Role Purpose (brief summary)
To establish and maintain good relations with the relevant political and governmental institutions in seeking to promote a better understanding of and support for the Premier League’s sporting and business models. Influence decision-making processes in the Premier League’s favour and reduce the threat of external intervention in our affairs and promote the positive influence of the Premier League.
Main duties and responsibilities
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To establish and maintain good relations with the relevant institutions in seeking to promote a better understanding of and support for the PL’s sporting and business models;
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To identify proposals emerging from domestic government and political institutions that would affect the Premier League;
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To seek to influence decision-making processes in the PL’s favour;
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Forge good relations with key Ministers, MPs, special advisers and parliamentary assistants across Whitehall;
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Work with the PL’s partners to secure their active support for PL objectives;
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Manage our public affairs agency relationships.
Further information
- Prepare and deliver a strategy for engaging with the main political parties, seeking to minimise commitments to interfere with our competition, our role in football governance or our economic and business interests;
- Work with the Head of Publicity and Advocacy to effectively deploy those individuals and organisations that we could class as ‘third party endorsers’ to push our key messages and lobby on our behalf, both through meetings and events;
- Work closely with press colleagues to generate and keep up to date, high quality, consistent briefing notes/’live briefs’ across all key PL topics, which can be used by staff, deployed by third party endorsers and sent out across Westminster;
- Identify and target key Ministers, Special Advisers, MPs/Select Committees and civil servants;
- Utilise our clubs and their key staff to proactively target their local MPs through club or project visits either through events in their constituencies or in the Houses of Parliament;
- Identify further opportunities to promote our IP agenda with Parliamentarians and civil servants.
Person specification
Essential
- Significant experience of working either on a public affairs brief or within Whitehall / Westminster;
- Previous experience of dealing with high level politicians / civil servants;
- High level of eloquence, with first class communication skills;
- Excellent attention to detail and deadlines;
- Proven ability to handle confidential information and exercise discretion;
- Hardworking with a flexible and collaborative working approach;
- Strong interpersonal and literacy skills with the ability to interact well with people at all levels;
- Proven ability to lead on an array of assignments;
- High level of professionalism and personal presentation;
- A resilient and calm manner.
Desirable
- A knowledge of and interest in the football / sports industry.
Reports to: Director of Policy and International Relations.