Deputy Head of External Affairs

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is a new arms-length body set up, at unprecedented pace, to administer compensation to people whose lives have been impacted by the infected blood scandal.

We are building a Communications and Engagement Team with one aim: to deliver compensation to the infected blood community with care and respect. As a team we collaborate, we lead and we work at pace. With a big job to do youll be striving for innovation and excellence as we build the team together.

Were looking for an experienced, motivated and creative communications leader. Our work requires pace, impact and sensitivity, putting the infected and affected community at the heart of our communications and making it easy for them to get the compensation and support they are entitled to.

Working closely with the Engagement team, the External Affairs team will design and deliver our approach for building and maintaining parliamentary and other key relationships. This includes acting as trusted advisors and facilitators, delivering visits, speeches, events and roundtables and working across Government and charities amongst others.

IBCA employees will be public servants. If successful in this role you will be appointed directly into IBCA, on IBCA terms and conditions as a public servant.

Successful applicants will join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Please note that the mission of IBCA means that it is likely to be fully operational for a period of approximately up to 5 years, after which IBCA will become a smaller residual service. When IBCAs work begins to wind down, IBCA employees will receive support and practical guidance to find a new role, whether in the Civil Service, another Arms Length Body (ALB), or an external employer.

We are looking for a highly motivated, confident and enthusiastic leader to guide and shape a new External Affairs Team into IBCAs Communications and Engagement Team. You will draw on your insight and experience to build the strategy that will underpin this new team.

You will ensure that IBCA shares its purpose and progress with those with the greatest interest in and ability to influence the organisations success including parliamentarians, MPs, officials from government departments, regulators, partners and other advocates. You will understand the rhythm of a week in Westminster and the parliamentary calendar to identify and act on engagement opportunities to ensure that the infected blood community are informed of key moments.

You will take a long-term and strategic approach to your work, producing horizon scanning to map and plan for a cohesive timetable of engagement. As well as building IBCAs external reputation, you will work closely with colleagues and senior leaders across IBCA to embed this function within the Authority.

This is an opportunity to build a high-performing and motivated team to deliver measurable strategic external affairs for IBCA, ensuring community members are supported and informed through those that represent them.

Responsibilities:

• You will be responsible for the development and implementation of a robust and creative external affairs strategy that will underpin the ways of working for the new team and support IBCAs objectives.
• You will support with the planning and delivery of high quality engagement and visits to support IBCAs senior leadership team to engage with parliamentarians, MPs, officials from government departments, regulators, partners and other advocates.
• Work with policy experts across IBCA and government departments to understand policy and use this understanding to inform, develop and evaluate appropriate approaches to external affairs that will clearly demonstrate the progress that IBCA is making and support community members.
• Maintain a regular awareness of the news cycle and relevant stakeholder and community insight to ensure that IBCAs external engagement activity is planned with due regard to potential issues.
• Own and manage key communications and engagement channels and products (such as the MP toolkits and insight and analysis) to ensure that internal and external stakeholders have timely information with signposts to information, to better support those in their communities who are eligible to claim.
• You will have deep knowledge, a keen interest and experience of local and/ or central government including understanding council and/ or parliamentary procedures and the parliamentary calendar and how it might impact stakeholders.
• You will understand and have experience of local and/ or central government.
• Oversee an ongoing programme of engagement with MPs and other parliamentarians, (including regular face-to-face engagement for senior leaders),ensuring that they have relevant information to support their constituents and to secure understanding and advocacy over time.
• Devise and oversee regular stakeholder reviews, including stakeholder mapping, sentiment analysis, engagement strategies and evaluation, in order to inform IBCAs approach to external affairs and provide persuasive arguments for senior leaders to support your decisions.
• Work with the wider Communications and Engagement leadership team to support the directorates delivery plan, with the ability to flex should priorities change.
• Support the G6 Head of Media, Digital and External Affairs and deputise where required.

Some travel will be required.

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate will show:

• Evidence of building and leading teams and creating structure and stability in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Proven ability to deliver results in a fast-moving, busy, high profile environment.
• Proven ability to devise and deliver strategic approaches to engagement and external affairs.
• Ability to solve problems with tact and discretion.
• Proven ability to project manage, motivate teams, and ensure delivery to tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrable ability to provide strong and supportive leadership in a busy and high-profile environment.
• Experience of handling complex internal and external stakeholder relationships at a senior level to identify and achieve agreed outcomes, including political stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse trends based on qualitative and quantitative data and use these to inform planning and delivery.
• Experience of liaison and engagement within political systems (UK Parliament or devolved parliaments and assemblies).

Specialist Skills (desirable)

• Experience of working on central government planning
• Experience of trauma-informed engagement and communication.
• Experience of tracking and measuring the success of stakeholder engagement.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.