Ad: Legal and Policy Director, Rainbow Migration

Job ad:
Legal and Policy Director, Rainbow Migration

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Updated on August 2021 version with change of one essential criterion from ‘necessary’ to ‘advantageous’

Rainbow Migration, the leading UK charity dedicated to supporting LGBTQI+ people through the asylum and immigration system, is recruiting a dynamic new position of Legal & Policy Director. We have built an impressive reputation for the quality and influence of our work among other organisations and within government. This new role will take our influencing work to change the asylum and immigration system to the next level, and to further develop our unique immigration advice service (one-off advice only;

not direct legal representation). This is an exciting period of development for Rainbow Migration and we are looking for a candidate with strategic nous and the expertise to shape our legal service. The Legal & Policy Director will define this role as we approach our 30th anniversary against a backdrop of developing legislative challenges.

You will:

• Work with the Executive Director, Campaigns Manager, and Communications Manager to develop a high-impact influencing strategy
• Apply your litigation and policy experience to deliver change in areas such as refugee status determination, detention and asylum support
• Lead strategic litigation in the UK and the European Court of Human Rights
• Create and coordinate a new Rainbow Migration legal advisory group
• Be responsible for the design and delivery of Rainbow Migration’s legal advice service, ensure compliance with regulators, and supervise the delivery of immigration advice on asylum and partnership applications by staff and volunteer lawyers
• Recruit and supervise a new legal officer, delivering advice on asylum yourself until they are in post
• Design and deliver training to lawyers, NGOs, civil servants and others
• Build knowledge and skills among immigration caseworkers and lawyers to represent LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum.

At Rainbow Migration, we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. We consider all qualified applicants, consistent with any legal requirements.

We welcome applications from candidates with lived experience of going through the UK asylum or immigration system and people of colour who are currently underrepresented among our staff. We will also interview all disabled applicants who meet the necessary criteria for this vacancy.

Owing to the nature of the work giving immigration advice to vulnerable adults including people in detention, the successful applicant will be required at the point of conditional job offer to disclose all spent and unspent criminal records and subsequently to undergo an enhanced DBS check. See our website for more information.

This role is largely funded by Justice Together.

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent

HOURS
:
Full-time (35 hours per week). We will consider part-time or job share. Please state in your application what hours you are looking to work. Occasional evening work is required, and possibly at weekends, but with plenty of notice. Rainbow Migration encourages staff to maintain a good work life balance and has a TOIL system in place.

SALARY
:
Starting at £55,000 with potential annual step increases up to £59,534 (pro rata if working part time), plus statutory employer’s pension contribution. In addition to an annual step increase, the trustees consider giving a separate inflationary increase every April.

LOCATION
:
Rainbow…