External Affairs Executive

Overview of the role:

Working in a small team, you will play an active role in the delivery of their External Affairs programme of work, primarily delivering secretariat duties for the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) on Deep Geothermal, as well as contributing to wider external affairs outputs.

Your core responsibilities will be to develop and deliver APPG Secretariat duties. You will ensure members and political stakeholders are kept informed, and that administrative requirements are met. You will be responsible for organising APPG meetings in Parliament and driving forward the APPG’s programme of work, liaising with multiple stakeholders across the public sector, industry, and academia. You will also monitor the public affairs landscape and deliver ongoing External Affairs programmes.

There will be opportunities to organise and attend Parliamentary and member events and to support meetings with parliamentarians and officers. Your work will include drafting briefings, minutes, press releases, and wider correspondence for members of the team, working across media relations, digital communications, stakeholder engagement, and crisis communications. You’ll undertake parliamentary monitoring to find and highlight debates and questions of relevance to members. You will also work closely with colleagues across other departments to ensure all external affairs messaging is aligned across the organisation.

Their head office is in Holborn, London – you will be expected to work in the office at least three days a week. Occasionally, you will travel to member offices, or other UK venues, to support events hosted there.

Key tasks:

- Ensure the APPG on Deep Geothermal is well managed and meets stakeholder expectations.
- Communicate regularly with external stakeholders.
- Produce internal written briefings ahead of meetings with Parliamentarians and industry stakeholders.
- Produce press releases and ensure they receive the widest coverage for them and their other work, by growing their network in trade and national press along with other media outlets.
- Take an active role in ensuring public affairs events are well run.
- Conduct regular media monitoring of Parliament and of the sectors they represent, identifying opportunities and risks for them and their members.
- Represent them and their members at Parliamentary and relevant industry events.
- Liaise with and manage the agencies/suppliers responsible for supporting the management of their public affairs programme.
- Working with the wider team, identify, develop, and deliver compelling thought leadership pieces (e.g., reports, whitepapers, blogs, opinion pieces).
- Keep external affairs content on their website up to date and relevant.
- Provide holiday and sickness cover for external affairs and comms roles.
- Support the development of their commercial opportunities, in collaboration with the Membership, Marketing, and Events team.
- Take direction and support your line manager and participate in any other tasks the organisation may require you to do.

Person Specification:

This role would suit someone with some experience in politics and/or external affairs, who would like to develop their skills and expand their knowledge in the renewable energy and cleantech sector. They will be adaptable, proactive, creative thinkers, and will get the job done whilst developing constructive relationships with colleagues. Candidates are encouraged to demonstrate experience of working with or managing APPGs, select committees, or advisory boards, and of dealing with multiple external stakeholders.

Essential:

- Exceptional organisational skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines and attention to detail.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Comfortable speaking and communicating with a range of internal and external contacts and organisations (e.g., the media, MPs offices, member companies, etc.).
- A professional attitude and willingness to work as part of a team.
- Creative and resourceful, with an ability to think beyond the obvious.
- Proficiency in Microsoft programs (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Teams).
- An active interest in Westminster, politics, and the policy-making process.
- An active interest in renewable energy, clean technology, and environmental issues.

Desired:

- Experience of APPG Secretariat duties, or committees, advisory boards, etc.
- Experience writing for different audiences (could be through press releases, statements, blogs, briefing papers, etc).
- Experience of media or political monitoring.
- Experience of supporting events and event management.
- Knowledge of mailing, website, and CRM software, e.g., WordPress, Mailchimp.

REF-216944