Public Affairs Manager

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water; Rhyl; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

34 days annual leave (pro rata)

Excellent pension contributions – up t

Employee benefits programme

On-site parking

Health cash back

Cycle to work

Discounts at Welsh Water attractions

Job summary

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is seeking an experienced Public Affairs professional to shape and deliver the Welsh WaterPublic Affairs strategy across Wales and Westminster. You will build influential relationships with political stakeholders and provide timely policy insights to senior leaders.

The role requires strong writing, stakeholder engagement and the ability to operate across a complex regulatory environment. Based in Wales with standby rota and a competitive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent professional qualification in community engagement, communications, social impact, marketing, public engagement or a related discipline.
• Professional accreditation or membership of a relevant body (e.g. CIPR, CIM, IAP2) desirable.
• Experience of working in a communications environment in a customer focused organisation/industry.

Responsibilities

• Support with the development and delivery of the Public Affairs strategy aligned with Welsh Water’s corporate strategy, regulatory priorities and business objectives.
• Build and maintain relationships with political stakeholders, including Members of the Senedd, MPs, local authority leaders, councillors, UK and Welsh Government officials, and key policy influencers.
• Monitor and analyse political and policy developments across Wales and Westminster, providing timely insight, risk assessments and strategic advice to senior leaders.
• Coordinate engagement with elected representatives, ensuring enquiries are handled professionally, consistently and within agreed service standards.
• Prepare high-quality briefing materials, including ministerial briefings, speeches, Q&As, consultation responses, parliamentary correspondence and stakeholder engagement plans.
• Represent Welsh Water externally at political events, conferences, stakeholder forums and meetings, building the company’s profile and strengthening relationships with key decision-makers.
• Work closely with Corporate Communications, Media Relations, Community Engagement, Regulation and Operational teams to ensure consistent messaging and coordinated responses on high-profile issues and incidents
• Evaluate and report on public affairs activity, measuring the impact of stakeholder engagement, identifying opportunities to influence policy and recommending improvements to support Welsh Water’s long-term objectives.
• Provide essential 24/7 service as part of the on-call out of hours press office service.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Policy analysis

Written communication

Public affairs

Crisis communications

Education

Degree or equivalent professional qualification in communications

Professional accreditation or membership (CIPR/CIM/IAP2)

Job description

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City: Rhyl

Address:

Rhyl, Wales, GB, LL18 5TQ

Job Requisition Number 8966

Work Type Permanent

Job Function Human Resources & Comms

Salary Range £47,492.00-£54,618.00

Base This role can be based at either North or South Wales

Closing Date Sunday 25th October 2026 at 23:59

Key responsibilities of the role

• Support with the development and delivery of the Public Affairs strategy aligned with Welsh Water’s corporate strategy, regulatory priorities and business objectives
• Build and maintain relationships with political stakeholders, including Members of the Senedd, Members of Parliament, local authority leaders, councillors, UK and Welsh Government officials, and key policy influencers.
• Monitor and analyse political and policy developments across Wales and Westminster, providing timely insight, risk assessments and strategic advice to senior leaders.
• Coordinate engagement with elected representatives, ensuring enquiries are handled professionally, consistently and within agreed service standards, while identifying emerging themes and issues.
• Prepare high-quality briefing materials, including ministerial briefings, speeches, Q&As, consultation responses, parliamentary correspondence and stakeholder engagement plans.
• Represent Welsh Water externally at political events, conferences, stakeholder forums and meetings, building the company’s profile and strengthening relationships with key decision-makers.
• Work closely with Corporate Communications, Media Relations, Community Engagement, Regulation and Operational teams to ensure consistent messaging and coordinated responses on high-profile issues and incidents
• Evaluate and report on public affairs activity, measuring the impact of stakeholder engagement, identifying opportunities to influence policy and recommending improvements to support Welsh Water’s long-term objectives.
• Provide essential 24/7 service as part of the on-call out of hours press office service.

About you

• Degree or equivalent professional qualification in community engagement, communications, social impact, marketing, public engagement or a related discipline.
• Experience of working in a communications environment in a customer focused organisation/industry
• Professional accreditation or membership of a relevant body (e.g. CIPR, CIM, IAP2) desirable.

• Experience working in a corporate communications role within a large, complex or regulated organisation.
• Experience of developing and delivering stakeholder engagement strategies and plans.
• Strong experience of writing and editing high-quality content for senior audiences

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain complex issues clearly and succinctly
• Strong understanding of reputation management and stakeholder communications
• Ability to build credibility quickly and work effectively across organisational boundaries
• Sound judgement and resilience when working under pressure
• Strong planning and organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Experience of evaluating communications activity and using insight to improve performance
• A collaborative, proactive and solutions-focused approach
• Understanding of the political, regulatory and media landscape in Wales

Good to know

There will be a requirement to participate in standby rota

If you would like any further information on this role, please contact [e-mail]

As well as a market competitive salary, 34 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

Variable pay schemes (your salary band will remain the same, but performance depending, you could receive an incremental within-band increase and a yearly incentive)
Option to buy additional annual leave up to 5 days per year
Enhanced employer pension contributions – Up to 11% employer contributions
Free Mortgage Brokering Services
Enhanced family friendly policies
Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
Gym and fitness discounts as well as high street shopping
Cycle to work scheme
Discount off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
Car-leasing scheme and free on-site parking at all sites
Health CashBack scheme and access to an online GP service
An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family

Many more can be found on our website.

Due to the nature of the industry, we require satisfactory references, post offer medical clearance, and a criminal records Basic Disclosure check on all new employees joining the business.

For some roles there may be additional checks and security clearance required, and this offer is subject to all checks being satisfied. You will receive further information on how to complete these checks via email once you have accepted this offer.

Who we are

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision. This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them. The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company’s required security objectives.

We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work. To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve. In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.

Dŵr Cymru Cyf, a limited company registered in Wales No. 2366777. Registered office: Linea, Fortran Road, St. Mellons, Cardiff CF3 0LT

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