We have established six core programme teams. The focus of the individual programmes is described below. We welcome applications from people who already have a relevant area of policy expertise, in which case we will obviously try to match your experience to the appropriate team at interview. However, in the first instance, it is your skills as a top-notch policy or public affairs professional that matter most.

These are our six Programme Teams (click on each for more information):

1. Customer Service/Company Performance and Consumer Experience Programme
2. Disadvantage Programme
3. Fair Markets Programme
4. International Programme
5. Public & Community Services Programme
6. Regulated Industries Programme

Customer Service/Company Performance and Consumer Experience Programme

Markets don't always work effectively and our job is to ensure that all consumers receive a better standard of service when dealing with service providers including energy companies and telecommunications providers amongst others. If you agree with us then come and join the Customer Service/Company Performance and Consumer Experience programme.

We will be achieving effective changes for consumers by:

• Identifying areas of consumer detriment, building up strong evidence to take issues forward and make the case for policy changes to industry and the regulators;
• Working collaboratively with industry, government and other stakeholders to change company or industry-wide policies and practices to improve the consumer experience for the better; and
• Developing the evidence base to support our campaigns for a better deal for consumers.

Disadvantage Programme

Campaigning for a fair deal for vulnerable consumers is top of our priorities. We have already kicked off a campaign to see an end to the fuel poverty that blights the lives of over five million households. But we are not stopping there.

Debt and financial inclusion will be caught in our spotlight over the next year, as will the interests of disabled consumers, older people and children. We will also be challenging the exclusion of low income and disadvantaged consumers from the digital world.

If you want to see justice for vulnerable consumers, the Disadvantage Team may be for you.

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Fair Markets Programme

Are you passionate about helping consumers to get a fairer deal from the businesses they deal with? The Open Markets programme is wide-ranging and covers some of the most high-profile and urgent consumer issues facing our economy, from the credit crunch to intellectual property rights. Some of our key activities over the next year will include: 

• Investigating markets where consumers are particularly badly treated;
  
• Campaigning on consumer digital rights in the information society, covering areas such as music downloads and privacy;
  
• Fighting against examples of the poverty premium: when people on low incomes pay more or get less for their money;
  
• Contributing to landmark reviews of consumer rights taking place at home and in Europe; and
  
• Assessing the performance of six major regulators in terms of their level of consumer focus.

International Programme

If you are:

• passionate about European and international policy and public affairs;
  
• relish the challenge of working on a range of consumer issues; and
  
• enjoy working with colleagues around the world;?the international team is the team for you.
  

The team:

• lobbies the European Commission, Parliament and Council to improve outcomes for European consumers on key legislative proposals;
  
• works with Consumer International and its members to influence the policy of international institutions; and
  
• carries out collaborative research projects with other consumer organisations to support our advocacy work.
  

Current priorities include: the review of consumer law, consumers' digital rights, sustainable and affordable energy, and sustainable production and consumption.

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Public & Community Services Programme

This team is based upon the tenet that for public services offered by central and local government to be excellent, their reform has to be shaped around consumers. Equally, the presence of key services is vital for sustainable communities. If you have a fundamental belief in these tenets, working for this team will enable you to contribute to the policies and campaigns that will make a difference in both respects.

Priorities for the Public & Community Services team in the coming months include:

• Ensuring high-quality consumer engagement and redress in public services becomes the norm
  
• Exposing instances of consumer detriment in public services that have until now have remained under-scrutinised
  
• Identifying services that are essential for a sustainable community and analysing and promoting access to them
  
• Promoting innovative policies to ensure communities are heard and are empowered to come together and safeguard key services where these are under threat.
  

This team would particularly suit people with experience in local government, housing, community regeneration, the third sector and related fields.

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Regulated Industries Programme

We need experts who understand regulation and know how it can have far reaching impacts upon what consumers pay, their access to services and their right to fair treatment.

Regulated Industries needs people not just with experience of a regulated market or with a legal/ economics background, but people who care about consumers and who are prepared to represent them robustly at all levels of industry contact. Our challenges across the energy and post markets include;

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