Director of UK Public Affairs

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Director of UK Public Affairs

Please note KBR does not offer sponsorship and will only consider applicants who have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom and a willingness to undergo relevant security clearance.

Location: Head office Leatherhead, Surrey, but most of your time will be spent in London (hybrid).

The Role

As the Director of UK Public Affairs, you will report into the VP Public Private Investments working closely with the President of Government Solutions International and other senior UK leadership to identify key policy/political issues and events that will require appropriate strategies and plans for response. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who has a passion for influencing policy decisions that have a tangible impact on the business. A high performer in this role will quickly establish themselves as an advisor to the senior leadership of the business, including at board level. You’ll build effective and collaborative relationships with a wide range of external stakeholders, including politicians on both sides of the House, senior civil servants, and industry bodies.

You’ll have excellent understanding of, and experience in, U.K. Parliament as well as Government ministers and Public Private partnerships/contracting. Working directly with MPs of all Parties, the opposition, as well as Ministers and the wider Whitehall, you’ll have a clear interest and significant experience in politics, as well as the ability to work effectively in a corporate environment.

Responsibilities

1. Utilise existing sources and tools to map stakeholders and key contacts at all Government departments and relevant arm’s length bodies, as well as key political influencers in Westminster, liaising with colleagues to understand where contacts already exist with KBR within the civil service and Parliament.
2. Build a network within KBR to fully understand the commercial and public policy objectives in relation to Central Government and create a contact strategy to support this agenda.
3. Build and maintain a contact database to support KBR’s objectives of growth within the Central Government market and influence on the wider public policy agenda.
4. Create a plan for senior colleagues to engage with senior decision makers within Central Government, to complement the firm’s wider political stakeholder engagement plan.
5. Organise meetings with MPs, Ministers, SpAds, and senior civil servants and help ensure that leadership are fully briefed in advance and follow up with any further actions that arise from the meetings.
6. Build strong working relationships across Whitehall to support the business's wider commercial activity with Government departments.
7. Work with key teams within KBR to identify opportunities to engage with relevant government contracts, tenders, and flagship policy initiatives.
8. Digest, analyse, and advise on political and government intelligence.
9. Act as an advisor providing updates on Government and political developments.
10. Monitor political and relevant public policy developments and convey information to the appropriate internal teams, and use intelligence gathered to ensure our engagement plans remain relevant and timely.
11. Provide briefings, core scripts, and other support to principals when engaging politically and in public policy debates.
12. Build relationships with key relevant trade bodies and think tanks to gain insights that support the firm’s wider commercial and public policy objectives.
13. Support wider members of the KBR Team of Teams to coordinate activity on industry-led government bodies.

What we Need

• Understanding of and experience in the UK defense, public procurement &/or highly regulated industry in the UK.
• Experience in Public Administration, Political Science, Economics, Business Administration, Politics.
• Demonstrable experience in a political, public policy, or Central Government environment, for example in a Ministerial Private Office, or as a Parliamentary Assistant.
• Experience of working in a communications function preferably with Public Affairs / Government Relations expertise.
• Knowledge of the workings of UK Government and Parliaments, with experience working for local or political parties.
• An understanding of how Central Government operates and its ongoing priorities, including the Cabinet Office Strategic Suppliers process and engagement.
• Knowledge of UK parliamentary process.
• Significant senior level experience working in a large corporate or professional services firm.
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills; ability to display tact and diplomacy.
• Exceptional writing and analytical skills, and the ability to write both strategically and creatively under tight deadlines.
• Understanding and experience of working within the UK Military/Defense environment including contact with UK Armed Forces and/or UK Defense industry.
• Knowledge of KBR’s customer/client base including DE&S and Defence and Security OEMs operating in the UK.

Join Our Talent Community!

At KBR, we partner with government and industry clients to provide purposeful and comprehensive solutions with an emphasis on efficiency and safety. With a full portfolio of services, proprietary technologies and expertise, our employees are ready to handle projects and missions from planning and design to sustainability and maintenance. Whether at the bottom of the ocean or in outer space, our clients trust us to deliver the impossible daily.

and at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people, sustainability, and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a more inclusive and diverse company. That commitment is central to our team of teams philosophy and fosters an environment of real collaboration across cultures and locations. Our individual perspectives bring enhanced value to our teams and help us develop solutions for the most challenging problems. We understand that by embracing those and working together, we are more innovative, more resilient, and safer. We Deliver — Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.