UK Public Affairs Manager

Company Description

We are at a pivotal moment: the climate and biodiversity crises are deepening, and inequalities are even more marked in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The global investment system has an oversized impact on many of these global challenges. We want to make sure that impact is positive. At ShareAction we work with investors, policymakers and individuals to unleash the positive potential of the investment system. We aim to build a world where our financial system serves our planet and its people.

Team

ShareAction’s policy team, based in London and Brussels, has played an influential role in shaping UK and European sustainable finance policy development over the last decade. The team is responsible for driving forward ShareAction’s distinctive public interest agenda through successfully managing relationships in the UK and the EU with senior financial policy makers and their officials, politicians of all parties, financial supervisors and regulators, and other significant players in the policy-making eco-system.

Position

This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in ensuring our policy work is influential at the highest levels of UK policymaking; influencing investment rules and regulations to create a more sustainable, equitable and healthy world. The person in this role will lead ShareAction’s public affairs influencing activities in the UK, devising campaign strategies to ensure our policy positions gather support with key decision makers, and with a wider circle of external stakeholders.

We are looking for someone who is able to quickly grasp complex and often technically challenging policy concepts, and use them to articulate persuasive, clear and engaging arguments for political action. The successful candidate will be an excellent networker who is comfortable interacting with external stakeholders at all levels, from Government Ministers and parliamentarians to financial executives and NGO leaders. You might come from a background in policy making, law, campaigning, research, financial services or something we haven’t even considered. As long as you can show you’ve got a passion for creating change and the skills we’re looking for, we’d like to hear from you.

If you are looking to develop a career in public affairs then this role is a fantastic opportunity to hone your advocacy, relationship building and communication skills. You will develop your understanding of, and engagement with, UK policy making processes and the financial system as well as social and environmental issues.

In return, we recognise and value our people. You'll have our full support, training and opportunities for professional development, along with a contributory pension, good holiday allowance and the opportunity to work flexibly from home.

What you’ll do

• You will have overall responsibility for the UK Policy team’s public affairs function
• You will monitor relevant political developments and share key updates across the wider ShareAction team
• You will establish regular contact with politicians, regulators, government advisors and other decision-makers to keep them updated on ShareAction’s work and exercise influence
• You will maintain a database of all political and public affairs contacts
• You will draft and disseminate Parliamentary questions, amendments to legislation and use other parliamentary tools, under close guidance from the Head of Policy, Policy Manager and others in the team
• You will work closely with the Policy Manager to develop strategies to promote policy positions with key decision makers
• You will monitor relevant consultations and draft responses and policy briefings in coordination with the Policy Manager and other colleagues
• You will line Manage the Senior Policy Officers for Health and Biodiversity, in close collaboration with the Health and Biodiversity corporate campaign teams
• You will work with the Communications team to ensure a joined-up approach between our public affairs and media activities
• You will contribute to funding bids with support from the Head of UK Policy, Director of Policy and the Fundraising Team
• You will work with colleagues across ShareAction to ensure a joined-up approach to public affairs (for example, drawing on ShareAction research to support positions and utilising our investor networks to build alliances for policy advocacy)
• You will develop ideas for, pitch and organise events aimed at influencing policymakers (including the UK party conferences).
• You will work closely with the EU Policy team to coordinate activities and align our approach wherever possible

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and the role might change slightly from time to time

Requirements

What you’ll bring to the team

Essential

• Superb networking skills and an ability to nurture and maintain excellent relationships with key decision makers over long periods of time
• An ability to formulate and execute effective advocacy strategies, identifying targets, considering tactics, and sequencing actions for maximum impact.
• Excellent understanding of UK policymaking processes, including parliamentary procedures, departmental processes, and regulatory frameworks, and how to influence them effectively to achieve specific outcomes
• Experience of working with technical policy experts to co-develop influencing strategies that advance positions with key decision makers
• An ability to quickly get to grips with the detail of complex subject areas, understand the key issues and persuasively articulate a case for reform
• Excellent communication skills, in both written and spoken English, including an ability to communicate complex issues in a clear and accessible way
• Excellent organisational, project and time management skills with the ability to think strategically, plan and prioritise work effectively and meet deadlines
• Proven capacity to undertake varied tasks simultaneously and to tight deadlines
• Demonstrable ability to confidently line manage members of a team and ensure they are supported to achieve their objectives (informal experience will be considered in lieu of formal line management experience)
• Good interpersonal skills with ability to work as part of a team and to build strong relationships with a diverse range of external stakeholders
• Willingness to work with politicians from a range of political parties
• An understanding of and interest in ShareAction’s mission, work and values
• An ability to work autonomously under the overall strategic direction of the Head and Director.

Desirable

• A good understanding of responsible investment.
• An understanding of the financial system and how it is shaped by policy and regulation
• Any of the following:
• Policy or legal background or experience, particularly drafting skills.
• Campaigning experience, particularly campaign strategy skills.
• Research experience.

Other information

Hours: Full-time, but with some flexibility possible

Contract type: Permanent

Salary: £39,260 - £42,494 + 8% pension (non-contributory) and benefits including a healthcare scheme

Deadline for applications: 9 am, Monday 21st August

Interview dates: tbc

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities and so if you are not 100 per cent sure that you meet all the requirements but believe you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply and use the application questions to tell us about your experience and what you hope to bring to this role.

We also actively encourage staff to work in ways that best suit their needs and our flexible working policy outlines many of the options available - such as part-time and term-time working, job sharing, home working and working compressed hours. Please talk to us at the interview about the flexibility you need. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Please note that as part of the induction process, you will be expected to attend the London office in person during your first week in post, to cover items including Health & Safety, IT set-up, Office Orientation and Team member introductions.

ShareAction’s London office is based in vibrant Aldgate and a short walk from Aldgate East underground. Remote working will remain the norm for many ShareAction staff, with office space available as described in London for those who wish to use it.

Please note that to be considered for this post you must be legally eligible to work in the UK. Due to current restrictions we are unable to hire anyone that isn’t already living in the UK. Due to our size we are unable to sponsor visas.

Please refrain from using any AI tools to write your answers, as this will result in immediate disqualification for the role.

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