Senior External Affairs Manager

Job summary

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade sits at the heart of the government's number one priority: kickstarting economic growth to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7. Our mission is clear – to drive more people into good jobs, raise living standards, and deliver productivity growth in every part of the United Kingdom.

We achieve this by making the UK the best place in the world to do business, making the UK the most connected economy, and delivering great services to business.

Through our Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy, Small Business Plan, and Plan to Make Work Pay, we're working in partnership with business to create the conditions for investment, innovation, and job creation that will put more money in working people's pockets.

BIST's Communications and Marketing function is undergoing a bold transformation to meet the demands of the modern media landscape and deliver on our ambitious growth mission. We're moving from traditional discipline-based communications to an integrated, outcome-focused model that positions communications as a critical delivery enabler, not just a service function.

By joining BIST Communications and Marketing, you'll be part of a team that's redefining how government communicates about economic growth – working collaboratively across disciplines, using evidence and insight to drive impact, and demonstrating how government partnership with business is creating jobs, driving investment, and improving living standards across the UK.

Job description

Role Summary

Partnership and advocacy are central to our communications, collaborating with stakeholders on campaigns and engagement that have real impact. From businesses and trade bodies, to exporters and investors, to research institutes and universities, to trade unions and campaigners, we work with diverse organisations to ensure our messages are reaching the right audiences.

As Senior External Affairs Manager, you’ll deliver external affairs campaigns, focusing on partnership-driven, story-led communications and showcasing stories of businesses, workers and communities who benefit from our policies. You will build relationships with influential external partners to generate compelling content and powerful advocacy for our communications priorities.

You’ll play a key part in our campaign teams promoting the Industrial Strategy, international trade deals, small business support, workplace rights, and innovative science and research, and you will help ensure our campaigns are building confidence and trust in the UK’s vision for growth.

Collaborating across BIST, including with press, digital, marketing, Ministerial visits, policy and business engagement colleagues, you will be at the heart of an integrated approach to stakeholder engagement, delivering high-quality communications that align with departmental priorities.

Key Accountabilities

As a vital part of the External Affairs team, you will support the Head of External Affairs and Visits and lead projects to:

• Devise and deliver strategic stakeholder engagement that promotes advocacy, supports our communications campaigns, and enhances the reputation of the Department
• Lead stakeholder insight and mapping activity to deepen the Department’s understanding of the issues and campaigns of key stakeholders and identifying emerging opportunities and risks to inform strategic communications
• Build trusted relationships and manage a network of professional contacts to find and amplify compelling stories about the impact of the Department. You will collaborate in particular with external stakeholders’ communications and external affairs teams.
• Generate creative content with and for external stakeholders to bring the Department’s messages to life, and secure opportunities that spread our messages through stakeholder channels and networks.
• Work with policy, press, digital and marketing teams to embed stakeholder content across multiple BIST channels.
• Support and advise on high profile Ministerial and Senior Official events, forums and roundtables.
• Develop and improve systems and processes to capture, share and embed stakeholder intelligence across the Department’s communications campaigns.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on the effectiveness of external affairs activities.
• Contribute to the Government Communications Service and spread best practice across the department, raising understanding of External Affairs.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage.

• Proven experience of managing external affairs or advocacy-led communication campaigns
• Ability to work with influential and high-profile businesses and stakeholders, understanding their priorities, perspectives and sentiment
• Evidence of confidently communicating with and influencing both senior internal and external stakeholders, through a range of channels.
• Strong organisational and planning skills, with ability to prioritise and deliver exceptional communications outcomes (including events, digital content, and campaign partnerships)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent collaboration, interpersonal skills and proactivity to bring internal and external stakeholders alongside to co-develop projects, often delivering through others
• A broad understanding and interest in communications, from news management and social media to co-creation and campaigning, with a strong understanding in how to evaluate, learn and improve.

The Person

The below is a list of characteristics which may be helpful in this role. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but are laid out to help candidates understand more about the role.

You will have experience of managing and implementing significant external / public affairs campaigns and delivering the highest quality work. You will be used to delivering projects and partnerships, generating and implementing creative ideas, developing content (particularly digital communications) and have an excellent understanding of communication operating principles. You will have excellent influencing, stakeholder management and relationship building skills and you will be able to think strategically to identify the most impactful opportunities

We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic and creative, driven by achieving outcomes through building relationships that meet shared agendas and objectives.

You will always maximise communications opportunities and work well with internal and external stakeholders to deliver them. You will be very organised and have excellent planning skills, with absolute attention to detail.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,913, Department for Business and Trade contributes £13,011 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A CV detailing your career history, including any relevant qualifications and experience.

• A Personal Statement (max. 500 words) demonstrating how you meet the requirements of the job description, responsibilities, and essential criteria.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the CV only.

Candidates who pass the initial sift of the CV will either progress to a full sift where the Personal Statement is then assessed or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours and Experience.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.

Please note, following a recent change to the Machinery of Government, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will be renamed to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) as of 20th July 2026. BIST will connect the UK’s world-class science and technology base directly to the businesses, places and workers that will drive good growth across the country. Such changes will not affect the selection process for this campaign; however, we wanted to take this opportunity to advise you of the recent changes to our department.

You can find further information here regarding recent governmental changes Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet - GOV.UK.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.

• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.

• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.

• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.

• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/Access NI on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

Vetting

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5-years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Alexander Lee-Hall
• Email : alexander.leehall@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DBT T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)