Public Affairs Manager

Your new role

You will lead National Highways’ regional public affairs programme across the Midlands and East of England in support of our corporate priorities and delivery plan. You will work closely with regional leaders and delivery teams to build support for NationalHighways’ work with key regional stakeholders.

The public affairs team is part of the Customer, Strategy and Communications directorate. You will be working alongside other public affairs and communications professionals to deliver National Highways’ public affairs strategy, including the developmentand delivery of a regional stakeholder engagement programme.

You will bring knowledge of the national and regional public affairs landscape and use this to inform your strategy and engagement plans, as well as monitoring and acting on stakeholder sentiment. You will also be part of a regional communications functionthat delivers integrated campaigns and will need to represent National Highways at external events, nationally and regionally.

The role will ideally be based at our Birmingham or Bedford office, as part of a hybrid working pattern, although there is flexibility in terms of location. Regular travel within the region, and sometimes beyond, will be required,

What you’ll be leading on
- Delivery of our public affairs strategy across the region, including proactive stakeholder engagement and campaigns in support of corporate and regional priorities
- Provision of public affairs advice and support to regional leaders and project delivery teams
- Development and delivery of a regional public affairs programme, including visits and stakeholder events.
- Delivery of regular parliamentary surgeries for Members of Parliament
- Monitoring the external stakeholder environment and bringing actionable intelligence into the business
- Wider public affairs activity, as required.

To be successful
- An experienced and passionate public affairs professional with excellent working knowledge of government and parliament
- Politically astute, with a demonstrable ability to develop and maintain relationships with senior leaders and stakeholders
- A flexible team player, with a proactive approach to delivering good outcomes
- Experience of working under pressure and to tight and changing deadlines, with an ability to manage complex issues
- Able to work with high levels of autonomy with the energy and drive to make things happen.
- Knowledge and experience of the transport or infrastructure sectors is desirable, but not essential

About Us

Why you should join us

At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to dobetter and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers.

So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it - then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation.

An informal blended working approach has been adopted for many of our roles across National Highways. We offer many different ways to work flexibly and we’re open to discuss part-time working, job shares, and flexible start and finish times.

Please wait until the interview stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what is possible.

Our benefits package
- Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus
- Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10%
- Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays)
- Flexible hours and blended working between base location/home
- Life assurance of 4 times annual salary
- Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines
- A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel
- Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience

And we are
- Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities
- Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays. Alongside a financial wellbeing programme
- Community friendly - offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year plus an extra 3 days to support the national Covid effort
- Right to work check
- 3 year employment history references
- DBS criminal record check
- Social media and adverse journalism check
- Driving licence check (if applicable)
- Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable)

And finally

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