External and Government Affairs Manager- 12 month Fixed Term Contract in London

The External Affairs Manager will build strong relationships with Metro Mayors, businesses, industry bodies and business groups across the nations and regions of the UK on behalf of Heathrow and be able to use existing connections to enhance the airport’s reputation. As part of the Communications function, they will work with colleagues across the department to support proactive campaigns.

Your role will involve:

• Developing and maintaining excellent relationships with a wide range of political and external stakeholders throughout the nations and regions on behalf of Heathrow, including management of Heathrow’s Business Coalition.
• Supporting the activation of proactive and reactive communication strategies to build the reputation and support for our business, ensuring regular third party support is forthcoming.
• Scanning the political horizon for issues which are relevant to Heathrow and proactively developing strategies to address them.
• Drafting briefings for senior internal and external stakeholders to explain complex issues in a straightforward manner.
• Organising visits and attending events across the UK to demonstrate the importance of Heathrow to the UK economy, with a particular focus on our domestic supply chain and our role as the UK’s largest port by value.
• Being part of an on-call team responding to incidents at the airport.

These Skills Are Essential:

• Experience managing Public Affairs or External Relations.
• Experience handling complex and challenging relationships.
• Political experience and existing relationships who can engage with politicians across party and industry lines.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to understand complex information and present it in a way which is easy for stakeholders to understand.
• Proactive approach to updating and sharing information with colleagues.

Our rewards include competitive salaries and excellent benefits that will support you now and in the future, including performance‑based annual bonuses, a longer‑term Share in Success Bonus plan, generous annual leave allowances, market‑leading pensions, family‑friendly policies, private health insurance, a wide range of wellbeing tools and varied learning and development opportunities.

Working Location: Our Hybrid working approach offers the opportunity for colleagues in some roles to work from home for an average of two days a week, providing flexibility while ensuring operational needs are met. Working arrangements vary from team to team and will be confirmed during the recruitment process. You’ll need to be based in the UK and within a commutable distance to Heathrow.

Sustainable Travel to work: Heathrow’s Sustainable Travel Guide sets out easy and sustainable travel options that everyone can access.

Equal Opportunities: As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all. We believe that diverse talent makes us stronger – not least because we welcome passengers from all corners of the globe every single day. Heathrow is an accessible place to work. With five diversity networks, we champion inclusivity and celebrate individuality.