External Affairs Officer

As our External Affairs Officer, you will play a key role in helping Notting Hill Genesis build, protect and enhance its reputation with external audiences. Sitting within our Corporate Affairs function and reporting to the Head of External Affairs, you will help tell NHG's story as a purpose-driven organisation making a significant contribution to tackling London's housing crisis. You will be at the heart of our media relations, public affairs and stakeholder engagement activity, working directly with journalists, MPs, councillors, industry bodies and other external partners. Your work will help ensure NHG is seen as a credible, responsive and collaborative organisation while supporting our wider transformation agenda and resident-focused approach. This is an exciting opportunity for a communications, public affairs or political engagement professional who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment, has a strong interest in the political and media landscape, and wants to make a meaningful impact through their work.

How you'll do it

• Deliver key aspects of an integrated external communications programme, engaging with media, MPs, councillors, stakeholders and external audiences across London.
• Manage and respond to media enquiries in a timely and professional manner, helping to protect and enhance NHG's reputation.
• Coordinate the out-of-hours press office rota and support the management of the media inbox.
• Work alongside customer-facing teams to monitor social media channels and identify issues that could create reputational risk.
• Produce daily media briefings, summarising relevant sector, political and NHG-related news for colleagues.
• Manage media monitoring activity, providing analysis of coverage, key themes and messaging.
• Support proactive stakeholder engagement with MPs, councillors, London Assembly members and industry bodies.
• Develop briefing notes, correspondence, statements, stakeholder communications and other written materials.
• Prepare senior leaders and operational teams for high-profile stakeholder meetings, visits and engagements.
• Contribute to incident response and crisis communications activity, including developing handling plans when required.
• Monitor political, regulatory and sector developments, identifying opportunities, emerging risks and relevant insights for the business.
• Work collaboratively across NHG to ensure external communications reflect our values, resident focus and strategic priorities.

The ideal candidate

• Experience in media relations, corporate affairs, public affairs, government relations, political engagement or a related communications role.
• Experience gained within an in-house communications team, agency, public sector organisation, parliament, the civil service or another complex environment.
• A track record of developing and delivering communications activity that achieves measurable impact with external audiences.
• Experience delivering proactive and reactive media relations activity.
• Ability to draft high-quality briefing notes, handling plans, press statements, stakeholder communications and correspondence with minimal supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear and compelling messages.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to build productive relationships with a wide range of audiences.
• An active interest in UK politics, current affairs and the wider public policy environment.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively under pressure.
• A proactive and curious approach, with the confidence to identify risks, propose solutions and continuously improve ways of working.
• The ability to work collaboratively across functions and build strong relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to identify and manage reputational risks.

Desirable

• Experience within housing, local government, social purpose organisations or another regulated sector.
• Experience supporting crisis communications or incident management activity.
• Knowledge of stakeholder engagement within London government, housing or public policy environments.
• Experience providing communications support to senior leaders and executive stakeholders.
• Understanding of media monitoring, analysis and reporting tools.

What's in it for you?

• Excellent annual leave allowance and flexible working opportunities (qualifying period may apply).
• Generous pension scheme.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay in addition to statutory entitlements (qualifying period may apply).
• Employee assistance programme providing free confidential advice and counselling.
• Health cash plan.
• Staff discounts across hundreds of major retailers, restaurants, gyms and entertainment providers.
• Interest-free season ticket, tenancy deposit and training loans.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Life Assurance x4 annual salary.
• Hybrid working with a minimum of two days per week in the office.

Notting Hill Genesis is one of London's largest housing associations, providing social and affordable homes for more than 130,000 people. We welcome applications from everyone. We actively monitor the diversity of our workforce and strive to achieve equal representation throughout all levels of the organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident employer and proud of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Please apply online. If you have any reasonable adjustment requirements arising from a disability or medical condition in order to participate fully in the recruitment process, please discuss this with our hiring team via jobs@nhg.org.uk. NHG reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received, so we encourage applications at the earliest opportunity.