Royal Mail
Head of Public Affairs
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Job reference 342160
Head of Public Affairs
Competitive salary, plus £5,000 car allowance paid as cash, full family private healthcare, 18% annual bonus potential, 27.5 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising with service and a company pension scheme with highly competitive contribution rates
2 year Fixed Term, Full time
This role will be based in London Farringdon, EC1A 1AA, on a hybrid working basis. However, there will be regular travel to sites across the UK in line with business needs.
Royal Mail is undergoing a significant transformation as we modernise our operations and secure the long-term future of the UK's largest delivery network.
As one of the nation's most iconic organisations, we connect people, communities and businesses across the UK every day. To support this journey, we are looking for a highly motivated, politically astute and commercially aware Head of Public Affairs to join our Corporate Affairs & Policy team.
This is an opportunity to shape policy, lead strategic campaigns and build relationships with key decision-makers across government, regulation and industry.
About The Role
Reporting to the Director of External Affairs & Policy, you will lead the development and delivery of Royal Mail's public affairs strategy, working across the business and with senior stakeholders to support our policy, regulatory and reputation objectives.
A key focus will be securing legislative and regulatory change to create a fairer and more competitive delivery market, including driving Royal Mail's ambition to establish a more level playing field across the sector. You will also support activity relating to business transformation, sustainability, pensions, business rates reform and the future of the Universal Service.
Working across Westminster, the devolved administrations and the wider stakeholder landscape, you will help shape engagement strategies that support Royal Mail's priorities.
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You will also:
- Monitor political and policy developments, identifying opportunities and risks for Royal Mail
- Build and maintain relationships with politicians, policymakers, officials and industry stakeholders
- Prepare briefings, consultation responses, policy papers and stakeholder communications
- Represent Royal Mail at meetings, events and visits across the UK
- Lead public affairs campaigns and stakeholder engagement activity to influence policy and regulatory outcomes
- Develop evidence-based policy positions and engagement strategies with colleagues across the business
- Maintain stakeholder records and evaluate campaign activity and outcomes
About You
We are looking for an experienced public affairs professional who is comfortable operating in complex political environments and influencing senior stakeholders.
You will have:
- Experience in public affairs, government relations, policy development, campaigning, consultancy, trade unions or similar stakeholder-facing roles
- A strong understanding of UK political, parliamentary and legislative processes
- The credibility to operate at a senior level, influencing executives, policymakers and external stakeholders
- Strong relationship-building skills and experience delivering successful stakeholder engagement and advocacy activity
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex issues
- A resilient, proactive and commercially aware approach, with the ability to identify opportunities and influence outcomes
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Experience of project or campaign management would be advantageous
Extra Benefits
- Family friendly support - enhanced maternity pay, paternity leave, adoption leave and shared parental leave
- Supportive and generous company sick pay
- Benefits Account – You will have access to your personal benefits account on our ‘My Bundle+’ platform. There are more than 800 retail offers to help you save on things like groceries, days out, holidays and your household bills as well as employer provided and voluntary benefits to suit your lifestyle.
- Your Wellbeing - you and your family have 24/7 access to services and tools to help you get the most out of life. From your physical and mental health to financial and social support and advice. It’s free, and it’s for everyone.
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Trust is the foundation of Royal Mail. We aim to be transparent about the qualities we seek and what a career with us entails, building trust from the start of your journey with us. Your interview is the first step, and we want you to shine. To help you prepare, we’ll provide your interview questions in advance, so you can have your best examples ready. At Royal Mail Group, we value trust and our people.
We understand that candidates may not meet all the criteria for the role. If your experience is different, but you have relevant skills we’d love to hear from you.
Royal Mail Group is committed to inclusion and representing the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals. As a proud Gold signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, we especially encourage applications from the Armed Forces community, including cadet instructors and spouses/partners.
We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process. If you require any adjustments to support you during the hiring process, please discuss these with your recruiter when contacted.
For more information on Royal Mail Group and our values please click here: https://www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/
Closing Date: Sunday 6th September. Please note, this advert may close early if the appropriate number of applications has been reached.
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