Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) is a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. With more than 55,000 employees, it provides a wide range of general insurance and life insurance products and services. Zurich’s customers include individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized and large companies, including multinational corporations, in more than 170 countries. The Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1872. The holding company, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (ZURN), is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has a level I American Depositary Receipt (ZURVY) program, which is traded over-the-counter on OTCQX. Further information about Zurich is available at www.zurich.com.
We are an award winning organisation - General Insurer of the Year, hold CII Chartered Insurer and are listed as one of The Sunday Times Top 25 best big companies to work for.
The Opportunity
We are looking for a Government and Industry Affairs (GAIA) Manager to join our GAIA & UK Corporate Responsibility team. Based in London this role is a full time permanent opportunity and would suit individuals with a background in Public Policy/Public Affairs and an interest in financial services. As GAIA Manager you will be responsible for increasing Zurich’s profile, credibility and influence with key public policy audiences in the UK by delivering well-planned and executed campaigns and drawing on strong relationships with important internal and external stakeholders.
As GAIA Manager you will be expected to work with internal stakeholders as well as external stakeholders such as consumer bodies, MPs, Think Tanks, Civil Servants and governing bodies. You will build Zurich’s public policy issues, write speeches, present political, regulatory and wider industry insight to internal stakeholders and work on issues of public policy to deliver externally.
You will also be expected to attend public events as well as fulfil the following responsibilities:
- Build public affairs campaigns on key public policy issues;
- Produce high-quality senior management briefing and other written material demonstrating Zurich’s insight and ‘expertise’;
- Attend relevant external meetings and utilises contacts to gather intelligence and turn this into insight;
- Work with ABI representatives in order to develop consistent and coherent industry positioning and manage internal business response to Government consultations;
- Maintain own personal network of contacts with the ABI, third parties and internal technical specialists;
- Play a leading role in creating and managing UK Thought Leadership production, as well as co-ordinating with Group Thought Leadership;
- Work with Head of GAIA and the wider Corporate Affairs and Marketing teams on coordinated campaigns;
- Manage external events such as party conference programmes;
- Work closely with UK Life GAIA manager and Political Consultancy.
This high profile position will provide exposure to senior stakeholders within the business as well as external bodies and will suit individuals who enjoy roles with variety and changing topics.
Your Skills and Experience
Successful applicants will have a background in Public Policy/Public Affairs and will have experience of working in a similar in-house department or within political institutions, political consultancy or with a trade body. You will also have an interest in politics and the financial service sector and be able to demonstrate capability of developing and maintaining a wide range of relationships within corporate and public life.
Successful candidates will also be able to demonstrate the following:
- Excellent stakeholder management skills;
- Superior written and verbal communication skills;
- Effectiveness at developing rapport and business relationships;
- An ability to overcome obstacles and take on new responsibilities;
- Ability to deal effectively with ambiguity and complexity;
- Aligns individual actions with the strategy and priorities of the organisation;
- Knows the external market, best practices and competitors in their respective responsibility area. Keeps abreast of latest trends and developments;
- Establishes active professional external networks in parallel with existing political contacts, as well as working relationships across team and functional boundaries to maximise cross-silo effectiveness;
- Educated to Degree level (or equivalent).
The Reward
In return we are offering an attractive salary plus a generous benefits package including bonus and defined contribution pension scheme. We are committed to continuous improvement and we offer access to a comprehensive range of training and development opportunities.