Metropolitan Thames Valley (MTVH) is a 58,000-home provider of affordable homes and care and support services in London, the South East, the East Midlands, and East Anglia. It is a member of the G15, the voice of London’s largest housing associations, collectively housing one in ten Londoners and building a quarter of the capital's new homes. With a history spanning 70 years, we believe that everyone should have a home and the chance to live well.
This role
We are seeking to recruit an exceptional individual to a new role of Public Affairs Manager within the Corporate Affairs Team.
Public Affairs sits at the centre of the organisation, reporting directly to the Chief Executive, and tackles some of the biggest issues in housing by helping to position MTVH as an informed and credible stakeholder to government. The Public Affairs team represents our residents, builds understanding of our organisation, and communicates the frontline impact of policy. You will work with government departments, local authorities, housing experts, think tanks and others.
The work of housing associations intersects with a wide range of high-profile policy areas including housing affordability, welfare reform, public health, and the funding of the social care system. You will play a major role in ensuring the various inter-related strands of our work remain coherent and engage closely with senior colleagues across the organisation to bring together new analysis and insights.
The Public Affairs team supports the MTVH Executive and Board to fulfil the organisation’s responsibilities as Vice Chair of the G15, the collective voice of London’s largest housing associations, who together house one in ten Londoners, and build a quarter of the capital’s new homes. The successful candidate would be joining at an important time for the organisation as we become Chair of the G15 in June 2021, which is an influential role requiring significant senior-level engagement, including with the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Greater London Authority. You will be part of the team helping the organisation to make a success of its time as Chair.
The role also sits within the wider Corporate Affairs Team presenting role holders with the opportunity for a broader experience. Working with internal colleagues from across the organisation, you will produce and distribute engaging content, such as case studies, data sets, blogs, and consultation responses.
Person Specification
This is an intellectually demanding role, working at the intersection of policy, delivery, and communications, and we are looking for an exceptional candidate who is excited by the opportunity the role presents.
You will have significant experience of working in a public affairs, policy, or research officer role, ideally within the housing sector or similar relevant area. You will have excellent communications skills and be comfortable producing and commissioning high quality research and be able to demonstrate an ability to conduct eye-catching and novel data research in a policy context.
You must also be comfortable engaging with and contributing to public policy debates, including through the media, policy events and meetings with MPs and civil servants.
You will be able to plan and deliver events, including roundtables, panels, and policy workshops, and produce articles for newspapers, websites, and other outlets.
You will need strong relationship management skills, and an ability to collaborate with colleagues in communicating our priorities and driving progress against them across the organisation.
You will have evidence of planning and prioritising effectively to meet deadlines, as well as remaining calm to deliver results at pace.
You will enjoy being part a high-performing team and demonstrate exceptional rigour in shaping and driving work. You will need to bring a commitment to high standards and enjoy developing the capabilities of this new team and helping it to succeed.
What you'll get in return
You’ll be working in a fast-paced environment where you can benefit from our comprehensive in-house training to continue developing your skills. We offer excellent benefits, including:
- 28 days annual leave plus public holidays and an additional Belief Day, with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days leave;
- Healthcare cashplan;
- Matched contribution pension scheme (up to 9%);
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave;
- Salary sacrifice schemes and season ticket loans;
- Life assurance scheme;
- Paid volunteer days;
- Plus lots of voluntary benefits including cash back and discounts from high street names.