Senior Manager, Public Affairs

Huhtamaki Oyj; Espoo; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Huhtamaki Oyj in Espoo invites a Senior Manager, Public Affairs, to drive the group’s policy agenda on a global scale. You will engage Finnish policymakers, EU institutions and senior leadership to align advocacy with sustainability goals.

You will lead strategic policy initiatives, coordinate cross‑functional teams, and manage external advisers while maintaining agile execution across markets and geographies. Hybrid work from Espoo is offered.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional experience in Public Affairs, public policy, or a related field.
• Fluency in English language; Finnish and other languages are a plus.
• Knowledge of EU institutions and legislative processes.
• Proven capability to establish trusted advocacy positions and relationships with senior policymakers and regulatory authorities.
• Strong leadership skills to build scalable public affairs frameworks that balance enterprise strategy with local market relevance.
• Outstanding communication skills to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including the leadership.
• Strong project management skills.
• Experience working in a matrix organization, influencing outcomes without formal authority.
• Skilled in leveraging digital and AI-based tools to enhance work and improve efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Policy strategy, intelligence and business impact.
• Help define and execute the Group public affairs strategy, annual priorities and advocacy plans in alignment with business and sustainability objectives.
• Monitor and interpret legislative and political developments in priority markets, focusing on packaging, circular economy, product policy and sustainability regulation.
• Translate policy developments into concise assessments of risks and opportunities.
• Prepare policy briefs, scenarios, executive updates and recommendations.
• Develop evidence-based company positions and advocacy materials with Legal, Sustainability, Communications, Strategy and business teams.
• External engagement and advocacy across Finnish officials, regulators, and EU institutions.
• Represent Huhtamaki in industry associations and policy forums; shape joint industry positions.
• Plan and execute stakeholder programs and advocacy campaigns with clear objectives.

Skills

English fluency

Stakeholder management

Public affairs leadership

Project management

Analytical judgment

Policy analysis

Matrix organization experience

Communication skills

Education

Master’s degree in Economics/Public Policy/Law/Political Science

Job description

Enjoy a career, packaged with care, whilst helping protect food, people and the planet. We are a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions. We’re on a mission to make all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Every day, we ensure the hygiene and safety of food and drink for people around the world. We are Huhtamaki. You could be part of our vision. Because it’s our talented people that make it happen. Our people on the shop floor producing innovative, sustainable products. Our people in our offices delivering excellence for our customers every day. It’s every one of us working together. We offer a place where you can feel safe, be supported, and make an impact so we can all focus on the future together.

Opportunity

Huhtamaki is a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, serving customers across foodservice, retail, and consumer goods markets in 35 countries worldwide. As regulation and sustainability expectations continue to progress, public affairs plays a critical role in enabling our strategy and long-term success. We are looking for a commercially minded and politically astute Senior Manager, Public Affairs, to drive Huhtamaki’s Group-wide public affairs agenda. You will lead engagement with Finnish policymakers and public authorities, build and sustain engagement with Members of the European Parliament and EU institutions, and bring our business segments and functions to a single, credible Group policy position. This is a hands‑on senior individual‑contributor role with significant visibility. You will move comfortably between external advocacy, regulatory analysis and internal alignment, bringing together colleagues who may have different market, technology or business perspectives and helping the company speak with one clear and credible voice. You will be based at our Headquarters in Espoo, Finland (hybrid basis). The role carries a strong connection to the Finnish public affairs ecosystem while operating with a truly global mandate across Europe and other geographies.

What you’ll be doing

• Policy strategy, intelligence and business impact
• Help define and execute the Group public affairs strategy, annual priorities and advocacy plans in alignment with business and sustainability objectives.
• Monitor and interpret legislative and political developments in priority markets, with particular focus on packaging, circular economy, product policy and sustainability regulation.
• Translate complex policy developments into concise assessments of commercial, operational, financial and reputational risks and opportunities.
• Prepare forward‑looking policy briefs, scenarios, executive updates and recommendations that support timely decision‑making.
• Develop evidence‑based company positions, consultation responses and advocacy materials in collaboration with Legal, Sustainability, Communications, Strategy and the business.
• External engagement and advocacy
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with Finnish government officials, regulators, political advisers and other relevant stakeholders.
• Develop and sustain effective engagement with Members of the European Parliament and EU institutions.
• Represent Huhtamaki in selected industry associations, policy forums, roundtables and external events, and help shape joint industry positions.
• Plan and execute stakeholder engagement programs, site visits, policy events and advocacy campaigns with clear objectives, messages and follow‑up actions.
• Manage external public affairs advisers and agencies, ensuring focused mandates, high‑quality delivery and efficient use of resources.
• Internal Alignment and Executive Support
• Coordinate cross‑functional and cross‑segment public affairs projects, creating clarity on ownership, decision rights, milestones and escalation paths.
• Build alignment where business interests differ, surface trade‑offs early and facilitate decisions that support a consistent Group position.
• Partner closely with senior leaders across Investor Relations, Sustainability, Communications, Legal, Strategy, Operations and the business segments.

What you’ll bring to the role

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Economics, Public Policy, Law, Political Science).
• 7+ years of professional experience in Public Affairs, public policy, or a related field.
• Fluency in English language; Finnish and other languages are a plus.
• Knowledge of EU institutions and legislative processes.
• Proven capability to establish trusted advocacy positions and relationships with senior policymakers and regulatory authorities.
• Strong leadership skills to build scalable public affairs frameworks that balance enterprise strategy with local market relevance.
• Outstanding communication skills to collaborate effectively with relevant internal and external stakeholders, including the leadership.
• Strong project management skills.
• Experience working in a matrix organization, influencing outcomes without formal authority.
• Strong analytical judgment and the ability to connect policy choices to commercial and operational implications (including quantification).
• Skilled in leveraging digital and AI‑based tools to enhance work and improve efficiency.

What we offer in return

A meaningful opportunity to shape Huhtamaki’s public affairs agenda and contribute to the company’s long‑term success.

You will work with senior leaders and stakeholders across the business, gaining exposure to global policy and sustainability challenges.

Development opportunities

We care for each other and want our talent to thrive and develop.

Responsible employer: Sustainability is embedded in everything we do. We believe diverse teams fuel innovation and invest in fostering an environment where everyone is safe and included.

Join us. Help protect food, people and the planet. Help us protect food, people and the planet. We’re on a mission to be the first choice in sustainable packaging solutions so we can protect food, people and the planet. We need talented people like you to make that happen. We’re growing as a business which is opening up new roles and opportunities so it’s an exciting time to join us. We promise to offer a place where you can feel safe, be supported and make an impact, so we can all focus on the future together.