Senior Director

Deputy Managing Director – Public Affairs

Hybrid (Flexible)

An established Public Affairs & Strategic Comms consultancy is looking to appoint a Senior Director to play a leading role within its public affairs practice, working closely with the Managing Partner to support the continued growth, leadership and development of the business.

The consultancy has an established reputation for advising organisations on complex political, policy and reputational issues. Working closely with Westminster and Whitehall stakeholders, it supports clients across a range of sectors on some of the UK’s most significant policy challenges.

The Deputy Managing Director role

Following sustained growth and increasing client demand, the consultancy is investing further in its public affairs offering and creating a new Senior Director position as part of its long-term expansion.

Operating as the second-in-command to the Managing Partner, the Senior Director will take a prominent role in the leadership and day-to-day management of the practice. You will combine senior client counsel, commercial responsibility and team leadership, with significant influence over the future direction and growth of the business.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading new business activity from origination through to pitch, negotiation and conversion.
• Identifying and developing new commercial opportunities, while growing and expanding existing client relationships.
• Providing senior strategic counsel to boards, executives and communications leaders on complex public affairs, political and reputational challenges.
• Acting as a trusted senior point of contact for the consultancy’s most important clients.
• Working closely with the Managing Partner on the strategic and operational leadership of the public affairs practice.
• Supporting the management of resourcing, revenue forecasting, profitability and wider P&L responsibilities.
• Leading, managing and developing a high-performing team, while helping to build the practice through future recruitment and progression.
• Overseeing the quality and strategic direction of client work across the team.
• Contributing to the wider leadership, culture and commercial development of the consultancy.
• Representing the business externally and helping to strengthen its profile and reputation within the public affairs market.

Requirements

The successful Deputy Managing Director will have operated at a senior level within a public affairs agency or strategic communications consultancy and will bring the leadership, commercial and advisory skills required to act as a trusted deputy to the Managing Partner.

You will ideally bring:

• A strong track record of originating, leading and converting new business opportunities.
• Demonstrable experience growing client accounts and contributing to revenue growth.
• Well-developed networks across Westminster, Whitehall and the wider political and policy landscape.
• Strong strategic judgement and the credibility to advise senior clients, boards and executive teams with confidence.
• Experience leading, managing and developing high-performing public affairs teams.
• The ability to oversee multiple client accounts while maintaining consistently high standards of strategic counsel and delivery.
• Commercial experience, including exposure to budgeting, forecasting, resourcing and P&L management.
• The ability to operate as a senior leader within a fast-paced and entrepreneurial consultancy environment.
• The ambition and capability to take on increasing leadership responsibility as the practice continues to grow.

Salary & Benefits

• Circa £120K-150K basic salary, with flexibility for an exceptional Senior Director.
• Bonus opportunity.
• Flexible hybrid working.
• The opportunity to work closely with the Managing Partner and play a central role in the leadership of the practice.
• Significant influence over the growth, development and future direction of the public affairs offering.
• The opportunity to join a growing consultancy with ambitious long-term plans.