Senior Policy & Advocacy Adviser

Full time – working 37.5 hours per week

Salary: From £42,000

Line managed by: Executive Director

Responsible for line managing: n/a

Location: London (hybrid, at least 2 days in London office, remote with travel considered)

About GISF CIC

The Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF) strengthens NGO safety and security practices worldwide. We have more than 130 member INGOs and offices in London and Washington, DC.  

GISF’s member-led structure makes us a trusted platform for collaboration, a driver of innovation in security risk management (SRM), and a repository of best practices. We also work closely with policymakers to enhance their understanding of SRM. 

We strengthen NGO security practice worldwide by:

• Offering trusted platforms for coordination and knowledge sharing
• Driving innovation, capturing best practice, and improving SRM capabilities
• Supporting policy-makers and the humanitarian system to increase their understanding of SRM and maximise access to people in need.

About the Role

The Policy and Advocacy Adviser is a new position within GISF. You will leverage your access to our global membership’s experiences, our robust data and our forward-looking research to ensure decision-makers are equipped to support approaches that enable safe and sustainable access.

The NGO sector has never been better equipped to manage the risks involved in supporting people in need. But without the support and understanding of decision-makers, safety and security professionals are working with one hand tied behind their back.

Cultivating a well-informed and engaged policy environment is paramount. NGO safety and security professionals operate within organisational boundaries, shaped significantly by the terms of donor funding and international convention. These boundaries, spanning administrative, legal, resource-related, and risk-appetite dimensions, underscore the need for a nuanced understanding and proactive engagement.

You will also play a key role in GISF’s support for global NGO/UN security coordination. This position will provide support to NGO representatives (from ICVA, GISF, and Interaction) on the Saving Lives Together (SLT) Oversight Committee and Working Group. The SLT is a mechanism facilitating security cooperation between the United Nations and the NGO community.

Working with the Research and Communications teams, you will ensure that our members’ interests are represented in global conversations, engaging with the media, and contributing to impactful events. You will develop long-term campaigns to bring about important changes, such as increasing the role of local and national NGOs in risk management.

You don’t need to bring a detailed understanding of safety and security, but you’ll need an appreciation of the role that risk management plays in ensuring sustainable access, of the importance of coordination and collaboration, and you’ll need an understanding of how to deliver positive change in the NGO sector.

About You

• Strong knowledge of global humanitarian policies and International Humanitarian Law, including government policies, donor behaviour, international institutions and NGOs.
• Proven experience of carrying out high-quality research, policy and/or advocacy. 
• Ability to think creatively, innovate, strategise, set priorities, manage a workplan and evaluate progress with minimal supervision. 
• Strong networking and experience of participating in coalitions and working with civil-society actors to achieve change.
• Knowledge of human rights, international relations, political analysis and the international humanitarian system. 
• Experience developing impactful events.
• Comfortable communicating complex concepts to a broad range of audiences.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to six weeks a year. 
• Committed to the vision, mission and values of GISF.

What we offer

• 25 days of annual leave increasing annually after 2 years, up to a maximum 30 days (plus bank holidays)
• Office shutdown between Christmas and New Year
• Employer Pension contributions
• A focus on professional development, including access to overseas events, workshops, and training