Salary: £28,000 to £40,000 equivalent per year (depending on experience)

Location: Remote/Central London

Hours: 40 Hours/week, (flexible working)

Contract: up to 9 months (with possibility of extension, see details below)

Deadline:  22nd November 2024

This role is for a full-time, self-employed freelancer to work flexibly and remotely.

My Death, My Decision Limited

My Death, My Decision is a grassroots movement for assisted dying reform. We want a compassionate law on assisted dying that permits a medically assisted death to adults of sound mind who are terminally ill or intolerably suffering. We believe reform is necessary to reduce the suffering of individuals who are close to death, and, just as importantly, to give choice to those with incurable conditions who face years of constant pain or suffering that they find unbearable.

Context / Caveat

We are at a crucial moment of the campaign given the introduction of a Private Members Bill by Kim Leadbeater MP. The next key date is the 29th of November, where the bill will either pass and enter the committee stage, or fall.

We envision this role playing a key function in our campaign should the bill pass its next stage. Therefore, unfortunately, we will not be progressing this recruitment if the bill falls.

To ensure that we are well positioned in case of success, we have decided to post this job ad proactively. We fully understand if this makes candidates more hesitant to apply. Please get in touch if this is the case and we can discuss further. We aim to interview candidates on an ongoing basis until the 29th of November (and beyond if necessary).

The length of the contract will be flexible with the end date beingup to 9 months from the start of the contract, but subject to early termination on either side on 28 days’ notice.

Job description

We are looking for a dynamic individual to join our small and collaborative team to increase our engagement among parliamentarians and key stakeholders. Momentum has increased dramatically in the past few months, culminating in the introduction of a Private Member’s Bill by Kim Leadbeater MP. My Death, My Decision is looking to capitalise on this opportunity.

We are looking for someone who shares our passion for human rights and making a difference. The successful candidate will understand how to make change in Westminster and engage MPs, their staff and wider political stakeholders.

My Death, My Decision is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity to ensure that we reflect the full breadth of people we campaign to support. We recognise the positive value of diversity, inclusion and a sense of belonging and therefore encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities.

While we are incredibly proud of our gender balance across our staff and board, we recognise that our workplace does not currently reflect a diverse range of life-experiences and perspectives. We would therefore particularly welcome applications from these groups and anyone who brings talent and relevant experience in ways that we may not have considered. We are also committed to having representation from a breadth of political and religious perspectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Carry out policy research, monitoring the external environment, and contributing to effective media or parliamentary outputs.
• Working with colleagues to increase the profile and impact of My Death, My Decision’s campaign with parliamentarians, devolved administrations, and other public bodies.
• Supporting colleagues to build relationships with priority stakeholders.
• Monitoring and maintaining awareness of proceedings in the UK Parliament and relevant devolved nations.
• Assisting colleagues with the production of timely responses to public consultations, and/or parliamentary engagements.

Person Specification – Essential:

• An understanding of how Westminster works and the process of legislative change.
• A commitment to our cause and willingness to contribute to the public debate about assisted dying and the incurably suffering.
• A campaigner and change-maker, with experience in campaigning and public affairs in Westminster.
• Understanding or experience of parliamentary and political processes.
• A self-starter who is able to act on their own initiative, organise, plan, and prioritise workloads to meet deadlines.
• Excellent written communication and research skills with attention to detail.
• Confident in communicating with a wide range of people including senior stakeholders.
• Keen to learn new skills, improve, and develop as a campaigner.
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently.
• Flexibility to work remotely. The candidate is also welcome to work from a central London office which we sometimes use.
• A strong commitment to My Death, My Decision’s values and ethos.

Person Specification – Desirable:

• Has previous experience of working in an MP’s office.
• Has detailed knowledge and understanding of the Private Member’s Bill process.

Benefits

As we are a small team, you will be encouraged to work with a level of autonomy and freedom that isn’t always available at other organisations. We will always listen to your views and opinions and MDMD has never shied away from trying new ways of working.

There is potential for you to be at the forefront of historic change in the UK and you’ll spend every working hour trying to make the lives of thousands of people better. In addition to this, we are offering a flexible working policy and training opportunities.

Application Instructions

Interested?  Please send short (half page) statement of motivation plus a CV to carmen.sumadiwiria@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to undertake a short pre-interview exercise, and interviews will be held by video conference. For this reason, we may start to interview suitable candidates before the closing date.

If you think you may require reasonable adjustments in order to apply for this position please indicate so on your application. If you have any questions about the role, or would like to organise a preliminary chat, please email Carmen Sumadiwiria (carmen.sumadiwiria@mydeath-mydecision.org.uk)