Director of Public Affairs and Communications

• PAGB is the trade association for the consumer healthcare industry
• This role has 2 direct reports, reports into the CEO

About Our Client

PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, represents the manufacturers of branded over the counter medicines, self care medical devices and food supplements in the UK.

These are medicines, including traditional herbal remedies, self care medical devices and food supplements that can be sold at pharmacies, or retail outlets such as supermarkets and convenience stores, without a prescription.

Established in 1919, PAGB has a long and distinguished track record as the industry self-regulatory body ensuring balanced and responsible marketing of self care products.

This includes checking member companies' advertising to ensure it is responsible and not misleading, ensuring that there is a fair and positive regulatory environment that encourages product innovation, and promoting the contribution that self care can make to people's health at no cost to the NHS.

You will be joining a dynamic team, working together to add value to member companies by providing information, advice and support, and delivering integrated campaigns across key priority areas, such as self care, EU exit, environment and sustainability and smoking cessation.

Job Description

The Director of Public Affairs and Communications will have 2 direct reports (Marketing and Communications Manager and a Media and Public Affairs Manager). This role is part of the management team, shaping the organisational strategy and reporting to the Board.

The purpose of this role is to develop an impactful public affairs and communications strategy to ensure PAGB is seen as the expert voice of the consumer healthcare industry by key stakeholders.

Strategy

• As member of the PAGB management team, contribute to and support the development of PAGB's overall objectives, strategy and organisation.
• Within the agreed strategy, to lead and ensure delivery of public affairs, healthcare policy, media, digital, stakeholder and member communications
• Manage and enhance PAGB's external reputation, utilising all appropriate communications disciplines and channels.

Communications

• Oversee PAGB's relationships with the media - national, consumer and trade press and social media
• Develop and deliver PAGB's key messages, achieving consensus from members and/or stakeholders as required.
• Horizon scanning and issues management to ensure fair and balanced coverage about OTC products in the media.
• Manage and raise awareness for specific PAGB policies and campaigns through the media.
• In collaboration with the regulatory team, manage communications for the defence of OTC ingredients.
• Build a year round programme of events to communicate PAGB priorities and issues for members and external audiences.
• Advise and support PAGB members with media communications where appropriate.

Policy development

• Keep PAGB members routinely informed of relevant business and health policy developments and alerting them to specific issues that may impact their business.
• Lead or support, in discussion with the management team, the process to develop and recommend PAGB policy positions on selected issues that impact its members, such as self care.
• Liaise with PAGB regulatory and advertising leads, to support and advise on policy areas under their remit such as reclassification or safety issues.
• Develop and draft submissions to Government and other stakeholder consultations as required.

Public Affairs and stakeholder engagement

• Manage PAGB's public affairs programmes to shape the external policy environment, in the UK and EU as part of PAGB's campaigns to promote self care and other policy priorities, including EU exit, environment and sustainability, and smoking cessation.
• Develop a stakeholder engagement plan to ensure that PAGB is represented at relevant policy discussions and events.
• Provide support to the management team and Board members to engage in policy discussions with external stakeholders as appropriate.
• Represent PAGB with government departments, Parliament, the NHS, healthcare professionals and other external stakeholders as part of a stakeholder engagement programme.
• Represent PAGB in industry forums such as AESGP (European Self Medication Industry) and GSCF (Global Self Care Federation) to ensure their agendas are relevant and reflect PAGB member priorities.
• Act as the PAGB lead on stakeholder groups or activities as agreed with the Chief Executive.

General

• Direct, develop and motivate the Communications team.
• Manage PAGB's policy and engagement programmes within agreed budgets and report on such expenditure as required.
• Manage additional Public Affairs and Communications support including any public affairs and communications agencies.

The Successful Applicant

• Educated to degree level in a communications discipline or with a relevant post-graduate qualification in a communications discipline.
• Five years + media relations, digital communications and public affairs experience.
• Proven policy and public affairs experience in a UK healthcare setting.
• Experience of working with or in the consumer healthcare industry preferred and/or a membership organisation preferred.
• Ability, authority and confidence to work directly with senior stakeholders - e.g. government officials, MPs, health professionals, company executives.
• Good understanding of the interfaces between media and political communications.
• Proven experience of complex stakeholder management.
• Proven experience of dealing with national and trade media, including drafting statements and press releases, handling media enquiries.
• Member of CIPR or other recognised professional body and accountable to a code of conduct

What's on Offer

You will be working in a small and friendly team that makes a big difference.

This role pays a salary of £70-£80K plus benefits.

The role will be based in London but hybrid working from home and in the office.