Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Advocacy

Lead the development and implementation of a cohesive global advocacy and evidencing strategy, aligned with HelpAge’s impact areas and co-created with network members.

Monitor and respond to global and regional policy trends, identifying strategic opportunities for engagement and influence.

Champion inclusive, partner-led advocacy approaches that centre the voices and leadership of older people and civil society actors.

Collaborate with the Fundraising Director and supporting members to align donor advocacy efforts with organisational priorities and global influencing strategies.

Support senior leadership and the Board with external engagement and positioning.

Evidence and Research

Develop and oversee a coherent, ethical, and inclusive research agenda that strengthens the evidence base for HelpAge’s advocacy and programming.

Foster partnerships with academic institutions, think tanks, and research bodies to co-produce and validate robust, policy-influencing evidence.

Ensure that research outputs are accessible, actionable, and designed for strategic influence at global and national levels.

Capacity Strengthening and Network Engagement

Lead on advocacy capacity strengthening of HelpAge network members and older people through mentoring, training, and tailored support.

Promote knowledge exchange and peer learning across the network, ensuring inclusive participation in advocacy platforms and decision-making spaces.

Collaborate with regional colleagues to support the development and implementation of national and regional advocacy strategies led by network members.

Team and Resource Management

Lead, manage, and coach a multidisciplinary team of advocacy advisors, ensuring high performance and alignment with organisational goals. These are hybrid roles, with approximately 50% of their time dedicated to global advocacy and the remaining 50% focused on technical support to members and contribution to programme development.

Manage advocacy and research budgets effectively, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and strategic resource allocation.

Cross-Organisational Collaboration

Work closely with Programme Support, Network, MEAL, Fundraising, and Communications teams to embed evidence and influencing in all areas of work.

Coordinate joint advocacy and research initiatives that connect policy engagement with programme delivery and impact measurement.

Represent HelpAge in key coalitions, alliances, and forums to promote the organisation’s priorities and strengthen external visibility.

Oversee a globally connected and coherent portfolio of evidence generation, policy analysis, and advocacy initiatives across key impact areas (e.g., rights, health, humanitarian inclusion, social protection) —drawing on the network as a central source of evidence and insight.

Skills and experience required

Essential

Proven strategic leadership in global advocacy, policy influencing, and research within the international development, humanitarian, or human rights sectors.

Strong leadership, planning, and performance management skills, with a track record of delivering results through high-performing, diverse, and remote multidisciplinary teams.

Deep understanding and practical application of rights-based, inclusive, and intersectional approaches—especially relating to age, gender, disability, and displacement.

Demonstrated success in designing and implementing partner-led advocacy strategies that centre lived experience and community priorities.

Experience influencing policy at national, regional, and international levels through coalition-building, stakeholder engagement, and strategic relationship management.

Proven ability to translate evidence and lived experience into compelling advocacy and policy outputs (e.g., briefs, reports, toolkits) that drive systemic change.

Strong analytical and research skills, with experience designing or overseeing ethical, participatory, and impact-oriented research.

Demonstrated ability to build and sustain high-impact partnerships with academic institutions, think tanks, and policy platforms.

Experience working with and supporting civil society, networks, or grassroots movements, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

In-depth understanding of global and regional policy environments, donor landscapes, and influencing mechanisms.

Skilled in budget oversight and resource management, including accountability in donor-funded initiatives.

Ability to monitor advocacy impact, policy trends, and funding landscapes, and to adapt strategies accordingly.

Well-connected within international advocacy, policy, and media networks.

Strong skills in capacity strengthening, mentoring, and supporting diverse stakeholders, including network members and communities.

Lived experience of the Global South or extensive professional experience working in Global South contexts is essential.

Education and Qualifications

Degree in international development, public policy, human rights, social sciences, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).

A postgraduate qualification is an asset but not essential where practical experience is strong.