Public Affairs Advisor - Education & Skills

ENGINEERINGUK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading not-for-profit organization is seeking a Public Affairs Advisor in London. You will advocate for engineering careers to young people, work closely with policy stakeholders, and help develop engagement strategies with political entities. The role requires excellent communication skills and a strong understanding of political processes. Offering a competitive salary and flexible working, this position plays a crucial role in promoting diversity and sustainability in the engineering sector.

Benefits

Competitive salary

28 days paid annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Discounted gym membership

Cycle to work Scheme

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Good understanding of Westminster and Whitehall political processes.
• Ability to work independently while also collaborating with others.

Responsibilities

• Develop engagement plans with political stakeholders.
• Monitor political developments and respond accordingly.
• Represent EngineeringUK in meetings with political partners.

Skills

Communication skills

Understanding of politics

Interpersonal skills

Team collaboration

Proactive approach

Education

Degree level education or equivalent experience

Job description

We are a not-for-profit organisation committed to increasing the diversity and numbers of young people entering engineering and technology to meet the future workforce needs, as well as promoting roles that help us work towards net zero and drive environmental sustainability.

We are looking for a pro-active Public Affairs Advisor to be part of EngineeringUK’s busy policy and public affairs team. If you are interested playing a part in enabling more young people from all backgrounds to be inspired, informed and progress into engineering and technology through driving forward EngineeringUK’s engagement with politicians and enjoys collaborating with others to advocate for change, we want to hear from you. In this role as Public Affairs Advisor, you will work closely with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs to develop and enact EngineeringUK’s public affairs strategy and engagement. You will represent the organisation externally in meetings with political and policy stakeholders and work with public affairs teams across the engineering sector and beyond to advocate for improvements in the education and skills sector.

About EngineeringUK

Our purpose is to drive change so more young people choose engineering and technology careers.

Our vision is that the UK has the workforce needed for engineering and technology to thrive, to improve sustainability and to achieve net zero.

Our mission is to enable more young people from all backgrounds to be informed, inspired and progress into engineering and technology.

In the UK, we don’t have enough engineers and demand is going up. So, we need more young people to realise there could be a future for them in engineering and technology. To really thrive, we need a stronger, more diverse and representative workforce and for that we have to do things differently to make engineering more appealing.

We are a not-for-profit working with hundreds of organisations across business, education, professional institutions and the third sector so we can all grow the future talent pool together. We drive that collective effort through research and evidence, leadership, activities for schools and advocacy, with a focus on long-term sustainability.

We guided by a series of values that we apply to all our activity:

• We are inclusive and care about diversity. We understand that we have different needs and create opportunities for everyone's voice to be heard
• We are collaborative. We listen, share and work in partnership to achieve our vision
• We are curious and keen to learn. We challenge ourselves and others to innovate and experiment
• We are insightful. We evaluate what we do and draw on research to make decisions and to improve our collective understanding
• We are driven by a strong sense of purpose. We are determined to make an impact and achieve our goals

About the role

Working closely with colleagues in the policy and public affairs and the research teams you will drive forward EngineeringUK’s engagement with politicians, policy makers and other political stakeholders, ensuring that EngineeringUK’s policy views are heard across Westminster, Whitehall and in the regions. This will mean developing clear engagement strategies and plans with the support of the Head of Policy & Public Affairs focused on nurturing our relationships with MPs and Peers. You will monitor political and policy developments in Westminster and the regions, working closely with policy colleagues in the team, and brief MPs and Peers using EngineeringUK’s research and policy reports and recommendations, ensuring that EngineeringUK’s views are heard in debates in Westminster and across Whitehall. As the Public Affairs Advisor you will represent EngineeringUK in meetings with some of our key partners, including the public affairs group of the National Engineering Policy Centre, supporting them to take forward joint projects.

The role is London based at our office at 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN and may involve some travel in the UK. We believe that hybrid working has many benefits and are pleased to offer flexible working with a baseline of 2 days (or 40%) a week in our vibrant central London office overlooking the Thames. We also offer core hours of 10am to 4pm. Further details on our flexible working practices can be discussed at interview or you can reach out to a member of our HR team.

Further details of the role can be found in the job description and person specification.

Role responsibilities

• Together with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, develop and keep up to date clear engagement plans focused on building trusting and fruitful relationships with political stakeholders and other key influencers across Westminster (with the possibility of expanding this into the regions and devolved nations).
• Monitor, share intelligence and respond to political developments in Westminster, Whitehall and the regions.
• Write and organise Parliamentary Questions; write and organise briefings for a range of stakeholders including parliamentarians, EngineeringUK colleagues as well as some of our members. Draft consultation responses for parliamentary committees, APPGs and others as needed.
• Represent EngineeringUK externally including on the public affairs group of the National Engineering Policy Centre.
• Support the organisation of policy and public affairs focused events in Parliament and other locations.
• Work with the Head of Policy and Public Affairs to define and deliver our work with All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) including a new APPG focused on the engineering and technology skills, crucial to the achievement of the Government’s growth ambitions.
• Organise MP visits to EngineeringUK-run projects relevant to their constituencies.
• Work in line with EngineeringUK’s values to be inclusive, collaborative, curious, insightful and driven.

This is a general guide to the key responsibilities of this role - it is not exhaustive. Similarly, the amount of time that you spend on various aspects of the role may vary.

Person specification

Essential skills/competencies

• A good understanding of politics and political processes in Westminster and Whitehall.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including a proven ability to write confidently and concisely for a variety of audiences. Experience writing briefings and consultation responses.
• Proven ability to work independently and prioritise in response to many competing demands and time, but also take direction, be flexible and work collaboratively with others, contributing to team decisions and facilitating cross‑organisational working.
• Proactive approach to working.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a clear ability to build relationships.
• Team player and happy to collaborate with others.
• Commitment to our mission and values, you will be able to engage with our values and work in a way that supports our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Understanding of regional politics and political processes.

Desirable

• Understanding and/ or experience of the politics and political processes in the devolved administrations and local government.
• An understanding and/ or experience of STEM education and skills policy
• An understanding of the engineering and technology sector
• An existing network of relevant political and policy stakeholders.

Education/level of experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent, or similar ability gained through work experience relevant to the role.
• Experience and a good understanding of working with politicians and other political stakeholders across different parties.
• Experience of representing organisations externally at meetings and events.
• Demonstrable experience in simplifying complex policy messages for a wider audience.
• Experience and interest in developing policy positions.

EngineeringUK is committed to being an inclusive workplace, where everyone feels they belong. This is supported by the dedicated work we are doing to ensure our policies and practices are inclusive and training our staff to be able to fulfil this commitment.

We value the benefits of a diverse workforce and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. Our recruitment process is designed to be as accessible and inclusive as possible and to ensure people are individually assessed regardless of their backgrounds or characteristics. We are an equal opportunities employer and are open to flexible working, including job share.

Applying for this role

Applications

If you would like to request to submit your application in an alternative format to support accessibility, please let us know.

The deadline for applications is 16:00pm on 26 January 2026.

Interviews

Applications will be assessed against the requirements for the post as set out in the Role Profile and Person Specification.

We are a Disability Confident committed employer. We guarantee an interview to any disabled people who meet the minimum requirements of the role. Additionally, if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to make this process easier for you then we are happy to do so. Just complete the relevant sections of the online application form.

We aim to notify candidates who have been shortlisted on 29 January 2026. If you have not heard from us after this date, please assume that you have not been successful.

First interviews will be held on 3rd and 4th February 2026.

What can we offer you?

• Competitive salary
• 28 days paid annual leave (plus bank holidays), in addition we normally close for the Christmas week
• Competitive pension (10% employer contribution)
• Annual bonus opportunity
• Flexible working
• A vibrant office with terrace overlooking the Thames embankment and Tower Bridge
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life Insurance (4 x salary)
• Long term illness/incapacity insurance cover (permanent health insurance or PHI)
• Annual private health check for all employees over 40 once they have completed their probationary period and to employees over 35 after 3 years’ service
• Discounted gym membership
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Yearly flu vaccination