Are you an experienced, creative communications and public affairs professional? Are you looking for a role that uses your skills and experience to drive a mission which changes lives, transforms communities and improves health?
Sport England’s vision is that everybody in England regardless of age, background or level of ability, feels able to engage in sport and physical activity and benefit from the positive physical, mental and social benefits that being active can bring.
We are looking for an experienced, senior communications and public affairs professional to join the Communications and External Affairs team. In this job share role, you will deliver a public affairs and stakeholder engagement strategy that supports Sport England’s strategic priorities, protects and enhances our interests with major decision makers across government, and shapes understanding of our vision, strategy and impact.
With Sport England now increasingly focused on helping people and groups who do very little physical activity our work now cuts across a wider range of government departments and agendas than ever before, meaning we are engaging a huge broad range of stakeholders on a range of social policy issues.
Therefore, you will be someone with extensive and versatile relationship management experience who is comfortable working strategically in a complex multi-stakeholder environment. Developing and maintaining relationships with a broad range of stakeholders will come naturally to you and you won’t be phased engaging new organisations that do not know us.
You will establish yourself within the organisation as a source of expert political advice and guidance for Sport England colleagues in handling politically sensitive issues and relationships, working to protect and enhance our reputation, acting decisively and with good judgement.
No two days are the same, and the agenda is varied, ranging from engaging political stakeholders in our award-winning National Lottery funded This Girl Can campaign to leading day to day engagement with government officials, maintaining excellent relationships across our sponsoring department (the Department for Culture Media & Sport) and beyond.
The nature of this role means we are looking for an excellent collaborator with a pragmatic and collegiate approach who will be comfortable working in a close partnership with the joint Head of External Affairs to shape a seamless and successful job share partnership. You’ll also be a confident external ambassador for Sport England well able to represent us externally and work collaboratively with partners.
If you are passionate about the role that sport and physical activity play to enrich lives and build a happier, healthier society and able to co-develop a creative and bold external affairs approach to build support for this we would love to hear from you.
The role is offered on the basis of a 0.6 job-share (three days per week, 21.6 hours).