Policy Specialist - Womens Economic Justice at Action Aid

Role Overview:

The International Development Policy and Practice (IDPP) team is a key delivery partner in ActionAid UK’s strategy to promote a world where women, girls, and those facing marginalisation are valued, live free from violence, and can exercise their rights to promote their own economic Justice, safety, equality and voice. The team is comprised of members supporting global influencing policy and advocacy initiatives, mobilisation and organising financial resource mobilisation, grant/ contract management, programmatic innovation, research and learning towards this end. The Research and Programmes Policy unit within the IDPP team is comprised of policy and technical advisers who advance policy perspectives and programme-led learning to ActionAid UK’s target donors, influencers, policymakers and civil society audiences. A key purpose of the role is the provision of high-quality research and policy development rooted in AA programme and policy work, applying an intersectional, decolonial feminist approach, and to make this research easily accessible and available for grassroots advocacy and influencing. The current focus of this role is women's economic rights and justice, particularly in relation to macroeconomic policies (e.g., the impacts of trade, austerity and debt on women's unpaid care work and access to decent work) and directly supports AAUKs Young Urban Women (YUW) flagship project although this could change in future. The role demands a specialist who will bring research and policy analysis skills, the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and partners from the global South, and the ability to tailor high quality written outputs to a range of audiences to ActionAid UK, and passion for achieving women’s economic justice, mobilisation and activism. Who we're looking for:

• Good knowledge and understanding of women's rights in international development, especially women's economic justice and the structural barriers to these.
• A strong commitment to / understanding of applying an intersectional feminist analysis and a decolonial, anti-racist lens to policy, research and ways of working.
• Commitment to ActionAid’s values, including our Feminist Behaviours, anti-racism and promoting women's rights.
• An understanding of UK and international politics, actors and institutions in the field of international development, including economic development and women’s rights.
• Experience of undertaking research on relevant issues gained in a public policy, NGO or academic environment.
• Knowledge and experience of a range of qualitative research techniques.
• Knowledge of relevant global data sources on women’s rights, gender equality and international development.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, in particular the ability to translate complex material into concise and engaging communications for a range of audiences, including through the use of illustrations and infographics.
• Experience of campaigning or advocating for social change and grassroots activism
• Ability to collaborate effectively as part of diverse international teams and achieve shared objectives.
• Experience of working closely with colleagues and/or partners in the global South.
• Proven computer literacy with the ability to adopt new digital platforms.
• Experience of using social media in a professional context.
• Ability to travel overseas (up to 4 weeks per year).
• Experience of undertaking research and/or advocacy in relation to women’s unpaid care work, decent work and livelihoods, and/or on macroeconomic policy areas such as trade, austerity and debt, and related international financial institutions, and the interlinkages with climate justice
• Experience in engaging in movement building within feminist movements and networks such as the Young Urban Women programme.
• Knowledge and experience of feminist research methodologies and participative techniques.
• Knowledge and experience of quantitative research and analysis.
• Fluency in French and/or a second language spoken in developing countries, in addition to English.

You should also have strong commitment to ActionAid’s values and ethos, including ActionAid’s feminist leadership principles.

What we offer 

ActionAid is committed to providing a welcoming, supportive workplace where we recognise a job well done. We offer a fair compensation package and a flexible working environment. At ActionAid, you can look forward to

• Fantastic training and development
• A workplace that embraces feminist leadership
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption pay.