The Head of Public Affairs plays a pivotal role in the organisation’s complex and challenging activity across a wide array of public affairs topics. BCS has a portfolio of programmes, activities and stakeholder groups that are both disparate and interconnected. Members of the Executive Team work together to provide leadership and external visibility as well as strategic coordination across this portfolio. This role will augment and supplement that leadership role, increasing the organisation’s capacity and reach.
Specific projects will vary over time, and will depend on a combination of organisational need and personal fit, but may include such diverse topics as: education, personal data, diversity and inclusion, social media and politics, health and care, and security.
Key Responsibilities:
- Act as an external figurehead representing BCS and its purpose across multiple stakeholder groups; employers, customers, academia, government and the wider IT community;
- Propose the strategic approach to Public Affairs activity, integrated into the overall strategy; plan and execute the public affairs activities against that strategy;
- Maintain a strategic dialogue with the executive directors, and externally lead in complex multi-stakeholder environments, pursuing the BCS strategy;
- Deputising for executive team members across a range of programmes - as well as creating and incubating new opportunities, continuously improving our structural approach to public affairs;
- Supporting an organisational shift away from hierarchy and isolated structures and towards more project / programme and multi-disciplinary ways of working;
- Build and maintain a public affairs network across programmes to maximise influence and impact;
- Actively promotes our purpose with key external stakeholder groups, seeking to identify new areas of influence and reach for the organisation in fulfilling its objectives;
- Supports the Director of Policy & Community in leading the team, and as part of the BCS leadership team; inspiring creativity and flexibility in the management of our people and resources.