IASP Lived Experience Campaigns Officer
The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is a non-government organisation (NGO) dedicated to the prevention of suicide and suicidal behaviour. IASP provides a global forum for academics, mental health professionals, crisis workers, volunteers, and those with lived and living experience of suicide. IASP is organised through a Central Office (CO), currently comprising eleven part-time workers located in their home countries, all working remotely.
To support our team, we are seeking to expand our team with a Lived Experience Campaigns Officer, and we invite you to apply.
Background
Established in 1960, the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) leads the global effort in suicide prevention, having developed an effective forum that is proactive in creating strong collaborative partnerships and promoting evidence-based action in order to reduce the incidence of suicide and suicidal behaviour (www.iasp.info).
As a membership organisation with a global network of National Representatives in 80 countries and 17 topic-related Special Interest Groups addressing key aspects of suicide and suicide prevention, IASP’s engaged and active network encompasses the best research and practice in suicide prevention.
IASP seeks a part-time (60%) Lived Experience Campaigns Officer to ensure that a lived experience perspective is embedded across all elements of the organisation’s internal and external work, while supporting IASP’s marketing and campaigns activities.
Lived experience of suicide is defined as having experienced suicidal thoughts, made a suicide attempt, cared for a loved one through a suicidal crisis, or been bereaved through suicide.
People with lived experience of suicide bring unique insights, wisdom, and perspectives that are critical to informing and shaping best-practice approaches to suicide prevention. The meaningful inclusion of these voices has been formally recognised by the World Health Organization and IASP as critical to system reform.
Integrating lived experience into the fabric of an organisation allows it to understand more deeply where its work intersects with the people and communities it serves, ensure its activities are sensitive to their potential impact, and identify where improvements can be made.
For IASP, embedding lived experience across governance, programmes, communications, policy, advocacy and campaigns, and partnering with people with lived experience so they can take a leading role, is central to reducing suicide and suicidal behaviour.
Purpose
To embed the perspective of people with lived and living experience across all aspects of IASP’s work, and to support the organisation’s communications and campaigns activities so that advocacy is grounded in, and shaped by, those most affected by suicide.
Responsible To
IASP Head of Marketing & Campaigns
Support To
The IASP Central Office Team, and specifically the Marketing & Campaigns Team, for communications and campaigns work.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Champion the inclusion of lived and living experience across IASP’s internal operations, governance, and external programmes.
- Advise teams and leadership on the meaningful and safe involvement of people with lived experience, in line with established good practice.
- Develop and maintain guidance, principles, and practical tools that support lived experience integration across the organisation.
- Build and sustain relationships with lived experience networks, partners, and individuals across IASP’s global membership.
- Support IASP’s policy and advocacy work across priority areas, including decriminalisation, restriction of access to means including pesticides, and digital and AI safety.
- Contribute a lived experience perspective to policy positions, consultation responses, and advocacy materials.
- Support engagement with global and regional networks, both internal and external.
- Support the planning and delivery of IASP campaigns, including World Suicide Prevention Day, working with the Marketing & Campaigns Team.
- Ensure that content and activities apply safe messaging guidelines on suicide.
- Manage and moderate IASP’s social media channels alongside the Marketing & Campaigns Team, fostering safe, respectful, and inclusive online engagement.
- Develop, create, and schedule engaging social media content that supports IASP’s campaigns, advocacy priorities, events, and programmes, while elevating lived and living experience voices and perspectives.
- Actively engage with and contribute to relevant conversations across the suicide prevention, mental health, and public health sectors through IASP’s social media channels.
- Drive critical thinking, self-reflection, and innovation.
- Undertake other duties that may arise from time to time and as may be assigned to this position.
Person Specification
Knowledge
- Lived and living experience perspectives in suicide prevention.
- Mental health sector.
- NGO sector.
- Policy, advocacy, and campaigns.
- International and cultural awareness.
Skills and Experience
- A lived or living experience of suicidality, suicide bereavement, or significant mental health challenges, and a willingness to draw on this in the role.
The postholder will draw on their own lived experience of suicide in this role and in shaping the work of IASP. We therefore ask that applicants feel ready and able to use their lived experience safely and with purpose in a professional setting, with appropriate self-awareness and personal boundaries.
Readiness is not about being “fully recovered” or having all the answers, but about being at a point where reflecting on and sharing aspects of your experience, where you choose to, is safe and sustainable for you.
IASP is committed to supporting the postholder in this, including through safe messaging guidance and a lived-experience-informed working culture.
- Understanding of the principles of meaningful lived experience involvement.
- Experience in policy, advocacy, campaigns, or communications work.
- Experience building, partnering, and maintaining strong and sustained relationships.
- Understanding or experience of mental health research, policy, and interventions.
- IT literate, with excellent technical skills (MS Office, databases, social media).
- Excellent English speaking and writing skills. An effective communicator with excellent presentation, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to communicate cross-culturally and on relevant subject matter.
- Ability to work effectively both with diverse groups and independently, demonstrating initiative and creativity in problem-solving.
- Commitment to safe and ethical practice, including safe messaging on suicide.
Attitudes
- Highly organised.
- High degree of discretion and integrity.
- Self-aware and able to maintain personal boundaries when working with lived experience content.
- Good verbal and written presentation skills.
- Team player.
- A continuous learning orientation (as demonstrated through professional development experiences).
- A self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment.
Requirements
- 3 days per week equivalent position.
- Ability to work in a remote office environment (institution/home/place with internet access).
How to Apply
Please send a covering letter and CV via email to: [email protected]
Important Note
As a non-profit organisation, we will not be able to reimburse any costs related to your application.
By submitting your application, you agree that your personal data provided in the context of the application will be processed solely for the purpose of the application.
Closing Date
14 July 2026