Head of External Affairs

Head of External Affairs Section: Corporate Communications Location: Highfield Campus Salary: £45,413 to £57,422 per annum Full Time Permanent Closing Date: Monday 23 June 2025 Reference: 3115425CD Interviews to be held on 5 August 2025. We are seeking an outstanding external affairs expert to lead our strategic engagement with influential individuals, organisations and opinion formers. As our first Head of External Affairs, you will develop and lead a stakeholder engagement strategy that enhances our reputation and showcases our distinctive strengths and real-world impact. You will map and prioritise political, industry and other key stakeholders, gather relevant insight to inform your approach and provide advice to senior leaders. At this pivotal time for the sector, you will also play an active role in shaping the reputation of higher education, working closely with partners to increase awareness of the vital role of universities in the UK. You will look for opportunities to position Southampton as an exemplary higher education institution, demonstrating our commitment to skills, employability and enterprise. You will provide strategic counsel to senior leadership on engagement opportunities and reputation management and will establish best practice standards for stakeholder engagement across the University. You will be a key member of the senior management team within Communications, providing strong professional leadership, support and challenge and contributing to a positive, collaborative team culture. You will be expected to forge strong relationships across the University, working closely with Communications teams and Civic and Policy colleagues to showcase Southampton\’s economic and social impact. As we expand globally, you\’ll guide external affairs activities for our international campuses, embedding best practice principles tailored to each market. Apply by uploading your CV and a cover letter detailing how your skills and experience match the requirements of the role. Further details: As a university we aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive and are proactive in fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a working environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work. With a generous holiday allowance as well as additional university closure days we are committed to supporting our staff and students and open to a flexible working approach. Apply by 11.59 pm GMT on the closing date. For assistance contact Recruitment, quoting the job number.