Deputy Head of Public Affairs & Strategic Engagement

As Deputy Head of Public Affairs and Strategic Engagement, you will play a pivotal role in shaping Nationwide’s political engagement and public affairs strategy. Acting as a senior leader within the Corporate Affairs function, you will help ensure the business maintains a strong and influential voice across Westminster, Whitehall, and the wider political landscape.

Working closely with the Head of Public Affairs and Strategic Engagement, you will design and deliver Nationwide’s cross‑party engagement strategy, supporting senior leaders to navigate political developments and advocating for policies that protect and promote our mutual model and over 16 million members.

In this role, you will build trusted relationships with ministers, MPs, peers, advisers, civil servants, and key political networks across all parties. You will lead high‑impact engagement activity including political events, policy roundtables, visits, and party conference programmes, ensuring that Nationwide is recognised as a respected and apolitical voice in debates on housing, financial services, the economy, and the future of mutuality.

A central part of your work will involve providing strategic counsel to ExCo and senior leaders. You will interpret complex political and regulatory developments, advise on risks and opportunities, and ensure clear, consistent messaging across the Society. You will also oversee stakeholder mapping and targeting, ensuring our engagement is well planned, balanced, and aligned to Nationwide’s priorities.

You will represent Nationwide at senior external forums, lead engagement with parliamentary groups and select committees, and manage consultation responses, policy papers, and senior‑level briefings. You will also help manage external agencies, oversee budgets, and support leadership of the Public Affairs team, offering coaching and guidance to colleagues.

This is a high‑profile, outward‑facing role ideal for a politically astute leader who thrives in a fast‑moving environment and is motivated by shaping policy outcomes that make a real difference to people’s lives.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK‑wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems and learn.

For this job you’ll spend at least two days per week, or if part time you’ll spend 40% of your working time, based at our London office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.

Nationwide is committed to the redeployment of our employees impacted by change, as such applications for redeployment candidates will be prioritised in this recruitment process.

If you’re a colleague on long‑term absence (for example, on parental leave) or a temporary worker, please use your personal email address to submit an application.

The extras you’ll get include:

• Access to private medical insurance
• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement
• Access to an annual performance‑related bonus
• Training and development to help you progress your career
• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death
• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

We forge our own path at Nationwide. As a mutual, we’re owned by our members – those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us. At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best.

What to do next: If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up‑to‑date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

The hiring manager for this role is David Hass and the main recruitment contact is Amy Bright.

What you’ll be doing: In this role, you will shape and drive Nationwide’s political engagement strategy, ensuring senior leaders are equipped to navigate the external environment with confidence and clarity. You’ll spend your time analysing political developments, identifying risks and opportunities, and advising on how NBS should position itself on key national debates. You will lead relationships with senior political stakeholders and oversee the planning of high impact engagement that advances Nationwide’s priorities. You’ll also play a central role in aligning messages and activity across teams, ensuring our strategic influence is coherent and well‑coordinated.

About you: The minimum requirements for this role are:

• Deep knowledge of UK politics and experience working directly with senior political stakeholders
• Proven ability to operate strategically at the most senior levels inside and outside the business
• A strong track record of providing strategic political advice to senior leaders, ideally in a regulated sector
• The ability to lead aspects of corporate public affairs strategy with minimal oversight, ensuring alignment with business objectives and external political developments
• Experience of leading high‑profile engagement, events, and campaigns with measurable outcomes
• Experience of deputising for Head of Team for managerial duties, overseeing agencies, budgets, and the work of junior team members
• Confidence operating in fast‑moving, politically sensitive environments with competing priorities
• Excellent judgement and communication skills, with experience drafting senior‑level briefings and policy material
• A commitment to Nationwide’s purpose and values, including its mutual model

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel – We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind.
• Say it straight – We are brave in speaking out and saying what we mean – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand.
• Push for better – We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development.
• Get it done – We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes.

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.