The NRLA: Who we are
The UK’s largest membership organisation for private residential landlords, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) supports and represents more than100,000 members across England and Wales.
Created by landlords, for landlords, it offers investors everything they need to run a successful and compliant lettings business, whether they are full-time property professionals running large portfolios or accidental landlords with a single let.
The NRLA is a trusted ally, on hand to guide members through the complex regulatory environment, with all the essential documents and guidance needed to run a successful and fully compliant business.
A truly member-first organisation, innovation is at the heart of what we do and have invested in and developed new proptech solutions for members, including the acquisition of property safety certification firm Safe2 and the development of property management system Portfolio.
A dynamic and fast-paced organisation, the NRLA is a great place to work, and it is not just us saying that, we have Investors in People Gold status to prove it. The association was also named one of the best companies to work for in the UK in a list compiled by The Sunday Times.
Our enthusiastic and ambitious staff work out of offices in Central Manchester and Central London with hybrid working options available. Colleagues typically work from home four days a week with one day in the office.
We are looking for colleagues who are professional, adaptable, and innovative. In return we offer an inclusive and creative working environment with attractive options for training and career development and a competitive salary and benefits package.
The NRLA package:
25 days annual leave increasing to 26 days with three years’ service, 27 days with five years’ service and 28 days with seven years’ service
Additional annual day off for your birthday
Salary exchange Pension scheme
Life assurance
Cash plan health and wellbeing benefit including Employee Assistance Programme and counselling service
Sick pay
Cycle purchase loans, season tickets loans and interest free staff loans
Complimentary NRLA membership
Non contractual annual performance-related bonus scheme
Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
Main Purpose And Scope Of Job:
- To contribute to and deliver the NRLA’s policy and public affairs strategy and objectives.
- To develop impactful policy which will support a responsible private rented sector.
- To build and maintain relationships with key national and devolved government stakeholders and relevant sector organisations to advocate for NRLA’s vision and mission.
Duties & Key Responsibilities
Develop policies which support a responsible private rented sector:
- Support the development and implementation of the NRLA policy and public affairs strategy, ensuring our work represents, supports and leads NRLA members.
- As agreed with line manager, lead on specific policy areas internally and externally, including briefing senior managers as required.
- Lead on projects as agreed with line manager, from initiation to evaluation. This includes project managing and reporting.
- Horizon scan and keep up to date with policy and legislative developments, proactively identifying opportunities to further our objectives, and updating senior staff and the wider team on intelligence as appropriate.
- Draft consultation responses, discussion papers, reports and other policy-related materials, making use of the NRLA’s research and other resources.
- Work with communications colleagues to provide support on policy and public affairs-related content.
Promote the NRLA’s work through:
- Engage with political stakeholders to promote the NRLA’s policy objectives, including providing written and verbal briefings.
Engagement with political and sector stakeholders:
- Build and sustain productive working relationships with a range of government and sector stakeholders. This will include seeking to collaborate and build consensus with sector stakeholders, and ensuring the NRLA is meeting regularly with key stakeholders.
- Work together with the NRLA’s external agencies and consultants.
- Support the organisation of any political or parliamentary events, including briefings, report launches, engagement at party conferences.
- Attend any relevant meetings or events, as required, and on occasion deputising for others.
Ensure NRLA members and staff are up-todate and engaged on policy and public affairs activity:
- Research and draft briefings, speeches and presentations for senior management where required.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to ensure policy and public affairs activity is integrated with the organisation’s work and aligned with its objectives.
- Similarly, where required, provide expertise to other departments to ensure that policy and public affairs considerations are integrated into project and activity planning.
- Take responsibility for updating team systems, logs and project management tools, as required.
- Support the team to communicate our policy and public affairs work internally.
- Support member communications e.g. monitor team email inboxes and respond to queries, provide content for the NRLA communications channels, and present at events.
- Ensure the NRLA’s messaging reaches not just members, but also non-member landlords and the wider public, working with colleagues across the organisation.
- Analyse analytics data for our website, newsletter and social media to monitor the effectiveness of our content, and identify suggestions to improve performance.
Other:
- Undertake any other duties as may be reasonably required within the scope of the role.
Person Specification
Qualifications:
- Degree in politics, public policy or similar discipline; or equivalent experience
Skills & Abilities:
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Analytical and able to interpret diverse information
- Numerate
- IT literate: Microsoft Office, internet and email
Experience
Essential:
- At least one year’s experience of working with and/ influencing policymakers, politicians and/or stakeholders
- Flexible, with demonstrable ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
Desirable
- Project management
- Experience of the housing sector
- Experience of the key campaign areas relevant to the role
Knowledge
- Understanding of UK politics, the private rented sector, and the role of trade associations
- Understanding of the role of national and local governments and how to interact with governmental stakeholders
Personal Attributes and other requirements:
- Excellent interpersonal skills to develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Commitment to the NRLA’s objectives
- Willingness to travel and/or work out of office hours on occasion (e.g. for meetings and engaging with NRLA members – on average once a month)
