Deputy Director, Public Affairs

This leadership role - part of the Communications Group and the UUK senior management teams - will be responsible for the team that delivers Universities UK's (UUK) political engagement and parliamentary campaigning activities, as well as overseeing our strategic stakeholder engagement.
The post-holder will play a leading role in liaising with politicians, their advisors, civil servants, think tanks and other key stakeholders to ensure that UUK's strategic priorities and activities are communicated to influential audiences in the most effective way. They will be responsible for delivering a political engagement strategy which is a crucial part of UUK's priorities.

The post-holder will have excellent contacts in Westminster and Whitehall. They will be experienced at preparing briefings for and attending senior-level meetings, be able to evidence their ability to build networks of supporters and forge meaningful partnerships to impact government policy and the wider public policy debate. They will have an interest in higher education policy and issues affecting the sector.

Please note that Universities UK operates a hybrid working framework involving the opportunity to work from home and in the office. There will be a small number of roles where employees will be required to work from an office, but typically the majority of employees will be able to work remotely on average 60% of their working week. All employees are welcome to use their contractual office for their whole working week if that is their preference.

Please note to apply for this role you should submit a CV and cover letter (maximum two pages) by the closing date to alec@ellwoodatfield.com. The cover letter should provide evidence of how you meet the person specification.