Executive External Affairs Manager

Southwark Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwark Council in London seeks an Executive External Affairs Manager to lead the Leader’s Office and Executive Office, shaping political leadership and external engagement. You will influence regional and national partners while guiding senior officers to deliver priorities.

You will oversee a high-performing team, coordinate complex stakeholder initiatives and advise executives on policy, governance and communications in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people management experience.
• Experience supporting senior leaders at a strategic level.
• Sound understanding of local government and political environments.
• Excellent organisational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Outstanding relationship-building with senior stakeholders and partners.
• Proactive, solutions-focused approach with sound judgement.
• Experience coordinating work across multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a high-performing team supporting the Leader and Executive Members.
• Influence and connect with regional and national partners, government bodies, and political stakeholders.
• Provide high-quality advice, briefings and support to executives to deliver priorities.
• Represent and collaborate across council departments to reflect political priorities in policy and service delivery.
• Coordinate complex programmes of meetings, visits, events and communications to support executives.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic advisory

Stakeholder engagement

Policy understanding

Job description

As a council, we are successful, passionate and forward-thinking. We are committed to tackling injustice and inequalities and rebuilding our local economy, ensuring that our residents and businesses are at the heart of everything we do.

As a diverse central London borough, Southwark faces a range of opportunities and challenges, which we address through the delivery of the Borough Plan. We are looking for talented and ambitious people to join our team and help us continue to make Southwark a borough where everyone can thrive.

Our Strategy & Communities Department supports senior officers and elected members to shape and communicate the Council's priorities. Bringing together political support, policy development, communications, marketing and public affairs, we help deliver meaningful change for our residents.

We're offering an exciting opportunity to join the Leader's Office and Executive Office at the heart of decision-making in Southwark Council as our Executive External Affairs Manager.

What You'll Be Doing

We’re offering an exciting opportunity to join the Leader’s Office and Executive Office at the heart of decision-making in Southwark Council as our Executive External Affairs Manager.

This is a unique role that combines political insight, strategic leadership and external engagement. Working closely with the Leader of the Council, Executive Members and senior officers, you will play a central role in supporting the Council’s political leadership while helping to strengthen Southwark’s influence regionally and nationally.

You will lead a high-performing team that supports Executive Members to deliver their priorities, navigate complex policy challenges and fulfil their constitutional responsibilities. At the same time, you will help shape the Council’s relationships with government, local authorities, London-wide organisations, think tanks and other key stakeholders, ensuring Southwark’s voice is heard on the issues that matter most to our residents.

As part of the service management team, you will gain unparalleled insight into how local government works at the highest level, working across policy, communications, public affairs and political leadership to drive meaningful change.

As an Executive External Affairs Manager, you will:

• Lead and Inspire: Manage and develop a dedicated team providing strategic and operational support to the Leader and Executive Members.
• Influence and Connect: Help deliver the Council's influencing and stakeholder engagement strategies, building strong relationships with regional and national partners, government bodies and key political stakeholders.
• Drive Strategic Delivery: Ensure Executive Members receive high-quality advice, briefings and support to help them deliver their priorities and make informed decisions.
• Represent and Collaborate: Build effective relationships across council departments, ensuring political priorities are understood and reflected in policy development, service delivery and decision-making.
• Coordinate and Organise: Oversee complex programmes of meetings, visits, events and communications, ensuring Executive Members can operate effectively in a fast-paced and high-profile environment.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated professional who will bring:

• Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience leading high-performing teams
• Significant experience supporting senior leaders at a strategic level within a complex organisation
• A sound understanding of local government, political environments and the challenges facing councils today
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines
• Outstanding relationship-building skills and the confidence to engage with senior stakeholders, elected members, government representatives and partners
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach, with the ability to navigate sensitive situations with discretion, professionalism and sound judgement
• Experience coordinating work across multiple stakeholders and translating strategic priorities into tangible outcomes
• A commitment to public service and a passion for improving outcomes for Southwark's residents and communities

For detailed qualifications, skills and experience requirements, please review the job description and person specification located at the bottom of this advert.

Additional Information

• Full-time, 36 hours per week with 3 days a week in the office.
• Grade 12
• Leader's Office & Executive Office

Please note that we are unable to accept applications from individuals who require visa sponsorship.

Benefits and more information: https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/

Recruitment Timeline

Closing date: 11:59pm on 25/10/2026

Shortlisting: 28/10/2026

Interview date: 05/11/2026

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Southwark Council will only contact candidates through official Council recruitment channels. We will not ask you to provide passport details, proof of address, National Insurance number, bank details or payment at application stage. These checks are only requested at the onboarding process – once an offer of employment has been made. If you’re unsure whether a communication you’ve received is genuine, please contact the Resourcing team directly on [e-mail] before sharing any personal information.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior levels across the Council.

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• Consider yourself to be disabled or have a long-term health condition