Wenham Carter
Vice President of Public Affairs
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Location: United Kingdom | Europe
Wenham Carter are working with a global advanced manufacturing business as they appoint a Vice President, Public Affairs to lead their UK and European public affairs agenda.
The organisation operates across a complex international environment where industrial policy, energy, trade, technology, skills and supply chain resilience are increasingly important to long-term business strategy.
This is a newly created senior leadership opportunity for an experienced public affairs professional who can operate credibly with government, policymakers and industry stakeholders while acting as a trusted adviser to the executive leadership team.
The successful candidate will help shape the company's approach to the external policy environment, anticipate emerging issues and ensure its voice is heard constructively across the UK and Europe.
The Role
Reporting into the Executive Leadership Team, the VP Public Affairs will take ownership of the company's public affairs strategy and develop the capability as the organisation continues to grow. You will combine strong political judgement with commercial awareness, helping senior leaders understand the implications of political and regulatory developments and identifying opportunities to engage proactively with decision-makers.
This is a highly visible role with significant autonomy and the opportunity to build relationships across government, Parliament, regulators, industry bodies and other influential stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities:
Public Affairs Strategy
- Develop and deliver a UK and European public affairs strategy aligned with the company's commercial and growth objectives.
- Establish a forward-looking approach to identifying political, regulatory and policy developments that could impact the organisation.
- Develop clear policy positions on issues relevant to advanced manufacturing and the wider industrial landscape.
- Provide senior leadership with concise, commercially relevant insight on political and policy developments.
Government & Political Engagement
- Build and maintain senior relationships across UK and EU government departments, Parliament, regulators and relevant public bodies.
- Engage policymakers on areas including industrial strategy, manufacturing, energy, trade, infrastructure, technology and skills.
- Represent the organisation in consultations, policy discussions, parliamentary engagement and senior stakeholder forums.
- Develop constructive, long-term relationships with political and governmental stakeholders.
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European Affairs
- Develop the organisation's engagement strategy across relevant European markets and institutions.
- Monitor European developments affecting industrial policy, trade, sustainability, technology and investment.
- Work with local advisers and internal teams to ensure an effective approach to market-specific political and regulatory issues.
- Identify opportunities to contribute to wider European policy debates.
Executive Advisory
- Act as a trusted adviser to the CEO, Executive Committee and senior business leaders.
- Provide political and regulatory intelligence to support strategic and investment decisions.
- Assess the potential implications of elections, government changes and evolving policy priorities.
- Ensure emerging external risks and opportunities are incorporated into business planning.
External & Industry Engagement
- Develop relationships with trade associations, industry groups, think tanks and other relevant organisations.
- Represent the company at senior-level conferences, roundtables and policy forums.
- Identify opportunities to collaborate with industry and government on initiatives supporting innovation, investment and manufacturing competitiveness.
- Help strengthen the company's profile and reputation within relevant policy communities.
Building the Function
- Establish the operating model, priorities and governance for the public affairs function.
- Manage external advisers and specialist consultancies where appropriate.
- Develop a high-performing public affairs team as the organisation's requirements evolve.
- Introduce clear objectives and measures of effectiveness for the function.
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What We're Looking For
We are seeking an established public affairs leader with the credibility and judgement to operate at executive level. You are likely to bring:
- Significant experience in public affairs, government relations, public policy or a related discipline.
- Strong knowledge of the UK and European political and policymaking environment.
- Experience engaging directly with senior government, political and institutional stakeholders.
- A background within advanced manufacturing, engineering, industrial technology, energy, aerospace, automotive, chemicals, defence or another complex industrial environment.
- Experience of European policymaking and cross-border stakeholder engagement.
- A track record of influencing policy outcomes and navigating complex stakeholder environments.
- Experience advising CEOs, boards or senior executive teams.
- Strong commercial awareness and the ability to connect policy developments with business priorities.
- Exceptional communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
- Experience managing external advisers, industry bodies and stakeholder networks.
- The executive presence and political judgement required to represent a global organisation externally.
Why This Role?
This is an opportunity to join a global industrial business at an important stage of its growth and development. The role offers significant visibility with senior leadership and external stakeholders, together with the opportunity to shape the company's public affairs strategy across the UK and Europe.
For an ambitious public affairs leader, the position also provides the opportunity to build and develop a broader external affairs capability as the organisation continues to expand.
- Location: UK / EU based, with frequent travel to London / Brussels.
- Working pattern: Hybrid.
- Compensation: Competitive executive package, including performance-related remuneration and long-term incentives.
Wenham Carter are managing this appointment on behalf of our client. If you are interested in discussing the opportunity confidentially, please apply directly.
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