The Head UK Affiliate Government Affairs is responsible for setting Lilly’s Government Affairs strategy for the UK affiliate via interactions with key stakeholders to shape the external environment for future innovations, protect existing products and secure the company’s ability to operate in the UK and Ireland.
Role encompasses working to improve the external environment through trade association engagement, direct government relations, and integrated campaign development in the UK. The role supports the broader Corporate Affairs department to best position existing and new products in the UK to gain market access.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic responsibility for setting annual UK Affiliate Government Affairs objectives;
- Delivering on Government Affairs objectives via integrated public affairs campaigns;
- Developing corporate messages on key topics, and delivering these messages to key external and internal stakeholders, via consultation responses and other public fora;
- Providing strategic Government Affairs advice to Lilly’s leadership team, across the eight UK affiliate sites;
- Managing Lilly’s trade association strategy and overseeing contact with ABPI, APG & CBI;
- Working closely with UK Communications to ensure consistent messaging, and a co-ordinated environmental evolution strategy;
- Representing Government Affairs function on the Departmental Lead Team and Affiliate Extended Leadership Team;
- Managing agencies (where required) and overseeing Government Affairs budgets;
- Co-ordinating with Elanco (Lilly Animal Health Business) as required;
- Co-ordinating with Global Public Policy, International Government Affairs and EU Public Affairs as required;
- Developing an Irish four site Government Affairs Strategy, alongside IGA and UK Affiliate to secure the ‘licence to operate’ in Ireland;
- Maintaining relationships with relevant Irish Trade Associations and national and regional stakeholders and organisations as required;
- Briefing Site and Country heads on specific UK and Irish policy agenda items affecting the business and provide relevant environmental analysis;
- Member of NEC CA Leadership Team.
Government Relations
Accountable for setting Lilly UK’s and Ireland’s government relations strategy and serving as the ‘face’ of Lilly UK and Ireland to government stakeholders.
Policy
Ensuring the development of evidence-based policy positions consistent with Lilly’s global policy positions. Briefing Senior Management and Irish country leadership on policy issues.
Communications
Inputting into Lilly UK’s and Ireland’s strategic communications with regard to corporate and crisis communications.
Campaign Development/Trade Association Strategy
Leading the creation and implementation of integrated public affairs campaigns – through trade associations, with other stakeholders, and with other components of the company.
Basic Qualifications
- Significant and demonstrable leadership in a government/government relations capacity;
- Demonstrated experience in developing integrated public affairs campaigns;
- Demonstrated experience in developing policy positions;
- Demonstrated experience working in the communications field;
- Past experience working in a global organisation or within a matrixed structure;
- Demonstrated success in working with a trade association(s);
- Understanding of the UK and Irish political process and the ability to identify corporate affairs, product pipeline, and promoted product issues and opportunities.
Essential skills
- Lobbying;
- Negotiations;
- Leadership;
- Strategic thinking;
- Customer Focus;
- Strong interpersonal & communication skills;
- Cross-functional working.
Additional Skills/Preferences
- Prior government experience;
- Prior external communications experience – either as journalist or within another company or agency;
- Pharmaceutical industry experience;
- Demonstrated experience in leading market access activities;
- Market Access Leadership experience;
- People management.