UNITE Blog

NEW JOB VACANCY

UNITE is seeking to immediately fill the full-time position of Head of Parliamentary Engagement.

UNITE is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, global network of current and former members of parliament, congresses and senates. Our global network of policymakers is divided into 10 Regional Chapters, each chaired by a legislator leading political impact in that region.

UNITE seeks to be politically impactful across all major communicable diseases & global health priorities including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Viral Hepatitis, Pandemic Preparedness, Neglected Tropical Diseases or Waterborne Diseases.

UNITE proposes to change laws, change budgets and influence policies by creating a peer-led network of policymakers who can influence decision-making processes at the international, national and local levels.

Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, our funding comes exclusively from non-health consumer organizations and our financial auditing is performed by PwC.

More information can be found at www.unitenetwork.org

About the role:

The Head of Parliamentary Engagement will develop and lead UNITE’s strategic expansion of the network in new Parliaments (currently present in 65 countries), engage UNITE’s current +150 members and increase their participation in crucial political processes to advance the global health agenda in their Parliaments.

The candidate will support UNITE’s needs to expand the Network, engage current members and increase their participation in UNITE’s mission and activities for addressing infectious disease elimination.

As Head of Parliamentary Engagement, you will:

Lead engagement and communications across UNITE’s global network – mapping, outreach, and enrolment of parliamentarians to be recruited to the UNITE Network;
Implement a thorough process of communication with current UNITE members in order to highlight the policy opportunities where critical political action is needed;
Develop a consistent strategy of engaging with UNITE members in their Parliaments in order to expose their leadership towards infectious diseases elimination
Leverage UNITE position to engage in the current most pressing global health topics (COVID-19, digital health, universal health coverage, vaccines, etc.)
Liaison with parliamentary staff for more effective outcomes and dissemination of UNITE’s mission through organization of meetings & presentation of UNITE at multinational, national, state and regional parliaments; disseminate UNITE’s policy position and key materials, etc;
Perform other duties as assigned, or work on other projects as needed, in service of the UNITE’s objectives to parliamentarian engagement

What are the key elements you should bring with you:

Fluency in spoken and written English
University degree in a relevant discipline
Proactive and strong work ethic; start-up mentality and hands-on approach
Ability to adapt easily to change within a fast-paced, multicultural environment and is a team player
High appetite for leadership, ownership and commitment to the global development field
Must have the permit to work in Portugal.

It would be a plus if you have experience in:

Engage with legislators, high-level stakeholders and partners, in a persuasive and pragmatic manner with the purpose of shaping the global health agenda
Advocate for and bring to the attention of elected officials the need for increased legislative power on topics of public health & global health.
Demonstrate flexibility to juggle between external priorities and internal office project management.

What we offer you:

Opportunity to work from sunny Lisbon (Portugal)
A dynamic, collaborative, and international working environment
Opportunities to travel internationally and represent UNITE in high level meetings with access to a wide range of contacts and networking opportunities
Full autonomy, recognition & trust in your new ideas and in your life projects

If you believe you can be the right person for the job, and if you believe that UNITE needs you, please send your CV and cover letter to Filipe Marques (filipe.marques@unitenetwork.org).

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

UNITE is located in Lisbon, Portugal.