Senior External Affairs Manager

Department of Health and Social Care; Leeds; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department is seeking a Senior External Affairs Manager to lead stakeholder engagement for key policy areas. The role involves managing relationships, developing strategies, and delivering high-quality communications. Successful candidates will be proactive, able to build trust with stakeholders, and possess strong communication skills. The position offers a salary of £42,360 and additional benefits including pension contributions and flexible working options.

Benefits

Defined Benefit Pension Scheme

Learning and development opportunities

Flexible working options

Inclusive and diverse work culture

Qualifications

• Experience in stakeholder engagement, external affairs or public relations.
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted strategic relationships at all levels.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify influential stakeholders and monitor their positions on key issues.
• Manage relationships through direct engagement and events.
• Develop and implement stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Create briefing materials and presentations for senior officials.
• Produce communications material to promote key initiatives.
• Ensure communication strategies are supported by rigorous monitoring.
• Contribute to cross-cutting communications campaigns.
• Evaluate the impact of partnerships around key announcements.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Public relations

Written communication

Verbal communication

Strategic relationship building

Job description

In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose - to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile.

The Communications Directorate leads the conversation about health and care by engaging people through innovative communications, supporting improvements to the health of the nation and the running of the NHS. However, we cannot achieve this mission without working with our health and care stakeholders.

The External Affairs team builds and maintains trusted relationships with a range of influential organisations and individuals to create an awareness and understanding of government policies. The team proactively engage with DHSC's stakeholders who represent what the department's audiences are thinking and feeling, as well as gathering and analysing insight to improve the impact of DHSC communications.

You will play a key role in building strong working relationships with a range of organisations and individuals, gathering stakeholder intelligence to help deliver effective communications and engagement campaigns for departmental announcements, Ministerial engagements and support the development of policy engagement plans.

This work is high profile, fast paced and ever changing so the role will suit a self-motivated, intellectually creative and persuasive person who can spot opportunities and take responsibility for achieving them. DHSC Communications Directorate is looking for a Senior External Affairs Manager to join one of the biggest and busiest departments and work on some of the Government's and public's top priorities, as part of the Plan for Change.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify influential stakeholders across various sectors, monitoring their positions on key issues, and producing regular reports to inform DHSC's communications and policy work.
• Manage relationships with a range of stakeholders through direct engagement, events, and tailored communications while building advocacy for government initiatives.
• Develop and implement comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategies that align with departmental priorities and policy goals.
• Create compelling briefing materials, presentations, and stakeholder correspondence for ministers and senior officials.
• Produce briefings and communications material for key audiences, such as charities and the health sector to promote better understanding of key issues and initiatives.
• Ensure communications strategies are supported by rigorous monitoring and reporting of stakeholder comment, as well as careful identification and mapping of key stakeholders.
• Coordinate with colleagues across government to ensure a joined-up approach to external engagement.
• Contribute to cross-cutting communications campaigns, ensuring stakeholder perspectives are integrated into planning and delivery to reach the end audience.
• Evaluate the impact of partnerships around key announcements, learning from what works and generating creative ideas to continually improve.

We are looking for a proactive and skilled individual to drive the delivery of high-quality stakeholder engagement across priority policy areas. In this role you will build, develop and maintain effective relationships with a diverse range of key stakeholders, contribute to strategic communications planning, and support senior leaders and Ministers in their engagement activities.

Person Specification

We are looking for a motivated and creative individual to join us and embark on an exceptional career in government communications. You will lead engagement strategies for a portfolio of communications priorities cutting across all the department's key areas of work.

The successful candidate will have experience in stakeholder engagement, external affairs or public relations, with proven ability to build and maintain trusted strategic relationships at all levels. You will have confidence to work alongside and advise senior leaders, including good judgement and strong influencing skills. You will also have excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write clear briefings for a diverse range of stakeholders.

In return for your skills and experience, you will receive a salary of £42,360, and the Department of Health and Social Care contributes £12,271 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. You will also have access to learning and development opportunities, an environment with flexible working options, and a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.