverables.
• Guide and mentor the advocacy team, ensuring performance management, capacity building, and ethical practice.
• Participate in senior management discussions by representing community realities and advocacy priorities.
• Contribute to organisational strategy, policy development, SOPs, and institutional positioning.
• Lead national and international LGBTQ+ collaboration opportunities and strategic alliances.
• Provide final oversight on media visibility, public positioning, and donor‑facing communications related to advocacy work.
• Coordinate with vertical heads to ensure integrated organisational functioning.

Qualifications & Competencies

• Experience in managing a team of 3 or more people.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing the social, economic, and legal inclusion of LGBTQ+ communities.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to navigate complex, high‑stake advocacy and institutional environments.
• Provide strategic, detail‑oriented, and solution‑driven, with the ability to respond effectively to dynamic situations.
• Highly independent and proactive, capable of operating with minimal supervision and exercising sound judgment.
• Deep passion for LGBTQ+ inclusion, community engagement, and rights‑based advocacy.
• Well‑informed and up to date on national and global developments impacting LGBTQ+ communities, policy, and rights.
• Strong financial acumen, with experience managing budgets, reviewing utilisation, and assessing resource allocation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent the organisation confidently in diverse forums.
• Ability to analyse complex information, prioritise competing demands, and make strategic decisions.
• Experience working on gender and/or queer inclusion initiatives is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in English and Hindi is required; Marathi or other regional languages are an added advantage.
• Preferred experience in overseeing advocacy‑led communications and guiding social media or visibility strategies.

Compensation

We are an equal‑pay employer. The compensation offered is at par with the market rate. The following factors will be considered while finalizing the salary:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.