External Affairs Director

SF Partners; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SF Partners in Birmingham is seeking an External Affairs Director to lead external affairs strategy and stakeholder engagement. The role is based in Birmingham with hybrid working, combining office presence with regional travel and meetings.

You will manage a senior team, shape policy and advocacy, and identify opportunities for partnerships and sponsorships. This is a high-visibility role at director level within a prominent business-focused organisation.

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience across external affairs, public affairs, corporate affairs or policy.
• Strong stakeholder and political judgement with commercial awareness.
• Ability to influence senior decision-makers and turn opportunities into action.
• Experience leading teams and navigating complex stakeholder environments.

Responsibilities

• Developing and delivering the organisation's external affairs strategy.
• Building relationships with business leaders, policymakers, local authorities and regional stakeholders.
• Developing and retaining strategic corporate relationships and partnerships.
• Overseeing policy, research and advocacy activity.
• Identifying commercial and sponsorship opportunities.
• Providing strategic direction across media and communications.
• Representing the organisation at senior meetings, events and in the media.
• Leading and developing a high-performing team.

Skills

External affairs

Public affairs

Corporate affairs

Policy

Strategic communications

Job description

External Affairs Director

Location: Birmingham - Hybrid Working

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

Open doors. Influence decisions. Create opportunities that matter.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an accomplished External Affairs Director to join a prominent business-focused organisation in Birmingham.

The role

Leading an established team, key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and delivering the organisation's external affairs strategy.


• Building influential relationships with business leaders, policymakers, local authorities and regional stakeholders.


• Developing and retaining strategic corporate relationships and partnerships.


• Overseeing policy, research and advocacy activity.


• Identifying commercial and sponsorship opportunities.


• Providing strategic direction across media and communications.


• Representing the organisation at senior meetings, events and in the media.


• Leading and developing a high-performing team.

About you

• You will bring senior-level experience across external affairs, public affairs, corporate affairs, policy, strategic communications or a related discipline.


• You will combine strong stakeholder and political judgement with commercial awareness, with the ability to build trusted relationships, influence senior decision-makers and turn opportunities into action.


• You will also have experience leading teams, communicating confidently at senior level and navigating complex or sensitive stakeholder environments.


• Experience within an agency, private-sector, membership, trade association or business representative organisation would be advantageous, as would established regional networks.

The opportunity

This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of business, public policy, communications and regional leadership, engaging with influential organisations and decision-makers while shaping the organisation's external agenda and impact.

The role offers hybrid working, typically with two to three days per week in the Birmingham office, alongside meetings and events across the region.