Job Description: Policy and Research Manager       

Salary: €40,368.00 to €47,096.00, depending on experience

Hours: Full-time, 35 hrs per week

Reports To: Director of Communications and Advocacy

Term: 1-year fixed term contract, renewable subject to funding and performance

Application Deadline: 6th September 2026

Overview

Belong To's vision is for a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) young people are safe to shine and can confidently shape their own futures. We work with LGBTQ+ young people as equals to achieve our vision and create a society where we all belong. We do this through youth work, community engagement, changing attitudes, and research.

Our core values are those of inclusion, integrity, and respect, in an environment of honesty and openness. Our purpose is to create a welcoming, supportive, safe and fun space for LGBTQ+ young people. We are committed to collaboration and youth participation. We believe in solidarity and intersectional equality, and our work focuses on human rights and social justice. We are dedicated to continuous improvement in everything we do.

We are seeking a strategic and highly organised Policy and Research Manager to drive our advocacy initiatives and evidence-based research. This role centres on ensuring the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people are accurately reflected in national and international policy. The ideal candidate will be a clear communicator who champions direct, human-centric storytelling, ensuring our research and policy outputs are accessible, persuasive, and impactful.

Staff Benefits

Belong To provides staff members with an array of benefits and supports that increase their financial security, health, and well-being. We also support staff members to develop professionally and promote a healthy work life balance. Some of these discretionary benefits and supports include:

• Paid time off, including 26 holiday days, and following successful completion of probation access to our discretionary sick leave, parental leave, and bereavement leave schemes
•  Educational assistance programmes (including paid study/ exam leave and an educational fund towards the costs of fees)
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) covering you, and your loved ones.
• A death in service benefit which will pay a lump sum of x4 times your salary to your loved ones in the event of your untimely passing
• Family flexible working hours
• Hybrid Working arrangements
• Tax saver tickets and cycle to work scheme
• Staff coaching and mentoring programmes
• Staff training and development opportunities
• Staff wellness programmes
• 3% employer pension contributions

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Policy

• Lead the organisation's policy function to address critical issues impacting the health, safety, and equality of LGBTQ+ young people, spanning a diverse range of topics.
• Write clear, persuasive, and evidence-based policy papers, legislative submissions, and briefings that effectively communicate our strategic objectives to internal and external stakeholders.
• Support senior leadership ahead of engagements with political representatives and decision-makers by providing comprehensive background research and strategic briefing materials.
• Monitor national and international legislative and human rights developments, keeping the broader team informed and equipped to respond to policy shifts.
• Track relevant government policies and strategies to inform our evidence-based approach to influencing decision-makers, and regularly brief all staff to keep them aligned on our advocacy goals.
• Oversee our statutory compliance by accurately documenting all organisational lobbying activity and submitting it to the Lobbying Register in a timely manner.

Advocacy

• Represent Belong To across key national networks, cultivating strong coalitions on intersectional issues including hate crime, inclusive education, and healthcare.
• Collaborate with fellow LGBTQ+ community organisations to align strategic messaging and coordinate cross-sector responses for certain government consultations and policy submissions.
• Partner with the Youth Participation Youth Worker to implement and support the organisation's comprehensive Youth Engagement Strategy including coordination of our Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) activities.
• Facilitate consultations and focus groups to ensure the authentic, lived experiences of LGBTQ+ young people are central to the organisation's advocacy and policy development. Ensure that the views of LGBTQ+ youth are heard, articulated and amplified.
• Resource and empower the broader Belong To national network, equipping them with the tools and confidence to effectively engage in the policy-making process at local and national levels.

Research

• Define and execute the organisation's research strategy by establishing clear, data-driven objectives that accurately capture the realities facing LGBTQ+ youth, allowing us to build targeted, effective advocacy that directly improves their lives.
• Serve as the principal representative for Belong To in collaborative academic and institutional research partnerships, including sitting on the research sub-committee for the government's National LGBTIQ+ Strategy and Action Plan.
• Distil complex research findings into accessible, impactful resources facilitating knowledge sharing across internal teams and external audiences.
• Act as the central advisor for data and policy inquiries, supporting colleagues across departments to ensure all organisational outputs are accurate and evidence-based.

Note

This job description is not a definitive list of tasks; rather it is designed to give an overview of the job. It is envisaged that the post-holder will use their own initiative and develop the job under guidance so that the organisations aims are achieved. It should be noted that the organisation is dynamic and fast paced and it may be necessary to step beyond the areas outlined above to support others from time to time.

Functional Competencies

Essential

• Experience writing submissions and reports.
• Experience of lobbying and advocacy work at a national or international level.
• Knowledge of the policy environment within which Irish NGOs operate.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability to distil complex information in writing.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to liaise effectively internally and externally.
• Experience in project management with a proven track record in delivering on objectives.
• Results-focused with strong administrative and organisational skills.
• Ability to work calmly under pressure while ensuring accuracy and attention to detail.
• Commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion.
• Excellent understanding of Microsoft Office products.

Desirable

• At least three years' experience in a policy, advocacy or social change role.
• Qualification in relevant discipline e.g. law, politics, social policy, equality studies.
• Knowledge and understanding of human rights, in particular the human rights of the LGBTQ+ population.
• Experience in youth participation or working with young people.

Hours and Place of work

Full-time, Monday to Friday, with flexible start and finish times and hybrid working in place. The nature of this post requires flexibility in the hours of work and will require occasional work in the evenings, at weekends and travel nationally. 

Please note that Belong To requires new staff to work in the office for a minimum of 4 days a week for the first 8 weeks. After this point, all staff are encouraged to work from the office 3 days a week and required to work in the office for at least 2 days a week. This hybrid working policy is subject to review.

The usual place of work shall be in Belong To's office at 13 Parliament Street, Dublin 2.  

Holidays

In addition to the usual public holidays the annual leave for this position is 26 working days (pro-rata).

Submitting an Application

Please apply by submitting a cover letter and CV through this link before the deadline of Sunday September 6th.

Your cover letter (no more than 2 pages) and your CV (no more than 2 pages) should clearly demonstrate, with examples, how you meet the below criteria i.e.

Essential

• Experience writing submissions and reports.
• Experience of lobbying and advocacy work at a national or international level.
• Knowledge of the policy environment within which Irish NGOs operate.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability to distil complex information in writing.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to liaise effectively internally and externally.
• Experience in project management with a proven track record in delivering on objectives.
• Results-focused with strong administrative and organisational skills.
• Ability to work calmly under pressure while ensuring accuracy and attention to detail.
• Commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion.
• Excellent understanding of Microsoft Office products.

Desirable

• At least three years' experience in a policy, advocacy or social change role.
• Qualification in relevant discipline e.g. law, politics, social policy, equality studies.
• Knowledge and understanding of human rights, in particular the human rights of the LGBTQ+ population.
• Experience in youth participation or working with young people.

We will inform candidates who have been successfully shortlisted. We regret that it is not possible to provide individualised feedback to applicants who have not been shortlisted for interview and we kindly request that you do not call or email seeking feedback. Feedback is available for candidates called to interview.

Interviews are provisionally scheduled to occur on Wednesday September 16th at Belong To's offices. If you are unable to attend for interview on this date, please state so clearly in your application.

Second round interviews, if they are required, are provisionally scheduled to occur on Tuesday September 22nd.

Candidates should note that canvassing will disqualify.