Head of Public Affairs

Starr Underwriting; London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm in the UK is seeking a Head of Public Affairs to lead public policy strategies, engage with government and industry stakeholders, and promote positive changes in the pensions and savings sector. The ideal candidate will have extensive public affairs experience in financial services and a deep understanding of UK politics. This role offers a competitive salary along with substantial benefits, including bonuses and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Private medical cover

38 days annual leave

Excellent pension

12x salary life assurance

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in financial services public affairs.
• Experience developing and implementing public affairs strategies.
• Confident advocate with senior political engagement experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead Phoenix Group’s long-term savings public affairs strategy.
• Build relationships with policymakers and key opinion leaders.
• Track legislative developments affecting financial services.

Skills

Public affairs experience

UK politics knowledge

Senior political engagement

People management

Job description

Job Description

We have an incredible opportunity to join us here at Phoenix Group as Head of Public Affairs to join our Public Affairs team.

Job Type: Permanent

Location: This role could be based in either our London or Edinburgh offices with time spent working in the office and at home.

Flexible working: All of our roles are open to part-time, job-share and other types of flexibility. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about Phoenix Flex here.

Closing Date: 13/08/2025

Salary and benefits: £90,000 - £110,000 plus an indicative bonus range of 30%-60%, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, excellent pension, 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more.

Who are we?

We want to be the best place that any of our 6,600 colleagues have ever worked.

We’re the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business. We offer a range of products across our market-leading brands, Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK has a pension with us. We’re a FTSE 100 organisation that is tackling key issues such as transitioning our portfolio to net zero by 2050, and we’re not done yet.

The role

As Head of Public Affairs, Long-term Savings, you’ll be instrumental in shaping our voice on the policy stage—advancing dialogue around pensions, savings and advice issues. This is a strategic leadership role focused on engaging with government, industry bodies, and influential stakeholders to champion positive change for customers and the sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and evolve Phoenix Group’s long-terms savings public affairs strategy in alignment with purpose-led business goals
• Build trusted relationships with policymakers, think tanks, and key opinion leaders
• Track and respond to legislative developments affecting financial services and sustainability
• Collaborate across teams to integrate public policy perspectives into strategic planning
• Represent the Group at roundtables, working groups, and sector coalitions
• Advise senior leaders on emerging opportunities and risks in the policy environment
  
  

The role has one and a half direct reports at Senior/Public Affairs Manager level.

What are we looking for?

• Extensive experience in financial services public affairs
• Experience developing and implementing public affairs strategies
• Expert knowledge of UK politics
• A confident advocate used to senior political engagement
• Experience of people management
  
  

We want to hire the whole version of you.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.

Please note that we reserve the right to remove adverts earlier than the advertised closing date. We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity.

Find out more about

• Guide for Candidates: thephoenixgroup.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates
• Find or get answers from our colleagues: www.thephoenixgroup.com/careers/talk-to-us