Policy and Research Co-ordinator
£56,000 to £60,000 plus excellent benefits (Work level 5)
Manchester city centre – hybrid working with 2 days a week in the office and some evening and weekend work

At Co-op we do things differently. Our members and their voice are at the heart of the decisions we make. Member-owners shape and influence Co-op directly and by voting for other member-owners to represent their interests on our Board and Council.

Our Council and Democracy team work for member-owners by making sure their voice is heard, enabling them to choose and connect with their elected representatives locally and nationally and supporting our National Members’ Council to represent their interests in the decisions our Co-op makes.

In this role we’ll look to you to co-ordinate the policy priorities, policy development processes and work programme for the National Members’ Council, supported by evidence-based policy and research across a broad range of topics. You’ll empower our Council and its Committees to deliver their policy priorities, develop key lines of enquiry, understand the needs of our member-owners and support Council to make impactful recommendations to the Board and the business. You’ll prepare and co-ordinate all aspects of Council’s plan, work programme and external engagement with the wider co-operative movement to make sure that Council members have timely information to perform their roles. This is a fantastic chance to build a rewarding career and make a positive impact on everything Co-op stands for.

What you’ll do

•  Support and co-ordinate the development and delivery of Council’s policy and research priorities and the work programme for Council and Committees as part of our Co-op’s governance
•  Produce written and oral briefings, reports, presentations and materials for Council, Committees, Sub Committees, Co-op Board, internal Co-op colleagues and external bodies
• Use a broad range of policy and research methodology including engagement and co-design to provide the National Members’ Council with relevant information to support them in their role
• Attend meetings and other events to support attendees in deepening their knowledge so that outputs represent the voice of our member-owners
• Promote Co-op and the work of National Members’ Council and its contribution externally to partners and Co-op Members

This role would suit people who have

• A background in policy development, co-ordination and planning of work programmes and research within a complex, fast paced, democratic or membership organisation 
• Experience of working with and supporting elected representatives within a governance setting
• Significant experience of creating clear and engaging reports, briefs and materials in a clear and accessible way for a range of audiences  
Experience of designing creative ways to engage in and facilitate the co-creation of policy solutions with elected representatives and professional leads
Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills and the ability to work at pace 
• The ability to prepare and present information and advice in a clear and accessible way for all audiences 
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills up to senior level

Why Co-op?

If you have the skills that we need, we can offer you a competitive salary and great benefits package which includes 30% off Co-op branded products in our food stores (as well as other discounts on Co-op products and services).

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays 
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Private healthcare 
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• Coaching and training to support your career development
• Wagestream app – giving you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn

At Co-op, we’re proud to do things a different way. As one of the world’s largest co-operatives, owned by millions of members, community is at the heart of what we do. Since our Co-op was founded in 1844, we’ve had a clear social purpose, and everything we do as a business helps to build a fairer world for our members, customers, colleagues, and communities.

Building a diverse environment

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.
If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme and all our commitments to diversity and inclusion at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion-wellbeing

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.