Head of Advocacy (The National Council on Archives) National Archives UK, England, Kew Department: National Archives Closing Date: 08/08/2007 Salary: £35,000 - 40,000 Salary Details: We expect to appoint in the range £35-40,000. More may be available for an exceptional candidate. Nationality Eligibility: UK National, EEA National, Commonwealth Citizen Appointment Terms:Fixed-term appointment of 12 months with the possibility of extension or permanency. Working Arrangement: Fixed Term Contract Vacancy Description Job Purpose To develop and maintain the advocacy role of the Council with central and devolved government, government agencies, funders, stakeholders and other opinion formers in order to increase awareness of archive issues among policy makers and to influence public policy which affects the sector Key priorities To lead the development and maintenance of the National Council on Archives’ relationship with opinion formers in public life and the press - In conjunction with the Council’s officers, to assist the Council to identify key policy and strategic developments in the public sector which should influence its work through ‘environment scanning’ across the political and wider information environment To support the Chairman in managing key relationships with funders and stakeholders. This will include preparing conference presentations and press articles. Main duties 1. Develop and maintain a network of contacts with opinion formers, particularly parliamentary (including Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland Assemblies), local government and public policy contacts, and the press, to raise awareness and understanding of issues relating to archives and information management. 2. Lead the Council’s proactive “environment scanning” to identify emerging policy and strategy issues for the archival community, the implications for the archival community, and any opportunities to raise the profile of the sector, and to co-ordinate responses to this intelligence with other leading organisations in the sector 3. Develop relationships with potential funding bodies to increase resources to support the sector, in consultation with other organisations in the sector 4. Advise the Council on all issues relating to advocacy 5. Work with Director of Communications (voluntary officer) and other officers and staff to develop and implement the advocacy strategy 6. Work with the Archives Awareness Campaign Officer to ensure co-ordination of campaign activities with overall advocacy strategy 7. Work with the Council and its officers in preparation of annual business plan and report 8. Co-ordinate plans and activities with other agencies in the sector including MLA and TNA 9. Develop links and partnerships with organisations in related sectors in the cultural and information sector 10. Prepare and issue appropriate media briefings to support advocacy strategy 11. Develop a framework for evaluation of effectiveness of advocacy work 12. Report regularly on plans and activities to the council and to the Monitoring Committee 13. Undertake other activities including attendance at meetings etc, as required for the effective conduct of the Council’s business Supervision received The postholder will be responsible to the Chair of the Council, and will report to a Monitoring Group comprising the Chair and Vice Chair of the Council and representatives of MLA, TNA and the Association of Chief Archivists in Local Government (ACALG). Day to day line management will be provided by the Head of National Advisory Services at The National Archives. PERSON SPECIFICATION Essential key skills required - An ability to think in both a strategic and tactical way across a wide range of issues - Very strong ‘political nous’ - with an ability to identify the different needs and agendas of different players, and the best approach for each situation - Ability to work at a fast pace, and respond effectively to rapidly changing deadlines and pressures - Very strong problem solving skills, with the ability to analyse the implications of a wide range of information sources - Very strong written communication skills, with the ability to draft articles, responses and speeches in different styles as required - Ability to use different approaches and sources of expertise to shed light on difficult problems, rather than simply iterating from what we already know - Very strong networking and negotiation skills, with the ability to build strong links with people across the widest possible range of backgrounds - Sufficient presence and gravitas to represent the Council at a senior level with key stakeholders - Strong delivery skills - Demonstrable track record of supporting team members and colleagues - Strong people management and coaching skills, with excellent communication skills - A ‘can do’ approach - Willingness to travel within the UK for meetings and events Essential experience and knowledge required - A good working understanding of how either government or politics works, ideally with experience of working in the private office of either a government departure or MP/minister/peer. - A strong understanding of the current issues in the cultural or information sector - Experience of working with multiple stakeholders - Some experience of budget management Desirable experience and knowledge - Understanding of the UK archival sector To Apply: Please call 020 7649 6003 for an application form, quoting reference 49797 (Minicom 020 7406 5790). Your call may be recorded or monitored for training and quality purposes. Supporting Statement: Please ensure that your application includes a supporting statement , which clearly demonstrates how you meet the requirements of the person specification. Selection will be interview. Candidates will also be required to undertake further assessment tests. Closing Date: 8th August 2007 Source: http://www.le.ac.uk/museumstudies/jobs/full_job_descriptions/17446.htm