Head of Public Affairs

High Speed Two (HS2); London, Birmingham; On-site; GBP 79,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in high-speed rail is seeking a Head of Public Affairs to lead stakeholder engagement and public affairs strategy. The role involves building relationships with political and business stakeholders, ensuring support for HS2 legislation, and delivering effective communication strategies. The ideal candidate will have strong influencing skills and experience in public affairs, with a focus on stakeholder management in a complex political environment.

Benefits

Flexible benefits fund

Pension plan

Personal and professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience of developing and managing relationships with political and business stakeholders.
• Experience in developing, delivering and managing public affairs plans.
• Experience of working within or with Whitehall and Westminster.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a comprehensive external political engagement programme.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Provide political intelligence and strategic counsel to the External Affairs Directorate.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Influencing

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Communication

Job description

TheHead of Public Affairs at HS2 will provide strategic leadership for the effective development and delivery of the public affairs and stakeholder engagement strategy, supporting the company to achieve its goals through effective engagement both internally across the HS2 Executive and the Department for Transport and externally with political, business and industry stakeholders, maintaining cross-party support, building advocacy and securing majorities for HS2 legislation.

Location:This role can either be based in London or Birmingham.

Salary:Base salary: £67,450- £84,350 (Birmingham) £79,300 - £99,150 (London) In addition, we offer a flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary (capped at £20,000) and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

About the role:

• Work with the External Affairs Director to develop and lead a comprehensive external political engagement programme for HS2, setting and pursuing clear objectives built on analysis and insight.
• Build, maintain and improve relationships with key stakeholders to build understanding, support and advocacy and ensure rapid resolution of issues – including with Westminster, Whitehall (Ministers, Advisors, and Civil Servants), Regional Mayors, Line of Route MPs, local and regional government, as well as other lobby and interest groups, environmental groups, transport groups and other relevant bodies.
• Maintain and strengthen the cross-party consensus in support of HS2, ensuring informed debate within Westminster and future proof majorities for HS2 legislation, such as the Phase 2b West Bill.
• Develop and lead a programme of work with the External Affairs Director that builds trust in HS2 Ltd and the HS2 programme, demonstrating our transparent approach and openness to scrutiny.
• Have oversight of all public affairs activity, providing counsel and support to ensure colleagues achieve their objectives and develop their own strategic communication skills.
• Provide political intelligence, analysis and strategic counsel to the External Affairs Directorate and wider business, including Chair, CEO, Board and Exec, facilitating effective external engagement that builds confidence in and support for both the project and programme, while enhancing the reputation of HS2 Ltd.
• Lead preparation of HS2 Ltd witnesses, briefing and evidence for select committees and equivalent bodies.
• Act as a senior external advocate for the organisation, building relationships and promoting activity to support HS2 Ltd goals and objectives and deliver the programme.
• Build trusted relationships with senior executives, directors and colleagues (particularly CEO and Chairman) providing public affairs and engagement advice as required.
• Deliver public affairs programmes for the HS2 Chair and CEO and support the Board, Executive and Senior Leadership Team’s engagement with external stakeholders including speaker opportunities.
• Work with the BCFoI Senior Manager, and the CEO’s office and Company Secretary, to ensure HS2 Ltd discharges its statutory duties regarding Freedom of Information, written Parliamentary Questions, Parliamentary Advice Line and Ministerial Correspondence.
• Play a leadership role across the External Affairs Directorate and wider business.
• Deliver first-class issues management and lead Public Affairs responses to crisis communications incidents.
• Actively promote and embed Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work, and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About You:

Skills:

• Robust under pressure and able to work to tight deadlines in a dynamic, fast-moving organisation.
• Demonstrable skills in engaging a range of stakeholders both within the public and private sectors, on projects of comparable scale, scope and complexity.
• Ability to develop challenging relationships and build trust amongst stakeholders and communities exercising diplomacy at every stage.
• Proven ability of working with subject matter experts to identify the critical business drivers, to balance the various criteria, and to prepare quality strategies and frameworks.
• Proven ability to balance the interests of timely and accurate delivery with representing views of external stakeholders in an honest and transparent manner.
• Excellent written communications, verbal communications and interpersonal skills.
• Influencing and negotiation skills with both internal and external audiences (including Members of Parliament and their advisers)
• Stakeholder management, relationship building and advocacy skills, particularly in a complex political environment.
• Able to analyse complex issues and provide clear and consistent advice and insight, including at Board and Executive level.
• Ability to work with ambiguity and changing circumstances.
• Ability to deliver quality, accurate and targeted communications directly and through others.
• Team, project and budget management skills.
• Analytical skills and a proven ability to interpret and respond to changing landscapes and understand and communicate complex issues with clarity and consistency.
• Able to respond effectively to reputational issues or crisis communications incidents, including providing guidance and direction to colleagues.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the current pressures facing the UK Government and how that may translate in the HS2 organisation with political awareness and understanding.
• Knowledge of issues affecting stakeholders and communities arising from large infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge of how UK Parliament works and appropriate engagement methods.
• Knowledge of how regional and local government operate and appropriate engagement methods.
• Knowledge of the planning and parliamentary process.

Type of experience:

• Experience of developing and managing relationships with political and business stakeholders.
• Experience in developing, delivering and managing public affairs plans, strategies and tactics including issues resolution and building advocacy.
• Experience of working within or with Whitehall, Westminster and Local Government with a clear understanding of the political environment in which HS2 operates.
• Experience of partnership working and coordination in the public and private sectors.
• Experience of providing counsel at a senior leadership level across an organisation on stakeholder engagement and reputation management.
• Experience of developing and leading delivery of integrated communication plans and campaigns.
• Experience of managing external communication agencies and contractors.
• Experience of leading and managing people, including personal development of team members.
• Experience of delivering crisis management and/or major incident communications.

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with HS2’s

• Health and Safety strategy and principles
• Company values
• Leadership framework
• Inspirational Leadership: Demonstrating leadership flexibility, motivating and inspiring people from diverse functions and cultures.
• Execution: Stretching the performance of people with a wide range of skills and capabilities.
• Influence: Cross-matrix influencing, using a range of interpersonal approaches to persuade people with differing perspectives and interests.
• Collaboration: Collaborating across boundaries, to establish reciprocal relationships and alliances across the organisation.
• Direction: Co-ordinating cross business teams, creating a shared sense of purpose and keeping diverse teams focused on the same HS2 goals.
• Business Judgement: Ensuring values for money, making judgements on what will ensure commercial viability, appropriately balancing risk and return.
• Innovation: Inspiring differentiation, innovating and encouraging early adoption of new ideas and ‘pushing the boundaries’
• Growing Talent: Fast-tracking talent, taking risks with growth opportunities for high potential performers to ‘raise their game.’

The HS2 Leadership Framework can be accessed via the following link:

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process - YouTube

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.

Job Info

• Job Identification 250333
• Job Category Stakeholder Management
• Posting Date 05/07/2025, 02:16 PM
• Apply Before 05/21/2025, 10:59 PM
• Job Schedule Full time
• Locations 1 Eversholt Street, London, NW1 2DN, GB
• Permanent or Fixed Term Contract Permanent