External Affairs Coordinator

AQA; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Health Care Cash Plan

Life Assurance

Electric Vehicle Leasing

Pension contributions 18.5%

25 days annual leave

Job summary

AQA is seeking a Public Affairs professional to shape government engagement and policy influence. The role coordinates External Affairs priorities, supports planning, risk monitoring and reporting, and partners with stakeholders to deliver strategic projects.

You will develop governance processes, track policy developments and provide senior leaders with timely insights, contributing to education sector priorities and learner outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience in public affairs, policy, membership organisations, charities, think tanks or the education sector.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills and adaptable style.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and oversee the External Affairs team's priorities and ensure alignment to strategic objectives.
• Support business planning, risk management and performance reporting.
• Assist the Head of External Affairs with governance, updates and cross-functional collaboration.
• Monitor policy developments and identify engagement or response opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders to enhance influence.
• Produce briefings, reports and insights for senior leaders.

Skills

Public affairs

Policy coordination

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Governance & risk monitoring

Tools

CRM systems

Planning tools

Reporting systems

Job description

Contract type: Permanent
Location: Manchester or London
Salary: Manchester £35,000 - £38,000 | London £36,000 - £39,500
Working arrangements: Hybrid, with a minimum of 2 days per week in the office

Help shape how AQA engages with government, policymakers and the wider education sector.

This is an opportunity to work at the centre of AQA's influencing activity, helping to coordinate the work that informs education policy debates and supports better outcomes for learners. You'll work across policy, public affairs and communications, ensuring priorities stay on track, senior stakeholders remain informed and key projects are delivered effectively.

This role gives you the opportunity to develop your career in public affairs, policy and communications while contributing to work that influences important education debates and priorities.

Purpose of the role

The External Affairs team sits at the heart of AQA's influencing strategy. In this role, you'll help coordinate the activity that supports AQA's engagement with policymakers, education stakeholders and the wider sector. You'll maintain oversight of priorities across the team, ensuring projects, events, reports and engagement activities are planned effectively and delivered on time. You'll play a key role in supporting strategic planning, risk monitoring and reporting, while providing the coordination that enables the team to respond quickly to emerging policy developments and opportunities.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate and oversee the delivery of the External Affairs team's priorities, ensuring activity is aligned to strategic objectives and delivered effectively.
• Support business planning, risk management and performance reporting, providing oversight of key workstreams and emerging priorities.
• Supporting the Head of External Affairs with governance activity, strategic updates, business planning and cross-functional collaboration.
• Monitoring policy developments and announcements, identifying areas where AQA may wish to engage or respond
• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, supporting AQA's influence across the education sector.
• Produce high-quality briefings, reports and insight for senior leaders, helping inform decision-making and strategic discussions.
• Support the coordination of stakeholder engagement activity, events and forums that strengthen AQA's external relationships and reputation.

What's in it for you

• Career development and professional growth in a leading education charity
• Hybrid working and flexibility to support work-life balance
• Comprehensive benefits including Bupa Health Insurance, Health Care Cash Plan, Life Assurance and an Electric Vehicle Leasing scheme, generous combined pension contributions up to 18.5% and 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and extra closure days at Christmas
• An inclusive culture that welcomes new perspectives, values collaboration and encourages innovative thinking to improve how we support teachers and students

You'll thrive in this role if you have:

• If you enjoy bringing structure, clarity and energy to a busy and fast‑moving environment
• Experience within public affairs, policy, membership organisations, charities, think tanks or the education sector
• A track record of developing and maintaining strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to adapt your style for different audiences.
• Experience coordinating projects, programmes or business activity across multiple stakeholders
• Experience using CRM systems, planning tools or reporting systems to track activity and engagement
• A proactive and adaptable approach, with the confidence to take ownership, drive continuous improvement and build effective relationships across a range of stakeholders.

Diversity and inclusion

At AQA, we're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can do their best work. We value the different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds our people bring, knowing they strengthen our culture, decision-making and impact. We foster an inclusive environment where everyone is treated with respect, has access to opportunities to grow and contribute, and feels able to be themselves. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences.