Job Title: Public Affairs Director
Working For: Conservative Friends of Israel
Location: London (Westminster)
Salary: £40,000-£50,000
Length of Contract: Permanent (full-time or part-time, pro-rata)
About CFI:
Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) works to promote its twin aims of supporting Israel and promoting Conservatism in the UK. CFI educates and informs Conservatives about Israel, organises numerous events in and around Westminster, takes Conservative parliamentarians on delegations to Israel, campaigns in support of the Conservative Party, and works to ensure that Israel’s case is fairly represented in Parliament.
The Role:
CFI is seeking an ambitious, highly organised, and motivated public affairs professional with strong experience in producing research and external communications, driven by a keen interest in politics and current affairs.
As Public Affairs Director you would play an integral role in the continued growth and success of the organisation and in strengthening the UK-Israel relationship.
The role presents an exciting opportunity to produce high-quality research into current events in Israel/Middle East and key policy areas shaping the UK-Israel bilateral, and to help deliver successful policy-driven campaigns in Parliament.
The position will suit someone with 3-4 years’ experience in a think tank, public affairs or campaign group. Previous experience of working in Parliament and Westminster is beneficial, but non-essential.
The post is offered on a full-time basis, however, we are open to applicants who are looking for a part-time position.
Key Duties:
Research and Briefings
- Manage production of research and briefings for House of Commons and House of Lords debates and Questions to support CFI’s political activities;
- Manage production of CFI Weekly Briefing received by MPs, Peers and CFI supporters;
- Manage preparation of policy papers on key issues and research proposals;
- Manage preparation of written submissions for government consultations and select committee inquiries;
- Other ad hoc research as required, i.e. parliamentary casework.
Parliamentary Activities
- Work with the team on the development and implementation of policy campaigns in Parliament;
- Prepare speeches, media articles, letters, and written and oral questions for parliamentarians;
- Build network of stakeholders within Parliament, including parliamentarians and staffers;
- Manage parliamentary monitoring of all debates, Questions and Committees relevant to CFI’s campaigns;
- Monitoring of social media activity by parliamentarians and key opinion formers;
- Involvement with maintaining database of CFI’s parliamentary activities.
External Communications
- Manage production of CFI literature throughout the year, including CFI’s annual “Informed” magazine;
- Manage CFI’s website and oversee CFI’s Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram pages;
- Produce digital content for social media pages, including videos and infographics;
- Draft press releases;
- Develop marketing materials for CFI.
Delegations
- Assist with pre-trip coordination of CFI’s delegations to Israel.
Stakeholder engagement
- Brief colleagues and stakeholders within CFI organisation on key issues;
- Build network of stakeholders with an expertise in Israel-related policy, i.e. academics, Israeli Embassy.
Essential:
The successful candidate should have the following qualities and abilities
- Understanding of, a sympathy for, and a desire to promote CFI’s aims and values;
- Proven experience in producing high-quality, digestible research for political stakeholders;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate complex and sensitive issues;
- Astute political judgement and well-developed understanding of how to frame complex policy to influence and inform political campaigns;
- Proven experience of overseeing the production of publications and managing corporate social media platforms;
- Ability to work under pressure and produce work to tight deadlines;
- Ability to work in a small team environment;
- Highly organised with the ability to manage and prioritise competing demands, including multiple projects at any one time;
- Confidence in dealing with a wide range of senior stakeholders, including parliamentarians and businesspeople;
- A confident user of MS Office applications (especially Word and Excel);
- The candidate must be available to attend Conservative Party Conference’s (subject to Jewish holidays), campaign for Conservative candidates, and be prepared to coordinate and attend events outside of usual working hours (i.e. breakfasts, dinners and CFI delegations);
- Candidates will need the right to work in the UK.
Closing Date: 22nd February 2023
Interview/Start Dates:
Interviews will be held on a rolling basis throughout February, with an intended start date being in March.
Application Details:
Please send a CV to James Gurd at james@cfoi.co.uk, outlining your relevant experience and skills. Please also look to provide samples of written work.
If you have any queries relating to the position, please contact James on james@cfoi.co.uk.
Please note, that we may not be able to reply to all applicants, and we may make a decision before the closing date.
Thank you for your interest.
