The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The Global Policy and Solutions department is a dynamic team that uses the power of IRC’s ideas to solve the biggest challenges facing IRC’s clients across the “arc of crisis.” From combating the drivers of conflict to meeting the needs of displaced people, the team partners with innovative problem solvers, experts and those with lived experience to identify solutions and bring them to life. We are proud of our focus on finding solutions and thinking creatively. We are detailed in our goals, tactics, and messages. We lead change year over year, knowing that system change takes dedicated focus while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs across the globe. Finally, we are collaborative, working not only with programs, strategy, research and innovation, and communications teams across the IRC, but also externally, constantly seeking to generate new insights and perspectives from others in our sector and beyond.
IRC UK
IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. In the UK, we work to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in England, a programme that is rapidly growing. In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.
Job Overview
As the UK Policy Manager for refugee, asylum and integration issues, you will sit in the UK advocacy team and join the Global Policy and Solutions department. You will be responsible for analysing policy developments in the UK and developing solutions that are high impact. You are a critical thinker with experience of policy development on refugee issues in the UK. You will seek to make the most of IRC’s knowledge across departments and look for new and creative partnerships in the UK. You are clear communicator and can distil the complexity of policy for a range of audiences.
Major Responsibilities:
• Solutions Strategy: Support UK strategy development on refugee protection and integration, working closely with the UK Advocacy team and other internal collaborators, and support relationships with external policymakers and key opinion formers.
• Analysis and Solution generation: Work with internal and external partners (esp. programmatic teams) to understand the biggest challenges facing IRC's clients in the UK and support the team in the creation of a suite of technical and policy and practice solutions.
• Thought Leadership: Be IRC's authoritative voice on solutions for the most pressing issues facing our clients. Lift other policy voices as appropriate, especially those of our clients and local organisations.
• Collaboration and Convenings: Build and maintain a network of relevant NGOs, think tanks, academics, international organisations, policymakers, and other experts to support the IRC’s policy and solutions development, with an expertise in refugee resettlement, asylum, and integration and inclusion policies. Set the agenda and identify appropriate participants for policy discussions to better understand challenges, policy options and channels for policy amplification.
• Research: Regularly monitor, analyse, and report on developments on UK refugee protection and integration developments. Work closely with the UK Advocacy team to track and analyse policies and legislation, with a focus on refugee resettlement and other pathways to safety, access to asylum, and integration.
• Focused Advocacy and Advocacy Analysis: Support the UK Advocacy team representing the IRC at external meetings and/or supplying briefs for policy targets. Where relevant, help identify advocacy targets (esp. political appointees, civil servants). Work with Advocacy colleagues to develop and strengthen effective and targeted advocacy plans, strategies and tactics that are as effective as possible, including supporting policy analysis for specific markets.
• Content and message development: Develop analytical and policy content (reports, briefs, etc.) that can be used across IRC for influence, funding, and profile-building opportunities. Support the maintenance of Advocacy Master Docs and Communication Master Docs on refugee protection and integration in the UK.
• Policy Communications: Provide subject matter expertise to communications team to shape communications including op-eds and press releases. This may include acting as lead writer or reviewing existing materials from other departments to provide policy expertise and analysis.
• Spokesperson: Serve as IRC spokesperson with media and at other external engagements as needed, including relevant conferences and policy events. Represent the IRC at senior and technical meetings with policy stakeholders or advocacy targets, in close coordination with the UK Advocacy team.
• Teamwork: Support a positive team culture by acting openly and collaboratively, supporting colleagues in their work and sharing credit with others where appropriate.
• Steward Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: both in the culture of IRC, as well as through a client-led approach to our policy solutions and influencing work.
Key Working Relationships:
Position reports to: UK Advocacy Director, and dotted line to Policy Director, Protections Pathways
Position directly supervises: none
Internal contacts: Policy and Advocacy colleagues; Resettlement, Asylum and Integration leads; Communications; President’s Office; External Relations Department
External contacts: Key experts in academic, research/think-tanks, government officials, and others in the sector.
Job Requirements:
Work experience:
5-7 years of experience working on refugee protection and integration in the UK. Demonstrated experience in policy analysis and policy strategy and development
Demonstrated skills and competencies:
• Extensive knowledge of refugee issues in the UK, particularly refugee resettlement, access to asylum, and refugee integration and inclusion.
• Deep understanding of relevant UK policymaking processes, current debates, and policy frameworks in relation to refugee resettlement, asylum and inclusion. Familiarity with leverage points within the UK government that can be targeted to achieve policy change objectives.
• Cross disciplinary collaboration and ability to bring diverse individuals together to ideate and problem solve
• Ability to think strategically, synthesize complex information and develop innovative policy solutions
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with experts, high level decision-makers, and colleagues in the refugee protection and integration fields
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to translate complex material and data into coherent narratives that resonate with policymakers
• Ability to work quickly against deadlines
• Initiative and ability to work independently on fast-paced issues, and balance competing demands.
The salary for the role is GBP 50,000.
Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.
The application deadline is 17TH October 2025.
The process for this role will be as follows
• First round panel interview online
• Second round panel interview online - including presentation task
IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.
The IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including flexible hours (when possible), enhanced maternity/adoption leave and pay and gender-sensitive security protocols.
IRC UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.
IRC UK welcomes applications from all candidates, including underrepresented groups and refugees who have the right to work in the UK.
IRC UK will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application and/or interview process, and for essential job functions if appointed to a role. Please contact us if you may need such adjustments.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the online recruitment process, please contact the IRC UK HR team at applications@rescue-uk.org
Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
