External Affairs Manager

This is an exciting opportunity in a new role within our recently established External Affairs Team, to help shape and deliver the external affairs strategy at NHS Charities Together, as catalyst and convenor of ideas, programmes and partnerships that help the NHS recover from the impact of Covid-19, reducing health inequalities and helping to save lives.

Our external affairs activity will include targeted stakeholder engagement across Government, including devolved nations; NHS bodies; parliamentary engagement; member charity capacity-building on influencing and developing policy thought leadership.

You will support stakeholder engagement across the organisation, supporting the Chief Executive, Senior Leadership team and Senior Management Team to engage with target stakeholders through writing briefings, identifying opportunities, horizon-scanning and keeping abreast of the health policy environment.

Position: External Affairs Manager

Location: Remote/Hybrid; Warwick

Salary: £35,000 - £42,000 per annum dependant on experience

Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week)

Benefits: Pension: 10% employer contribution, Annual leave: 28 days + bank holidays, pay it Forward Days, Employee Benefits Package and Health Service Discounts, Reward Gateway’, Free access to Health Service Discounts (employee benefit provider) ‘Well Being Timeout’ scheme for all staff.

Closing Date: 18th July 2022

1st interview: Tuesday 26th / Wednesday 27th July (virtual)

2nd interview: Wednesday 3rd August

The Role:

You will play a hands-on role in the delivery of external affairs strategy through identifying stakeholders, writing, and disseminating briefings, arranging meetings, and developing and delivering high-profile events, plus supporting with monitoring, You will establish relationships with decision makers, parliamentarians, and external organisations to influence change and pursuit of our strategic goals. You will also work with our member organisations, developing their influencing capacity.

Key Responsibilities

The main duties and responsibilities of the role holder include:

• To support the Head of External Affairs to develop and deliver the External Affairs strategy, including devising and delivering influencing plans
• To plan and organise and deliver stakeholder engagement events
• To build, maintain, and manage relationships with key stakeholders including Government across the four nations; NHS bodies and charity partners
• To coordinate a stakeholder management system across the organisation
• To create tailored briefings for key stakeholders on organisational activity
• To coordinate our responses to relevant consultations and enquiries and developing policy positions
• To monitor policy landscape for relevant information / opportunities for engagement to further strategic aims
• To represent the Charity externally at conferences, coalition groups and meetings to further the organisation’s agenda
• To build relationships with member organisations
• To contribute to the wider Communications and External Affairs team

About you:

To be successful in the role as External Affairs Manager you will need to have previous experience within a similar role.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience in a similar role, with experience of delivering an external affairs programme, establishing and maintaining effective relationships with external stakeholders, including stakeholders in national and local Government, NHS bodies, health organisations and other partners.

You will be a confident communicator and an excellent writer, with a proven record of building a wide range of relationships at every level; the ability to influence, network, build alliances and work well in a team, combined with strong understanding of political processes and the health sector.

You will have:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and proven experience in managing relationships at every level
• Experience in stakeholder management and influencing strategies with demonstrable results.
• Experience of delivering stakeholder events with demonstrable results
• Experience of working in a politically sensitive environment and dealing with senior stakeholders
• Experience of working with devolved administrations
• Experience of developing and coordinating organisational policy positions, consultation responses, etc
• Experience of representing an organisation externally
• An understanding of how the NHS is organised and awareness of topical issues related to healthcare
• Excellent time management skills and an ability to consistently meet deadlines.
• Strong ability to manage workload and priorities
• A team player and self-starter, wiling to be flexible to support team priorities
• Knowledge / experience of working within a membership organisation or NHS charity

About the Organisation

A national, independent charity caring for the NHS. Working together with the network of 238 NHS charities based in hospitals, ambulance trusts, mental health trusts, community health trusts, and health boards across the UK to help the NHS go further for everyone.

We would love to hear from you if you believe you are the right person for this exciting position.

Please send your CV and a covering letter outlining how you meet the job description and person specification

Other roles you may have experience of could include Policy and External Affairs Manager, Public Affairs Manager, External Affairs Manager or Associate, External Affairs Officer, External Affairs and Partnership Manager, Communications, and external affairs officer etc.