The United Kingdom Accreditation Service, UKAS, is seeking an External Affairs Intern. This is an exciting opportunity to build public affairs skills within a small, dynamic team working for a not-for-profit organisation with a public-interest mission.
A placement year at UKAS offers a unique experience working with industry and political stakeholders across a wide range of policy areas, including international trade, AI and emerging technologies, net zero and sustainability and product safety.
We are looking for a dedicated, positive and mission-driven undergraduate to support the External Affairs team by monitoring and analysing political developments, contributing to public policy work and organising events.
The successful candidate will contribute to a diverse public affairs and external engagement portfolio that promotes the value of accreditation.
They will play an active role in assisting a broad stakeholder engagement programme that has recently included political party conferences, an international AI Summit, World Trade Organisation fora, roundtables with senior government and shadow ministers and events at the House of Lords. The intern will also have opportunities to participate in selected external events.
Key responsibilities:
- Support the delivery of UKAS’s political engagement programme to increase awareness of accreditation among government departments and agencies, devolved nations and other UKAS stakeholders.
- Analyse public policy developments and produce, maintain and share political monitoring using sources such as Politico, social media, news sources and events.
- Support the Marketing team with the creation of messaging and communications materials, including social media content.
- Draft UKAS responses to government and stakeholder consultations.
- Conduct research to gather evidence of the value of accreditation.
- Represent UKAS at external meetings and events.
- Organise UKAS stakeholder engagement events.
Knowledge, skills and experience:
- Comprehensive knowledge of and keen interest in the UK political system, including policymaking and government and Parliamentary processes.
- Awareness of and interest in current affairs and political, economic, social and technological trends.
- Interest in global trade and the rules-based trading system.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an understanding of how to engage effectively with political audiences.
- Ability to synthesise information from multiple sources and communicate key messages clearly.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.
- A collaborative, proactive and flexible approach, with the ability to manage changing and competing priorities.
- IT literacy with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office
- Experience creating messages and communications campaigns (desirable).
- Experience monitoring news and social media to gather intelligence and insights (desirable).
- Experience organising events and meetings (desirable).
- Experience building partnerships and working with diverse groups (desirable).
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering a Culture of Belonging
UKAS is proud to be the United Kingdom’s National Accreditation Body. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences.
UKAS is committed to promoting a culture of belonging and values the differences and uniqueness that everyone brings to the organisation.
We welcome candidates across all types of backgrounds, circumstances and identities to support our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) commitments.
External Affairs Intern - Job Description
Candidate Privacy Notice:
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External Affairs Intern in Staines employer: UKAS
UKAS is an excellent employer for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the IT sector. With a strong focus on employee development and a collaborative work culture, you will have the opportunity to grow your skills while contributing to vital IT initiatives. Located in a dynamic environment, UKAS offers unique advantages such as exposure to diverse projects and a commitment to governance standards, making it an ideal place for ambitious professionals.
