Head of External Affairs

At VSO, we are passionate about ending poverty. Are You?

We bring people together to fight poverty in direct and practical ways by delivering innovative development programmes in 37 of the poorest countries in the world. Through our volunteers, we harness the talents, enthusiasm and skills of ordinary people to bring about lasting change. We successfully place approximately 1,500 professionals every year in some of the poorest communities, where their skills, knowledge and understanding are being used to make the world a fairer place to live.

VSO UK is seeking a Head of External Affairs to lead the implementation of the External Affairs strategy and carve out a more distinctive voice for VSO in the UK. The purpose of the External Affairs Department is to strengthen VSO’s global fight against poverty by using the first hand experience of VSO’s volunteers and the communities they work in to influence UK policy and public opinion. We are looking for a dynamic and committed individual to lead this exciting new area of work.

Managing a strong and high-achieving team, you will be responsible for delivering a programme of activities – through the media and parliament, policy development, advocacy and campaigning, to deliver policy change that improves the lives of poor communities around the world and transforms VSO’s profile here in the UK.

As part of VSO UK’s Senior Management Team, you will also be responsible for the overall strategic direction of the organisation and its contribution to international corporate performance targets. You will work closely with other colleagues globally to ensure VSO continues to maximise its impact, drive the communication in the UK of our global strategy and improve the lives of poor and marginalised people.

You will need to be an experienced leader of people and an excellent communicator and networker. You will be skilled at building strong relationships and working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders. Excellent political judgement, representational skills, an ability to drive strategic thinking across the department, and a passion for inspiring others to take action are also critical.

To apply, please complete the Application Form and the Equal Opportunities Form. Please send this to recruitment@vso.org.uk on or before the stated deadline. For further details about the role, please refer to the detailed job description.