Senior Public Affairs Position

Small in feel and large in talent, the LCA team is an amazing one to be part of and makes us so great at what we do. We have a new opportunity to join our Insight Team in a Senior Public Affairs position.

About the role

This position presents a fantastic opportunity for candidates with 3-5 years’ experience to join a successful, growing company where they will be immersed in a range of work supporting colleagues and clients in a fun, motivated environment.

This wholly new role comes at an exciting time politically, with a new government that has placed the built environment at the heart of their agenda.

We are looking to drive forward LCA’s public affairs work, broadening and deepening our relationships across the political environment, helping add value to our work supporting clients navigate through a period of political change.

The position will be based in our brilliant Insight team, which drives the company’s political and public policy monitoring and research offer, and which acts as the nerve centre for our corporate thought leadership, stakeholder engagement activity and intelligence-led marketing.

The Senior Public Affairs position will report to Nick Bowes (Managing Director, Insight & Public Affairs) but will involve cross-agency working with senior members of our management team, as well as team members in all other parts of the agency, to deliver the best possible results for our clients.

It will involve direct contact with clients on matters relating to national political issues, providing advice and strategic counsel, and undertaking areas of work and monitoring as required by clients.

We are especially interested in hearing from candidates with an excellent understanding of the new Government and the national political system, with knowledge and experience of Labour politics particularly desirable.

Experience of – and interest in – policy areas such as planning, housing, development, infrastructure and health would also be a plus. Above and beyond the specifics of a candidate’s experience to date, what we most value is an enthusiasm for all things politics and policy-related

What will you be doing?

We’re looking for a Senior Public Affairs specialist who will be:

• Taking ownership of LCA’s national public affairs work, driving it forward, using initiative and proactivity
• Bringing with them to LCA their own political networks
• Using our CRM system (Hubspot) to map and monitor our existing political relationships, identify gaps and help implement a strategy for widening and deepening our networks
• Working up an LCA public affairs offer to current and future clients
• Working directly with our clients, advising them, attending meetings and undertaking specific areas of work on their behalf
• Gathering, collating, coordinating and sharing intelligence vital to LCA’s public affairs work
• Attending networking events or briefing senior members of the team ahead of key events
• Mapping key moments during the calendar crucial to building and deepening political relationships (e.g. Party Conferences, receptions, other events) Monitoring and distilling key intelligence to produce insight for LCA and its clients
• Keeping on top of political issues particularly relevant to our clients at the national level and particularly in sectors of interest to LCA clients – planning, housing, development, infrastructure
• Tracking key political movements in Whitehall and Westminster and assisting colleagues in monitoring of activity at City Hall, and in other major cities with Mayors/Combined Authorities, particularly as they apply to the above sectors
• Monitoring the progress of key legislation in Parliament relevant to our clients
• Monitoring social media and traditional media for key political developments, preparing reports and updating Hubspot
• Attending political gatherings and other events online and in-person, to network and collect vital intelligence for our clients
• Evaluating this information and intelligence, analyse it and its impact and then use it to advise our clients Supporting the LCA team on new business and marketing
• Supporting the Insight team in the production of regular outputs (e.g. ad hoc briefings, newsletters such as LDN, social media content and marketing publications) where appropriate
• Providing research and support on the production of LCA’s regular election briefings
• Assisting colleagues with the design and production of marketing presentations, speeches, publications, brochures and other materials, as well as tenders and new business proposals
• Using your networks to help secure speakers at LCA events such as the Breakfast Waffle series. Maintaining LCA’s intelligence systems
• Reviewing and maintaining LCA’s database of political contacts, particularly at a national level
• Liaising with LCA’s parliamentary and media monitoring services to ensure they are proving as effective as possible

What are you like – what have you done and what skills do you have?

• Excellent organisational skills and an ability to juggle multiple priorities, work independently as well as part of a team and work in a fast-paced environment coordinating activity across teams
• A strategic thinker with an ability to condense complex issues into clear and concise messages and strategic recommendations for clients
• Excellent critical thinking and writing skills, capable of distilling complex issues into short briefings with an attention to detail
• An ability to write for a variety of audiences, from experts to those with no prior knowledge of a subject, as well as newsletters for external readers
• A sense of perspective enabling you to appreciate - and effectively communicate with - people with all sorts of personal, cultural, religious and political backgrounds
• Enthusiasm for politics generally, especially Labour politics, with a good network of your own contacts
• A good understanding of national government and politics is essential, and ideally knowledge of politics of London and the wider southeast.
• Knowledge of the built environment sector, or a similar sector would be desirable
• A willingness to proactively build relationships, to develop – over time – a network of useful contacts
• Results-driven mentality for clients and agency
• IT skills, confidence using Word and PowerPoint is a must - experience using an CRM system would be a bonus (LCA uses Hubspot)
• A hands-on approach to work and a good sense of humour
• A real eagerness to learn and develop on the job and be a core part of the LCA team

Many - but by no means all - of our staff hold university degrees. While having one or more degrees in a directly relevant field (e.g. politics, history, journalism or other social sciences) can be a plus for a candidate, it is not a prerequisite for applying for this role. Besides academic qualifications, LCA places great value on a candidate’s relevant professional and life experience, work ethic, ability to work within a team, willingness to learn and to develop new skills.

LCA takes learning and development very seriously – investing in internal and external opportunities for every member of the team. Appraisals are a very important part of learning and development at LCA. Formal reviews will take place at the end of the first three months and then every six months.

And in return, our promises to you:

Come and join the LCA team and in return you will benefit from:

• Package: Salary plus range of benefits from enhanced maternity and paternity leave to tenancy deposit loans, free fruit, a well-stocked fridge, cycle to work scheme and much more
• Pension: Up to 5% of salary (in addition to salary) where matched by the employee
• Bonus scheme: Discretionary annual bonuses based on both personal and company performance
• Leave: 25 days’ leave plus statutory Bank Holidays and late start / early finish on your Birthday; office closed between Christmas and New Year in addition to your leave allowance
• Equipment: company provided Surface Pro to use in office and at home
• Support: Employee Assistance Programme offering a 24/7 confidential advice line; Private Medical Insurance after one years’ service, trained Mental Health First Aiders, New Starter Buddy, Appraiser, dedicated Employee Engagement team
• Training: An aspiring culture with tailored programme of L&D opportunities and budget for personal development and growth
• Location: Flexible, hybrid working – minimum three days in the office or with clients and the rest working from an exciting and dynamic working environment in the heart of Covent Garden
• Working hours: Standard hours of work are 9.00am- 5.30pm – finishing at 4.30pm each Friday and Summer Fridays (3pm) in July and August

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion London Communications Agency is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. Our namesake city is one of the most diverse in the world. We love it, and we recognise the responsibility we have to represent it. Proper inclusivity and representation is the only way we can communicate effectively with our audiences – and make change in our sector.

We will give fair consideration to all applicants regardless of age, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, family or parental status, neurodiversity and disability status. We are also happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss other possible working options and what this may look like for you. And if you don’t meet every requirement on the list – don’t worry - still get in touch as, as we set out in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement, we are striving to enable equal access to all to opportunities in our business and the industries we operate in.

No recruiters please.