Public Affairs Manager (Scotland)

Salary: Circa GBP36,000 per annum

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time, 35 hours

Location: Office-based in Edinburgh (with flexible-working opportunities)

Application deadline: Sunday 9th May 2021, 23:59pm

Interviews: 20th and 21st May

Application method: CV and cover letter

We have a great opportunity for someone to join us a Public Affairs Manager responsible for driving Cancer Research UK's public affairs work in Scotland, leading our work with the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, and key NHS bodies to influence along our policy priority areas. Managing one officer and one assistant, the role will be an important member of the Devolved Nations Public Affairs team and the wider Policy Department, ensuring opportunities to influence are taken up to have impact for people affected by cancer in Scotland.

Some of the key responsibilities you can expect are...

• Manage the charity's public affairs activities in Scotland, build our profile among politicians and officials, and ensure our policy messages are heard at every level.
• Lead Scottish public affairs planning and work closely with the Policy Development, Public Affairs and Campaigns, Communications, Strategic Evidence, and Clinical Engagement teams.
• Support the work of the Senior External Affairs Manager (Devolved Nations) and play a key role in the management cohort across the Department.
• Use knowledge and understanding of the Scottish political and policy environment to proactively seek opportunities to grow the charity's influence and drive forward our policy priorities.
• Manage one Public Affairs Officer and one Public Affairs Assistant for Scotland, overseeing our relationships and influencing in the Scottish Parliament, including our work as secretariat of the Cross Party Group on Cancer and Scottish Cancer Coalition.
• Act as a media spokesperson for policy matters in Scotland.
• Lead on relationship management with key political and policy stakeholders in Scotland, ensuring the charity engages effectively and in a joined up way.
• Oversee the delivery of impactful communications with Scottish stakeholders, including briefings, speeches, blogs, social media content, reports, letters, emails and consultation responses.
• Oversee the delivery of a programme of events and activities to engage with key political and policy audiences.
• Monitor trends in policy and advocacy and drive innovation and collaborative working across public affairs activities, seeking new ways to have impact.
• Build strategic and operational relationships with key teams across Cancer Research UK including support for our research and fundraising work.
• Build and maintain good working relationships with key sector colleagues and act as a representative of the charity on appropriate bodies, groups and networks.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact and success of our work in Scotland and participate in producing annual operating plans and budgets for the Policy Department.

To be successful in this role you need...

Essential:

• Excellent understanding of the political environment and experience in successfully influencing for change in Scotland.
• Excellent political judgement, with commitment to neutrality and ability to work across the political spectrum.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiating skills, and strong experience of influencing internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent communications skills (written and oral), including the ability to write with a methodical, analytical and concise style.
• Ability to prioritise, work well under pressure, manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience of working in coalition or in partnership with other organisations.
• Experience of acting as a media spokesperson.
• Adaptable self-starter with the ability to work remotely and in self-directed way as part of a larger team.

For a full role profile, please see our candidate pack here at our website via the button below.