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Shelter is looking for a good communicator with knowledge of housing and social policy to join us as a Policy Officer to creatively develop Shelter’s policy and influencing on housing and homelessness issues.

Shelter’s Communications, Policy and Campaigns division leads public campaigning, media, lobbying, research, policy development and online communications to achieve change for the thousands who don’t have a home. As you would expect, our work targets national and local government. Just as importantly however, we target business and consumer behaviour and public attitudes and beliefs too. We also use rigorous research and client experiences to develop policy positions that, if implemented, would help protect people impacted by the growing housing crisis. 
Benefits include 30 days annual leave, the possibility of flexible working and significant opportunities for learning and development.

Your key responsibilities:

  • Develop high quality policy outputs and respond to Government initiatives across a range of areas, including the future of housing supply, the housing safety net, affordability and access to housing;
  • Maintain your knowledge of significant policy developments and statistics in housing, homelessness and social policy to provide rapid responses to external developments and demands;
  • Help shape and implement strategies to deliver our policy and campaign objectives;
  • Build relationships with central and local government officials, other housing organisations, think tanks and stakeholders in the housing and social policy field;
  • Work together with colleagues and directly with people who are homeless or experiencing housing; problems to develop policy solutions which directly address and alleviate bad housing and homelessness.

And what you’ll need:

  • A proven ability to undertake creative policy development work on specific social and/or economic issues in a wider political context;
  • Strong communication skills, including a persuasive writing style and ability to positively influence others;
  • Experience of analysing evidence, including statistical evidence, to assess policy options and develop new ideas, and linking policy outputs to communications activities and campaign objectives;
  • A proactive, results-driven and commercially aware approach to projects, along with a collaborative way of working.

Shelter is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of clients, in particular children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help.

We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

Closing date

Applications for this post closed 11:30pm on Sunday 2nd July 2017