Campaigns Assistant for Clive Lewis MP and Compass

The Campaigns Assistant position represents a rare opportunity to work both within and beyond Parliament to build power for greater democracy and a just transition to a post carbon, wellbeing-based society.

The CA will spend 3 days a week with Clive Lewis MP, supporting digital communications for his climate campaigns, and 2 days on climate and democracy campaigns at Compass.

This role was born from the recognition that the gap between parliamentary and civil society campaigns weakens our movements and undermines the alliances we need to build long term power.

We are looking for someone who is passionate, committed and keen to learn and is comfortable working in a small and lively team that spans Compass and Clive’s office.

This role involves:

• Creating digital communications materials for climate justice campaigns, to build the movement for a just transition and bolder climate action for Clive Lewis MP
• Boosting Compass’ campaigns, with a particular focus on creative digital communications, social media and crafting powerful stories about democratic cooperation
• Engaging and growing our supporter base to maximise our impact through email messaging, graphics and social
• Connecting parliamentary activity with grassroots campaigning, linking between communicable activities and work happening in place on the ground

What this role might look like on the day to day:

• Writing copy for an email journey reporting on the progress of a climate bill through Parliament 
• Creating punchy messaging for a textbank to turn out Compass supporters to an event
• Selecting images for social or campaigns material that encapsulate our campaigns
• Analysing data from the last email campaign to figure out what worked and what didn’t
• Constructing a comms plan to keep our newest supporters engaged and excited 
• Designing a vibrant graphic for our next event or podcast

Requirements

Skills and competencies

• Clear communicator: able to quickly and effectively translate ideas into clear and accurate communications, tailored to reach specific audiences
• Flexible, quick-thinking and able to multitask: able to work in a fast-paced political environment, to prioritise effectively and handle a range of responsibilities
• Creative and enterprising: able to deliver campaigns that energise and persuade
• Communicative and empathetic: comfortable engaging with people from different backgrounds and from different parts of the political spectrum
• Committed and focused: able to sustain energy on campaigns over a long period
• Able to take the initiative: happy to self-organise, work independently and efficiently
• Collaborative: able to work in a team, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, online and in person
• Strong attention to detail: patient with the small things, getting the copy of an email just right or handling supporter data with diligence and care
• Willingness to learn: the capacity to be open-minded, flexible and eager to gain new skills
• Passionate about political change and willing to work for it

Experience, qualifications and knowledge

• Relevant experience in the political campaigning sector – whether in a not-for-profit, trade union, political party, student union, charity, NGO or grassroots organisation
• Digital campaign communications: you may have written copy for a petition, designed social media graphics to raise the profile of a campaign or put together an email journey to turn people out to an event.
• Experience working on campaigns or projects with tight deadlines: you can manage your own time, prioritise effectively and keep to realistic timetables
• A grasp of the mechanisms of a campaign and good knowledge of the digital tools for the job, such as email tools, graphics programmes and social media. Knowledge of HTML is a plus.
• Experience of supporting people to take action through effective communication and helping build the capacity of a supporter community.
• Digital content creation and graphic design skills desirable but not essential
• An understanding of the UK progressive political scene and support for the aims, vision and values of Clive Lewis MP and Compass.

Benefits

About Compass

Compass is a highly ambitious organisation, working to change the way we do politics. With a strong track record of bold and innovative campaigns and a wide network of members, associates and partners, Compass is rapidly expanding its political influence and reach in the emerging era of the 2020s.

Our last campaign, Win As One, saw 35 new champions of electoral reform elected to parliament. In the past, Compass has campaigned on universal basic income, Proportional Representation, and further accountability in and democratisation of political parties.

About Clive Lewis MP

Clive Lewis is the Member of Parliament for Norwich South. A leading champion of  a just climate transition, Clive has been a member of the Environmental Audit Committee, the co-sponsor of the Green New Deal Bill, and Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Green New Deal. Clive’s political priorities centre on climate action, democratic renewal, and racial justice.

About the role 

This post was created to ramp up activities around both faster and deeper action on the climate crisis and building our cross-party power. The successful applicant will be a strong communicator who is creative and imaginative, with a keen campaigning instinct, able to handle a fast-paced political environment. 

Compass is a membership organisation, so the CA will need to be comfortable engaging and supporting our members as they run lively campaigns in their local areas.

The role is suitable for someone who wants to work hard to develop new skills and is able to learn on the job.

You will work closely with Compass’ Deputy Director who will offer managerial support and work to help you develop and deepen your skills over time. You will also work closely with Clive’s team to deliver high impact digital communications for campaigns in parliament and Norwich.

Pay will be £28k, with the possibility of a salary increase following a successful probation period. 

The contract will initially be for a 3-month probation period, with the intention of a one year contract, starting as soon as possible, with the possibility of extension. 

The position is London based, with room for flexible working in terms of hours and location. The role will spend most of their time working at Compass’ office near Vauxhall, with occasional work from Clive’s office in Parliament.

Upon appointment you will be required to comply with the Baseline Personnel Security Standard, undertaken by the Members’ Staff Verification Office (MSVO). This will include proof of right to work in the UK, and a requirement to have lived in the UK for three out of the last five years.

Compass is committed to providing equal opportunities to people regardless of background and we actively seek applications from people with backgrounds that are underrepresented in our sector. We recognise that representation in our sector is not good enough; this makes our politics and our campaigns weaker. Compass particularly encourages applications from people who are willing to learn new skills and grow into the role over time. Past experience working in politics and campaigning is not required: we welcome people to apply who can demonstrate their aptitude, even if a career in politics has so far been closed off to them. 

To apply, please click the Apply tab above. The deadline for applications is Friday 30th August at 5pm. In-person interviews will take place in mid/late September. We'll respond to all candidates following the deadline.

If you have any questions about this post, you can get in touch with us at info@compassonline.org.uk - but be aware that some staff are taking annual leave over August, so we may take a few days to get back to you.

Last updated on Aug 1, 2024