Who we are:
The Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) is a global collaboration of organisations, alliances, movements and individuals formed in 2018. We work together to change the economic system so it delivers human and ecological wellbeing. WEAll’s strategy consists of the following three key components: narratives, knowledge and power bases.
Critically, change needed will not be brought about by any single entity on its own. It requires collaboration and inspiration, sharing and co-creation. Hence the creation of new powerbases in the form of a citizens’ movement, place-based hubs and thematic clusters (e.g. the Wellbeing Economy Governments – WEGo – partnership) at the heart of WEAll’s strategy. These powerbases need to be fed both by bringing together a coherent body of existing and new wellbeing economy theory and practice as well as a compelling positive new economic narrative.
What we offer:
An opportunity to work with a highly motivated team committed to accelerating economic system change. A team with a set of dedicated values: Togetherness, Care, Honesty, Equality and Passion. This is WEAll’s core ‘amplification’ (Amp) team.
The Knowledge Manager position offers the opportunity to work on economic systems change policy areas alongside professionals worldwide recognised as experts in the field of economic system change.
Contract type: 10-month self-employed contract with the intention to renew – funding dependent.
Remuneration: £3,250 to £3,750 per month dependent on experience. This figure is inclusive of all taxes for which the contractor will be responsible.
Hours of work: Full time role with the possibility of some international travel. The nature of this role is that flexibility in hours is both required by the role (for example, there will be some evening and weekend work) but also offered by WEAll.
Location: While we encourage applications from anywhere in the world (working from home), we understand and appreciate the value of human connection. As such, our preference is to recruit for a person to be based in either Glasgow [Scotland] or Madrid [Spain]. We have members of the Amp team based in both locations. In Glasgow, we can provide access to a co-working space, in Madrid it would be a home working scenario.
What we are looking for:
We are looking for an experienced, highly motivated individual that has a passion for policy work. The role has two foci. Firstly, to support WEAll to deliver a large project focussed on the development of resilience and just transition policies in a number of regions around the world. Secondly, to support the synthesis and dissemination of the wellbeing economy knowledge base in a clear, accessible way.
This role will be an important member of the Amp team and as such will be expected to contribute to overall WEAll activities such as members calls, organisational strategy development, member promotion, and so on.
Key activities and deliverables:
Resilience and Just Transition Policy project
Synthesise existing knowledge
- Policy audit: scope existing resilience (with a regenerative lens) and ‘just transition’ policies that are already proposed/enacted and supporting a wellbeing economy globally.
- Informal interviews with key policy makers in WEGo member countries (and other potential new members governments)
- Interviews with individuals and organisations with expertise in rapid transitions e.g. Rapid Transition Alliance, city leaders, unions.
Host spaces for policy innovation
- Be a member of the design team and provide input into the multi-stakeholder policy development forums in selected WEGo regions (likely to be six – Iceland, New Zealand, Scotland, California, Canada, Wales, Finland, but to be confirmed). These policy development forums will be executed by local WEAll partners and the Policy Coordinator will work closely with partners to bring to the forums the existing knowledge base (previously synthesised) to stakeholders from disaffected communities or those at risk of being stranded in a transition, together with other organisations suggested by local WEAll members, young people, policy experts and policy makers.
- Distil the messages from this to feed into policy papers (discussed below)
- Ensure feedback to forum participants
Create and promote policy papers
- Development of resilience/just transition policy papers and other relevant policy materials as appropriate
- Work with policy practitioners in relevant WEGo territories to accelerate the appreciation of the need for, adoption of, and implementation of policies necessary for a just transition to a wellbeing economy
- Work with WEAll communications team and other colleagues to promote and disseminate these papers
Knowledge synthesis project
Coordination
- Facilitate regular online meetings of the global membership of renowned academics and researchers that constitute the WEAll Knowledge and Policy cluster
- Identify key wellbeing economy issues collectively agreed by the cluster members as most important
Synthesis
- Produce and publish at least five
- ‘WEAll Ideas: Little Summaries of Big Issues’ synthesis papers during 2020. These papers will draw from the work, knowledge and resources of the members of the WEAll Knowledge and Policy cluster and WEAll Research Fellows Network.
- Work with WEAll communications team and other colleagues to promote and disseminate these papers
Toolbox
- Support the Organisation and Projects Lead (within the Amp team) to develop the concept of WEAll Toolbox intiative and promote a proposal amongst funders. The WEAll Toolbox is envisaged as an open, non-partisan interactive curated online platform designed to provide the most relevant best available material on a wellbeing economy (both theory and practice) to a range of decision makers and interested parties.
Skills and Experience:
Essential
- Excellent research and synthesis skills
- Extensive experience of government economic policy development processes
- Extensive knowledge of alternative (wellbeing) economic policies
- Demonstrable expertise writing and editing policy or advocacy-related text for a variety of audiences
- Ability to work on their own and showing initiative
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a global team
- Available to travel and work with colleagues and stakeholders in different time zones
- Ability to operate in a challenging, fast paced environment, juggling competing demands
- Fluent in English
- High proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and other relevant applications
Desirable
- Experienced at multi-stakeholder engagement and project management skills
- Experience of resilience and just transition
- Work with economically disempowered communities
- Work experience and networks in any of the WEGo locations (and prospective members) – Iceland, New Zealand, Scotland, Wales, California, Canada, Finland, Germany
How to apply:
Please send by 5pm GMT on Monday 20th January your CV and cover letter* (max 400 words) to michael at wellbeingeconomy.org
*The cover letter should state:
- Why you are applying for this job as well as a summary of your experience and knowledge related to this vacancy.
- Two professional referees (name, organization, email and telephone). Referees will only be contacted prior to a job offer.
- Your notice period if you are in work or date you would be able to start this position
- Your preferred working location
Short listed applicants will be invited to a face-to-face or online interview (depending on their location) on Monday 27th or Tuesday 28th January.
Dependent upon the number of applications we receive, we may not be able to reply to all applicants that are not short-listed for interview. We apologise in advance for this and thank you for your understanding.
