Head of Policy & Public Affairs Full Time

Stevenage Football Club
HEAD OF POLICY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Creative UK is the independent network for the UK Creative Industries. Our goal is simple: to cultivate a world where creativity is championed, valued, and nurtured.

We are looking for an experienced professional with an extremely strong public affairs, policy and research background – who is imaginative, innovative and bold, who can communicate complex ideas accurately, succinctly and clearly, and who can be persuasive. We have been able to grow an authentic voice which represents, promotes, and enhances the interests of the UK’s world-leading creative sector through high-profile public campaigning and representations to the UK Government and a wide range of national and regional governmental bodies on policy solutions. This is made possible through convening, mobilising, and partnering with an influential and diverse mix of creative organisations, creators, education providers, trade bodies and unions that make up our membership. The role is responsible for ensuring Creative UK effectively uses policy and advocacy in the UK to support its mission.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced professional and leader who is enthusiastic, dynamic and looking to make a real difference to the cultural and creative industries across the UK. Our new Head of Policy & Public Affairs will join a fast-paced and agile team within the Policy & Engagement Directorate, developing a high performing policy and public affairs function, establishing policy positions, delivering flagship policy-driven campaigns and effective stakeholder engagement to further the reach and impact of Creative UK. You will work with Creative UK’s membership, the Chief Executive, the Director of Policy & Engagement, colleagues across Creative UK and wider stakeholders to secure policy changes on behalf of the UK’s cultural and creative industries.

The ideal successful candidate has a strong track record as a senior policy and public affairs practitioner with measurable evidence in positively influencing change in UK Government policy, ideally across the cultural and creative industries. You will have an established network, strong communications skills and the ability to take the lead in managing complex issues and external relationships. This postholder will lead the design of effective policy solutions with and for Creative UK’s membership across a range of cross-cutting areas. This includes building and coordinating a framework for influencing and campaigning across diverse UK audiences, as well as providing briefings and support across Creative UK’s working structures including the membership, UK Council, Director of Policy & Engagement and the Chief Executive.

You will need to have the credibility and the gravitas to engage confidently with senior leaders and the intellectual curiosity to cultivate all that Creative UK has to offer in order to engineer the design and landing of policy solutions which matter for the creative economy at large. You will have confidence around the building and use of evidence to make the case for change, the passion to consistently engage across diverse stakeholders to design rigorous policy solutions, a strong understanding of the workings of Whitehall and Westminster and a clear and persuasive written and verbal style.

This role provides a unique opportunity to work directly with policymakers, politicians and individuals and organisations from across the UK’s cultural and creative industries, from advertising, architecture, museums, galleries, fashion, film, tv, craft, heritage, publishing, visual arts, performing arts and video games, and others; you’ll be a real game-changer helping to lead a movement for positive change.

LOCATION: Central London, MIN 2 days per week working from the Creative UK workspace.

STARTING SALARY: UP TO £60,000 + benefits including pension, private medical and life assurance

CONTRACT: Permanent

TO APPLY: Email your CV, cover letter and/or 1-2-minute video link to by 2nd January 2024 midday. Please complete our anonymous diversity and inclusion survey. First round interviews will take place w/c 8th January 2024, second round interviews w/c 15th January 2024 in person London, immediate appointment preferred.

Previous applicants need not apply, no agencies please

Video link optional. Creative UK is an inclusive recruiter and happy to make adjustments to our selection process by request

REPORTS TO: Director of Policy & Engagement

LINE MANAGES: Key colleagues within the Policy, Research and Advocacy functions

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Strategy & delivery: Development and delivery of successful policy and public affairs strategy.
• Convening and managing: including debate, co-production and communications across industry bodies, Creative UK member networks and task and finish groups and relevant leaders and officials within UK Government and UK Parliament
• Campaign management: successful execution of policy-led high impact campaigns
• Effective member stakeholder engagement: which enables and delivers policy change
• Relationship and account management: including key stakeholders and Creative UK members

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Taking ownership of the provision of evidence (including data) sourcing, analysis which generates unique insights and the design of specific policy solutions in order to communicate clear policy positions based on that evidence
• Establishing, promoting and maintaining strong relationships across all political parties within the UK and across Westminster and Whitehall, strengthening Creative UK’s reputation as a rigorous and trusted source of analysis and solutions for policy change
• To consistently and substantively brief and advise the Director of Policy & Engagement and CEO regarding political developments within the UK and internationally which may affect Creative UK including members and wider stakeholders
• Providing regular updates to the Director of Policy & Engagement and Executive team on activity with meaningful articulation of impact against aims and objectives, updates against progress, and full visibility of stakeholder networks including Creative UK membership structures through agile task-and-finish activities
• Leading the policy and public affairs function, including developing and delivering annual work plans and ensuring that objectives and performance targets are met including securing commercial and in-kind contributions to policy and advocacy work
• Develop submissions and responses to key moments in the UK Government’s political calendar including the HM Treasury Budget, King’s Speech, Spring Statement, key legislation and Select Committees
• Management of budget and resources relating to Policy and Public Affairs work
• Day to day charge of policy and public affairs input across the work of Creative UK, working in partnership with the Head of Communications to maintain and grow Creative UK’s external profile, hone messaging and increase our visibility with key stakeholders including across all media and key stakeholder audiences
• Work closely with the Creative UK Events team to ensure a strong and consistent policy voice for all events
• Develop and deliver a pipeline of tactical public affairs interventions that take advantage of key opportunities and mechanisms to raise awareness, build consensus and influence policy
• Build and deliver a clear strategy to manage Creative UK priority stakeholders and effective engagement, advising and involving colleagues on execution
• Keep abreast of political developments to shape and refine influencing strategies and Creative UK team processes, including activity which supports the Creative UK membership in undertaking direct advocacy
• Pursue policy discussions with institutions, partner organisations, politicians and officials across Whitehall as agreed with the Director or Policy & Engagement and Chief Executive.
• Represent Creative UK on all aspects of policy, working alongside the Director of Policy & Engagement, including being Creative UK’s spokesperson when required
• Account management of key Creative UK members, primarily cultural and creative industries trade bodies and organisations, including not-for-profit, regularly updating the HubSpot CRM and wider team with insight on issues and solutions.
• Ensure Creative UK meets its statutory comms requirements in relation GDPR and Freedom of Information.

This job description is not intended to be either prescriptive or exhaustive; it is issued as a framework to outline the main areas of responsibility at the time of writing

Key competencies and behaviours

• Policy: demonstrably experienced in a public policy environment, with first-hand experience in the cultural and creative industries
• Convenor and influencer: the ability to command credibility in convening and leading policy discussions with political and policy stakeholders and Creative UK members
• Connected: holding strong working relationships with existing contacts across the policy landscape including Westminster and Whitehall
• Excellent interpersonal skills; an ability to deal with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences
• Knowledge and understanding: across UK Government and devolved administrations policy (EU policy desirable), the cultural and creative industries and wider UK trade bodies.
• Tact and diplomacy: . click apply for full job details