Policy and Public Affairs Officer

Ukie is the trade association that represents and supports the UK’s thriving video game and interactive entertainment industry. Our small team supports a membership of nearly 700 leading businesses, helping them as they create some of the world’s most exciting games.  Our membership includes cutting-edge companies working across the interactive entertainment industry from Sony PlayStation, Electronic Arts and Microsoft to Improbable, Space Ape and Jagex. 

With a changing political environment and new Government there are several significant issues for the sector to navigate including online safety, the use of AI, long term skills and training challenges, and how to maintain the sector as an engine of growth in the UKs creative industries. We are offering an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, bright and determined policy and public affairs professional to join our team and shape how we engage Government and other external stakeholders on behalf of our members.

Increasingly we are working beyond the games and interactive entertainment industry, working on a cross sectoral basis with partners in the creative and tech industries. We also work with other relevant trade associations on an international level to share best practice and ensure we are able to react to and shape policy on a global basis.

About you
This role his is an ideal role for an ambitious, self-motivated individual who thrives in a small but dedicated team environment and who wants to develop their knowledge of policy making, engagement and campaigns at a trade body with a national profile.

Ideally you will bring:

• The ability to work accurately with a good eye for detail
• The ability to manage and meet deadlines and competing priorities
• The ability to work with a range of internal and external stakeholders with varied priorities
• A willingness to learn and develop specialist policy knowledge and how it affects the video games sector
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to condense complex policy areas into understandable briefings for stakeholders
• Good political acumen and the ability to spot trends and opportunities for engagement for Ukie and its members

What you’ll be doing

• The post holder will help advance Ukie’s policy work on aspects of UK and international policy impacting the games and interactive entertainment industry through:
• Monitoring policy changes and providing in-depth policy analysis, research, and reports for internal stakeholders.
• Relationship building and engagement with Ukie members and wider sector stakeholders, including attendance at internal and external stakeholder meetings and coalition industry groups.
• Support the Senior Policy Manager in research for Ukie’s external consultation responses, co-ordinating with members and facilitating internal forums for discussions on particular issues.
• Support in organising events and engagement with policy makers within Whitehall, Westminster, the Devolved Governments and with regional, combined and local authorities as well as with our global partners in the EU, US and further afield. 
• Assisting the policy and research teams with major public affairs projects and campaigns according to the UKIEs internal strategy and drawing on Ukie’s internal data and external partners where appropriate.
• Supporting and promoting Ukie at external political meetings, including our bi-annual Westminster Games Week.
• Support in raising the profile of Ukie and its significant policy priorities through external communications in partnership with the Ukie campaigns team, and through public scrutiny such as the use of written parliamentary questions.
• Acting as the lead point of contact for the APPG on Video Games and Esports to which Ukie acts as the secretariat and taking responsibility for liaising with its members.
• Lead on external policy communications such as the Ukie Policy Byte, the bi-weekly political newsletter, with support from Senior Policy Manager and Head of Policy where necessary.
• Be responsible for the team administration of internal stakeholder meetings, including sending out invites, taking minutes and preparing relevant material as well as maintaining up to date email lists of all stakeholders.

Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain relationships with games industry member businesses and a wide range of external bodies; including partner organisations, government officials and other trade bodies.
• Support the Senior Policy Manager and Head of Policy in the management of Ukie’s internal stakeholder groups – including Ukie’s policy group and its various working sub groups.
• Maintain stakeholder engagement trackers and act as a point of contact for external engagement with Parliamentarians, regional politicians and their offices.
• Support the Head of Policy and Chief Executive in any external engagements.
• Support the policy team and wider Senior Management team with other reasonable tasks as required

 Qualifications and experience required for this role 

Qualified by experience. You don’t need to hold a degree to apply for this role, but experience of working in a policy facing role, public affairs agency or regulatory environment would be advantageous. On-the-job training will be provided via Ukie or external providers where appropriate.  
  
Hours of Work 

• Monday to Friday – 9.00am to 5.30pm
• Expectation that some evening and weekend work may be required to attend or run Ukie events as the business requires. 

This role profile is not exhaustive; working as part of a small and dynamic team, there will be an opportunity to tailor the role to your interests and ambitions in agreement with the Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager and Head of Policy and Public Affairs.

There is also the expectation that you will be flexible to help the wider organisation and its other teams in accordance with its strategic priorities where necessary, as directed by the Head of Policy or Chief Executive where appropriate.