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The PubAffairs e-Newsletters are used to keep members informed about upcoming PubAffairs events and networking opportunities, job vacancies, public affairs news, training courses, stakeholder events, publications, discount offers and other pieces of useful information related to the public affairs and communications industry.

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The IPA is the UK’s professional trade body for practitioners in advertising and marketing communications. We help the people working in our members’ advertising agencies: the ‘practitioners in advertising’. On the legal side, we give them sound, sensible legal advice to help them produce and place advertising for their agencies’ clients. On the public affairs side, we promote the role of responsible advertising and its contribution to society and the economy and represent our members’ interests to policy makers.

The Legal & Public Affairs department is a fundamental part of the IPA. In many cases, it’s why ad agencies join: they get free legal advice from us as part of their membership fee and know that we will support them in the public arena. We are a small, busy team providing quality legal work for our ad agency members and working on public affairs matters too. The postholder will report to the Director of Legal & Public Afairs.

WHAT’S THE JOB?

We are all lawyers in the department – so far. There is a lot of legal work. Our director tends to fulfil our public affairs function in addition to carrying out his legal ‘day job’. We need someone enthusiastic, experienced and confident to take over the day-to-day running of the public affairs responsibilities of the IPA on either a full or part-time basis and with the opportunity to mix working from home with coming into the office.

Your main role will be to ensure that you are aware of all public affairs issues that might affect our members, and respond to consultations, calls for evidence and other opportunities to present our members’ interests to the relevant authority, be that governmental, regulatory or other. You would also be mentoring and working with another member of staff.

You will have the support of the department director and other IPA colleagues. You will not be left to sink or swim, but you will need to be able to stand on your own two feet and take the lead. It’s a genuinely fantastic opportunity for the right person.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

To do the job you will need to have excellent academics, proven experience in working in politics and in a public affairs role for another appropriate organisation. You must be confident that you will be able to approach and gather information from senior representatives of our members, draft responses to consultations, calls for evidence and similar papers on their behalf, and work with people in similar roles to you in other trade associations. You will also need to be capable of dealing with politicians and other policy makers.

IN SUMMARY, YOU WILL:

  • take the lead on all public affairs matters for the IPA, including strategy;
  • keep up to date with all relevant public affairs issues that may affect our members;
  • form a view as to which public affairs issues the IPA should and should not become involved with;
  • form working groups with relevant member-agencies in order to properly consult on public affairs issues with our membership;
  • draft responses to consultations, calls for evidence and other policy papers;
  • write accurate, informative help notes for member-agencies on relevant changes in legislation and regulation and pressures on the advertising industry;
  • prepare and give presentations to members;
  • engage with politicians and other policy makers; and
  • ensure our members know that they are supported in the public affairs arena.

KEY SKILLS YOU MUST HAVE

Experience/Qualifications

  • excellent academics, including a relevant degree such as politics;
  • experience gained in a public affairs role;
  • political awareness and knowledge of parliamentary procedure; experience of engaging with Members of both Houses of Parliament and/or with Government;
  • knowledge of the UK regulatory environment in relation to advertising;
  • knowledge of public affairs practices and techniques; ability to plan, execute, and evaluate public affairs projects;
  • a genuine appreciation of advertising and its importance to the UK’s economy;
  • strong organisational skills to ensure that all matters are dealt with on time; and
  • forensic attention to detail.

Business skills:

  • excellent knowledge of general political/public affairs issues;
  • the ability to provide helpful, accurate information to member-agencies and to draft insightful, intelligent responses to consultations, calls for evidence etc;
  • clarity of thought and the intellect and character to build credibility quickly with IPA colleagues, the IPA’s membership and those in similar roles at other trade bodies; and
  • a strong customer-service ethic.

Personal skills:

  • the confidence and ability to deal with people at senior levels, including politicians;
  • the ability to understand and to clearly articulate complex points;
  • a willingness to consult and support; and
  • be energetic and enthusiastic.

Closing date

Applications for this post closed 11:59pm on Thursday 16th December 2021