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Ideally Full Time, 35 hours per week (willing to be flexible)

About the Role

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is working to speed up and support the transition to a more equitable and just future, free from poverty, in which people and planet can flourish. Inspired by the work of our founder over a century ago, today we are an independent, social change organisation, with an endowment, working across all nations of the UK.

This exciting new role has been created to join a new permanent team of JRF staff in Northern Ireland.

Following on from a report from Pivotal, alongside Save the Children and Trussell Trust, we have decided to establish a team of three people to work with colleagues both within JRF and with partners to significantly deepen our work in Northern Ireland.

Ursula O’Hare has been appointed to lead the new team and this role is one of the two additional roles that are being filled now to complete the team. The other role is a Senior Analyst role to work with Ursula and the successful applicant for this role.

The successful candidate report to the Head of Northern Ireland and design and deliver policy and other projects to support the work of the team.

One of the key recommendations of the report from Pivotal was that the new team will have to determinedly collaborate with organisations already working to deliver change in Northern Ireland. As a result, this is a role that will of course require coordination with colleagues in the Northern Ireland Team and across JRF but whose success will be measured on how will the postholder collaborates with people outside JRF.

About You

Candidates will share our excitement at the establishment of this team and believe that positive change can be delivered. They will become a key player in the movement to deliver a Northern Ireland free from poverty and economic insecurity. They will share JRF's values and protect and nourish our reputation for independence and excellence in our work.

Candidates will have a significant knowledge of one or more policy issue related to the causes and consequence of poverty and the social and economic conditions on which it rests in a Northern Ireland context. Combined with a strong understanding of how policy making works in Northern Ireland and the ins and outs of devolution arrangements, as well as reserved matters.

Crucially candidates will have a good understanding of the Voluntary, Charitable and Social Enterprise sector in Northern Ireland, most importantly as it relates to poverty, economic security and broader social justice.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Applications are welcome from all, regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status or socioeconomic background. We positively encourage applications from people from marginalised backgrounds, including but not limited to those with experience of living in poverty.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and operate an anonymised recruitment process so that bias is eliminated from the shortlisting process.

We are a Disability Confident Employer. This means that we are committed to the recruitment, progression and retention of disabled individuals. We shall also offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the job. If you have a disability, please tell us if you would like to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you have any additional needs and need reasonable adjustments to be made to the interview process, please let us know.

How to Apply

If you share our passion and this role sounds like you, then we’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Please submit your CV and supporting information via our online application platform.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 12th January 2025 at 23:59.

Interviews will take place in Belfast in the week beginning 27th January 2025.

Ursula O’Hare, the new Head of Northern Ireland would happily discuss this opportunity with anyone who would like any more information.

Additional Information

In support of our approach to flexible working, we are happy to receive applications from those seeking full-time employment, as well as those who may want to share the role on a part-time basis.

At JRF we’re at our best when we’re continually building on trust, showing we care and making a difference – and hope others will do the same. So for those roles which allow it, we’re developing a more blended approach to how and where you work. We do not yet have an office space in Northern Ireland, although would expect to find one in Belfast. Even then we expect the team to work flexibly between the office and home