Senior External Affair Manager

IOSH; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A professional institution for safety and health is seeking a Senior External Affairs Manager to lead their external affairs strategy. This pivotal role involves engaging with various stakeholders to influence occupational health and safety globally. The ideal candidate has a strong background in external affairs and public relations, along with excellent communication skills. The position offers a comprehensive benefits package and promotes a hybrid working model, ensuring a healthy work-life balance.

Benefits

Hybrid working and flexibility

25 days annual leave

Private medical insurance

Salary sacrifice pension scheme

Up to five paid volunteering days

Qualifications

• Proven experience in external affairs, PR, and reputation management within a complex, global organization.
• Strong knowledge of public affairs, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Exceptional communication skills including confident public speaking and high-quality written outputs.
• Experience in managing teams and delivering measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead IOSH’s external affairs strategy and maximize global influence.
• Develop messaging framework and oversee stakeholder engagement.
• Engage with stakeholders to influence occupational health and safety.
• Manage reputation and crisis strategies.

Skills

External affairs

Public relations

Reputation management

Stakeholder engagement

Public speaking

Writing skills

Education

Degree in public affairs, PR, communications, or related field

Job description

Job Title: Senior ExternalAffair Manager

Salary: £45,000- £50,000 (based on experience)

Hours per week: 35

Location: At IOSH, we embrace hybrid working because we believe it's the key to achieving work-life balance, strategic success and fostering our collaborative culture. You’ll be required to work from our head office in Wigston, Leicester a minimum of 2 days per week. The remainder of your working hours will be undertaken from home.

The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live, and to work in the UK.

Closing date: 9 January 2026

Interview date: TBC

About the role

We are seeking a dynamic Senior External Affairs Manager to lead IOSH’s external affairs strategy and maximise our influenceand impactglobally. This is a pivotal role that integrates public relations,public affairs,stakeholder engagement,and reputation management to ensure IOSH’s voice is compelling, consistent, and outcome-driven across all platforms and audiences.

In this role, you will shape and deliver IOSH’s external affairs strategy, ensuring clear and impactful messaging and advocacythat is evidence-led. You will developour messaging frameworkand overseeour stakeholder and partnership management andPRandmedia relations to raise IOSH’s profile on a global stage. Building strong relationships will be key, as you will engage with a variety of stakeholders including, governments,policymakers, regulators,NGO’s,partners,and industry bodies to influence good occupational health and safety and worker wellbeing to drive positive change internationally, nationally, within workplaces and with workers. You will lead reputation and crisis management strategies, safeguarding IOSH’s standing and credibility. Representing IOSH at high-level meetings, committees, and conferences, you will be a trusted voice and ambassador for the organisation.

What you'll bring

You are an experienced professional with a strongtrack recordin external affairs, public relations, and reputation management within complex, global organisations. You understand the power of public affairs, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement, and you know how to build strategies that measure and make an impact.

Confident and articulate, you thrive in public speaking and produce written content that inspires and informs. You bring the ability to design and deliver integrated external affairs strategies, using digital platforms to amplify advocacy efforts. With experience leading teams and driving measurable outcomes, you combine strategic thinking with practical delivery.

Your background includes a degree (or equivalent) in public affairs, PR, communications, or a related field, and you’re committed to continuous professional development, such as CIPR membership.

Essential criteria

• Proven experience in external affairs, PR, and reputation management within a complex, global organisation.
• Strong knowledge of public affairs, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Exceptional communication skills, including confident public speaking and high-quality written outputs.
• Ability to design and deliver integrated external affairs strategies and leveraged digital platforms for advocacy.
• Experience in managing teams and delivering measurable outcomes.
• A degree or equivalent in public affairs, PR, communications, or a related field, plus commitment to CPD (e.g., CIPR membership).

What's in it for you?

We support our colleagues to bring their best selves to work, so they can deliver exceptional outcomes. We do this by offering a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Hybrid working and flexibility to ensure a positive work-life balance
• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) increasing with length of service, with the option to buy more
• Private medical insurance and healthcare cash plan covered by IOSH
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme, minimum of 3% employee contribution whilst IOSH contribute 5%
• Individual performance related pay scheme
• Up to five paid volunteering days per year
• Employee Assistance Programme to support you and your dependent's wellbeing

About us

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is the world’s Chartered body for safety and health professionals.

We understand that diversity of thought, culture, perspective, and background is essential to our vision. We believe in creating a personal environment where everyone is treated as they wish to be treated. At IOSH, you can be yourself, no matter who you are.

We are proud to be a disability confident employer, and are committed to offering an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the minimum essential criteria for the vacancy.

Find out more about how we advocate for, and support health and safety professionals worldwide to create a safer and healthier world of work by visiting www.iosh.com.

How to apply

To apply, you'll need an up to date CV and some additional time to complete the application questions so we can find out more about you and your experience. Just click on the apply button below.

If you want to find out more about IOSH please visit our website. If you have any queries about the role or require any reasonable adjustments to support you with the recruitment process please reach out to [e-mail].

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.