Senior External Affairs Manager

Job summary

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade sits at the heart of the government's number one priority: kickstarting economic growth to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7. Our mission is clear – to drive more people into good jobs, raise living standards, and deliver productivity growth in every part of the United Kingdom.

We achieve this by making the UK the best place in the world to do business, making the UK the most connected economy, and delivering great services to business.

Through our Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy, Small Business Plan, and Plan to Make Work Pay, we're working in partnership with business to create the conditions for investment, innovation, and job creation that will put more money in working people's pockets.

BIST's Communications and Marketing function is undergoing a bold transformation to meet the demands of the modern media landscape and deliver on our ambitious growth mission. We're moving from traditional discipline-based communications to an integrated, outcome-focused model that positions communications as a critical delivery enabler, not just a service function.

By joining BIST Communications and Marketing, you'll be part of a team that's redefining how government communicates about economic growth – working collaboratively across disciplines, using evidence and insight to drive impact, and demonstrating how government partnership with business is creating jobs, driving investment, and improving living standards across the UK.

Job description

Role Summary

Partnership and advocacy are central to our communications, collaborating with stakeholders on campaigns and engagement that have real impact. From businesses and trade bodies, to exporters and investors, to research institutes and universities, to trade unions and campaigners, we work with diverse organisations to ensure our messages are reaching the right audiences.

As Senior External Affairs Manager, you’ll deliver external affairs campaigns, focusing on partnership-driven, story-led communications and showcasing stories of businesses, workers and communities who benefit from our policies. You will build relationships with influential external partners to generate compelling content and powerful advocacy for our communications priorities.

You’ll play a key part in our campaign teams promoting the Industrial Strategy, international trade deals, small business support, workplace rights, and innovative science and research, and you will help ensure our campaigns are building confidence and trust in the UK’s vision for growth.

Collaborating across BIST, including with press, digital, marketing, Ministerial visits, policy and business engagement colleagues, you will be at the heart of an integrated approach to stakeholder engagement, delivering high-quality communications that align with departmental priorities.

Key Accountabilities

As a vital part of the External Affairs team, you will support the Head of External Affairs and Visits and lead projects to:

• Devise and deliver strategic stakeholder engagement that promotes advocacy, supports our communications campaigns, and enhances the reputation of the Department
• Lead stakeholder insight and mapping activity to deepen the Department’s understanding of the issues and campaigns of key stakeholders and identifying emerging opportunities and risks to inform strategic communications
• Build trusted relationships and manage a network of professional contacts to find and amplify compelling stories about the impact of the Department. You will collaborate in particular with external stakeholders’ communications and external affairs teams.
• Generate creative content with and for external stakeholders to bring the Department’s messages to life, and secure opportunities that spread our messages through stakeholder channels and networks.
• Work with policy, press, digital and marketing teams to embed stakeholder content across multiple BIST channels.
• Support and advise on high profile Ministerial and Senior Official events, forums and roundtables.
• Develop and improve systems and processes to capture, share and embed stakeholder intelligence across the Department’s communications campaigns.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on the effectiveness of external affairs activities.
• Contribute to the Government Communications Service and spread best practice across the department, raising understanding of External Affairs.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage.

• Proven experience of managing external affairs or advocacy-led communication campaigns
• Ability to work with influential and high-profile businesses and stakeholders, understanding their priorities, perspectives and sentiment
• Evidence of confidently communicating with and influencing both senior internal and external stakeholders, through a range of channels.
• Strong organisational and planning skills, with ability to prioritise and deliver exceptional communications outcomes (including events, digital content, and campaign partnerships)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent collaboration, interpersonal skills and proactivity to bring internal and external stakeholders alongside to co-develop projects, often delivering through others
• A broad understanding and interest in communications, from news management and social media to co-creation and campaigning, with a strong understanding in how to evaluate, learn and improve.

The Person

The below is a list of characteristics which may be helpful in this role. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but are laid out to help candidates understand more about the role.

You will have experience of managing and implementing significant external / public affairs campaigns and delivering the highest quality work. You will be used to delivering projects and partnerships, generating and implementing creative ideas, developing content (particularly digital communications) and have an excellent understanding of communication operating principles. You will have excellent influencing, stakeholder management and relationship building skills and you will be able to think strategically to identify the most impactful opportunities

We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic and creative, driven by achieving outcomes through building relationships that meet shared agendas and objectives.

You will always maximise communications opportunities and work well with internal and external stakeholders to deliver them. You will be very organised and have excellent planning skills, with absolute attention to detail.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,913, Department for Business and Trade contributes £13,011 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
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