Public Affairs Manager/ Senior Public Affairs Manager

Job Title: Public Affairs Manager/Senior Public Affairs Manager
Organisation: Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA)
Responsible to: Executive Lead, External Affairs
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £40,000 – £52,000 per annum (full time equivalent) depending on experience
Location and Base: Home-based in the North of England with travel to London and across the North

Job Description

Public Affairs Manager

This is an exciting role for an impactful organisation which drives health and wealth across the North of England. Working with Metro Mayors, MPs and Ministers and the region’s leading universities and research intensive hospitals, this role is diverse and exciting offering the opportunity to drive significant change for the Northern Health Science Alliance’s members, and for the North, driving investment into health R&D and tackling health inequalities.

We are an alliance of NHS hospital trusts, universities and health innovation networks across the North of England. We give one voice to the health research system across the region and are a key player in growing the prosperity of the North through life sciences research and tackling inequalities.
The NHSA has a track record of delivering impactful change through our networks, reports, and events, nationally and internationally.

The Public Affairs Manager will have experience working in, or with, Westminster and/or regional government and directing impactful public affairs campaigns. You will have a passion for the North of England, ideally knowledge of the health innovation sector, and work as an integral part of our public affairs and communications team.

Job Details

Key responsibilities

Strategic Leadership: Together with the NHSA’s executive team, drive the development and execution of public affairs strategies and campaigns, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and delivering measurable impact at a senior level.
Policy Analysis & Advocacy: Provide thought leadership by analysing complex policy issues affecting NHSA members, identifying strategic opportunities for influence, and spearheading innovative solutions.
Campaign Ownership: Contribute to high-profile campaigns and cross-functional projects, ensuring seamless integration with NHSA’s and Health Equity North (HEN)’s broader mission and goals.
Policy Development: Craft compelling policy positions and translate them into impactful Parliamentary briefings, reports, and advocacy materials aligned with NHSA’s and HEN’s communications strategy.
Cross-Team Collaboration: Liaison with the wider public affairs and communications team, ensuring cohesive messaging and integration across all public affairs and communications activities.
Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate and strengthen relationships with senior national and local political stakeholders, including Ministers, MPs, Metro Mayors, policymakers, and influencers, to drive meaningful change.
Secretariat for APPG: NHSA provide the secretariat for the Child of the North All-Party Parliamentary group. Running the group together with the Public Affairs Officer is a key part of this role.
Event Leadership: Planning and execution of high-profile events, including Parliamentary and Party-Political Conference engagements, ensuring their strategic value and success including financial planning.
Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and manage junior team members and freelancers, fostering a collaborative environment, providing guidance, and ensuring alignment with project goals and deadlines.
Performance Monitoring: Evaluating the impact of public affairs activities, providing regular insights and recommendations to inform strategic decisions.
Stakeholder Management: Oversee the stakeholder database, ensuring its accuracy and strategic utilisation to support NHSA’s and HEN’s objectives.
Intelligence Monitoring: Regularly assess policy developments and trends, delivering timely insights to inform NHSA’s and HEN’s strategy and activities.
Organisational Representation: Represent the NHSA and HEN at engagements, demonstrating exceptional professionalism in all interactions.
Special Projects: Lead or contribute to critical organisational initiatives, including out-of-hours responsibilities and travel across the UK as needed.

Experience

Proven track record in developing and leading high-impact public affairs and strategic communications campaigns, delivering measurable outcomes.
Experience in analysing complex political landscapes and formulating actionable policy solutions.
Demonstrated success in managing junior team members to achieve their full potential.
Expertise in cultivating and maintaining strategic relationships with senior politicians, policymakers, and key sector stakeholders.
Significant experience engaging with Government departments and senior Parliamentarians, driving policy influence at the highest levels.
An understanding of quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis skills.
Knowledge of current health and life sciences environment.
Understanding of Government, Parliamentary, and legislative processes, with a focus on leveraging them for organisational advantage.
Proven ability to execute creative, external-facing campaigns to influence public and political discourse effectively.
Skilled in drafting policy reports, consultation responses, and other strategic documents.
Educated to degree level, with exceptional communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills to engage diverse audiences and drive alignment across complex stakeholder landscapes.

Background

The Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) was established in 2011 and acts as a front door to the North of England’s health research system working for a healthier, wealthier region. As a partnership bringing together the leading universities and NHS hospital trusts in the North of England, the NHSA acts as an advocate for, and provides a portal to, its internationally recognised health science excellence.

The NHSA has enjoyed significant success in creating opportunities and value for its members by bringing the alliance together, it has been able to leverage individual organisational strengths and capabilities for greater impact, raising the profile of health science in the North of England, attracting research funding from traditional and non-traditional sources, and contributing to better patient outcomes in its regions. For more information, visit: www.theNHSA.co.uk

Health Equity North (HEN) is a virtual institute focused on place-based solutions to public health problems and health inequalities across the North of England, established by the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) in 2023. HEN brings together world-leading academic expertise from the NHSA’s members of leading universities and hospitals with the aim of fighting health inequalities through research excellence and collaboration. The institute focuses on three key themes: Child of the North, Health for Wealth, and Health Resilience. For more information visit: www.healthequitynorth.co.uk

Guiding Principles of our Organisation and the Role

The primary duties of this post will be as Public Affairs Manager/Senior Public Affairs Manager, but we are looking for an all-rounder who understands the importance of teamwork and the requirement, in a small team, to roll up their sleeves and assist whenever they are needed. The successful applicant can expect their role to be diverse with no two days being the same. You will work agilely from a home base in the North of England, but you will be connected via Microsoft Teams for regular contact with your line manager and the rest of the team. We also have regular face-to-face meetings as a team.

We know that first impressions count, and we pride ourselves on the professionalism and effectiveness of our interactions. The post-holder must, therefore, possess excellent inter-personal skills and be highly professional in all communications, both internal and external.

For more an informal conversation about the role, email NHSA CEO: Hannah.davies@theNHSA.co.uk

To Apply: To be considered for the role, you must send both a CV and a covering letter outlining your interest and suitability for the role based on the above job description. Please send to: ruth.boston@thenhsa.co.uk

Deadline for applications: Friday, June 5, at 17:00, however we may close the advert early if we receive a strong response, so we encourage early applications.

Interviews to be held: Weeks commencing June 22 and June 29.
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to deliver a brief presentation as part of the interview process.