Senior public affairs executive

Closing date: 24th November 2024

Salary: Starting at £32,375 dependent on experience

Department: Strategy and Consumer Insights

Location: London

Grade: P2

Are you passionate about the intersection of media, politics, and public service? Help shape the future of one of the UK's most unique broadcasters in this exciting mid-level role.

The Policy and Public Affairs team sits within the Strategy and Consumer Insight division and is responsible for managing all of Channel 4’s relationships with the UK and devolved Governments and Parliaments, as well as with regulators and other stakeholders in the political and corporate worlds. It seeks to ensure that any policy and regulatory decisions made are in the best interests of Channel 4.

The team plays a lead role in ensuring that stakeholders are kept informed about key Channel 4 programmes and initiatives and understand Channel 4’s unique remit and model. It also provides briefing and advice to senior management, including members of the Executive Team. The team has members based in Leeds, London and Glasgow, and this role includes the option of being based in any of these locations.

The Senior Public Affairs Executive will provide support across the Policy and Public Affairs team – engaging with a wide range of projects across the breadth of the department’s work. The role will report into the Senior Manager, Public and External Affairs.

Responsibilities

• Preparing for and representing Channel 4 in Parliamentary engagement, meeting MPs and politicians across the UK’s political institutions in various settings, with support from others in the PPA team.
• Drafting briefings for Channel 4’s PPA team and executives for engagement.
• Supporting the management of Channel 4’s policy and public affairs forward activity planner – recording upcoming engagement and identifying relevant opportunities for members of the PPA team to engage with policymakers and politicians.
• Monitoring political and industry developments, legislation, and debates, updating the PPA and wider Channel 4 teams accordingly (working with our external monitoring agency and consultancies).
• Responsible for organising the Channel 4 All Party Parliamentary Group, preparing materials and an advance plan of events.
• Conducting ad-hoc desk research into industry, policy, and regulatory issues relevant to Channel 4 to support drafting of policy responses, internal summary notes, and briefings.
• Supporting the drafting of consultation responses and submissions on a range of policy issues relevant to Channel 4.
• Drafting content for newsletters and collating information to respond to policy and Parliamentary enquiries on various topics.
• Overseeing a database of Channel 4’s engagement with MPs/Peers and other stakeholders to track engagement and enable internal reporting of PPA activity.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Good understanding of the UK political system, ideally with experience working in Parliament, in political consultancy, or as part of an in-house public affairs team.
• Good network with policymakers and politicians.
• Great communication skills, comfortable explaining complex policy in simple terms, in person and in writing.
• Organised and adaptable with good attention to detail.
• A team player who is comfortable with ambiguity and willing to take on a variety of tasks across a busy team.
• A proactive self-starter who can see what work needs doing and make it happen.
• Adept at using and monitoring social media.
• An interest or knowledge of media and broadcasting policy and public affairs would be desirable but not essential.
• If you love television and are interested in politics, this could be a great role for you. A degree is not essential for this role. We are looking for a candidate who has great political nous; excellent communication skills, and a passion for Channel 4’s content, values, and role as a public service broadcaster and its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Hybrid working

From September 2023, Channel 4 has operated a 60/40 working pattern, equating to three office days per week. Having everyone in the office three days a week gives us more opportunity to build our high performing, inclusive culture; to collaborate and to learn and share with each other, as well as helping to coordinate a regular pattern of home and office working days. All our offices are open five days a week.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.