Do you excel at navigating the political and regulatory environment, with the strategic vision to drive public affairs initiatives?
L&Q offers an exciting role where you can make a real impact as a Public Affairs Officer. Reporting to the Director of Partnerships within the Chief Executive Office, you will play a critical role in protecting and enhancing L&Q’s established reputation as a leading housing organisation.
Your Impact in the Role:
As a Public Affairs Officer, you will be at the forefront of our public affairs activities, ensuring that L&Q is positioned as an influential thought-leader and effective partner across the housing sector. You’ll be responsible for:
- Sector Insights: Maintaining a deep understanding of sector issues, political priorities, and the changing regulatory environment, producing insightful briefings for our senior leaders;
- Stakeholder Engagement: Managing an effective stakeholder database and engagement grid, supporting strategic communications, delivering a regular stakeholder newsletter, and mapping stakeholder issues to maximize our influence at both local and national levels;
- Collaborative Strategy: Will be at the heart of L&Q working closely with internal teams and external partners to develop position statements, identify emerging risks, and develop mitigation strategies;
- Event Support: Advising and supporting senior leaders for conferences, roundtables, and other high-profile events, including the preparation of speaker notes and presentations.
What You'll Bring:
To excel in this role, you'll need:
- A broad communication skill set with experience in public affairs and stakeholder communications;
- Experience planning and supporting high-profile events, using insight and strategic thinking to prepare speaker notes, presentations, and briefing senior leaders;
- Well-developed interpersonal skills, with experience liaising with people at all levels, including senior stakeholders both internally and externally;
- Excellent writing skills for producing clear, impactful messages, including experience delivering stakeholder newsletters, internal briefings and developing position statements;
- Organisational prowess, with the ability to manage competing demands in a fast-paced, complex environment;
- A Degree or Higher National Qualification in a relevant area, or extensive experience with a proven track record in public affairs.
Desirable to have a background in housing, local government or similar sectors.
Why Work for L&Q?
L&Q is not just a workplace; it's a community. Recognized as one of the UK's Best Workplaces for Women and certified as a Great Place to Work, we offer an environment where everyone can thrive.
The successful candidate will have access to our full suite of benefits, which includes:
- Generous Annual Leave: Starting at 28 days and increasing to 31 days after 3 years of continuous service;
- Excellent Pension Scheme: Double contribution up to 6%;
- Health Cash Plan: Claim money towards different types of medical services, and access other health and wellbeing offers;
- Life Assurance: Generous non-contributory coverage;
- Employee Assistance Programme: Support when you need it;
- Recognition Bonus Scheme: Spot awards for outstanding contributions;
- Family-Friendly Policies: Designed to help you balance work and family life;
- Diverse Networking Groups: Join groups like Ability, Kaleidoscope, Inspire & Spectrum;
- Volunteer Time: Up to 21 hours per year to volunteer with the charity of your choice;
- Learning & Development: Commitment to your professional growth.
If you are interested in the role and ready to make a significant impact in a constantly evolving and fast-paced organisation, then apply without delay.
As a charitable organisation, our role goes beyond providing homes and housing services. We are a long-term partner in the neighbourhoods where we work. We hope to build aspiration, opportunity and confidence in our communities through our £250 million L&Q Foundation and our skills academy.
Our vision is that everyone has a quality home they can afford, and we combine our social purpose with commercial drive to create homes and neighbourhoods everyone can be proud of.
At the foundation of everything that we do are our corporate values and associated behaviours. Our organisational behavioural framework outlines the core expectations of all employees, which should be demonstrated at all times when representing L&Q. More information about L&Q’s values can be found on our website and a copy of our behavioural framework can be provided on request.
Our commitments:
At L&Q, people are at the heart of our business and our success depends on employing the best people and getting the best from them. This is why we are committed to developing our people. It's only by investing in a well-trained and motivated workforce that we can continue to prosper and sustain business success.
We are committed to supporting your work-life balance and recognise the changing demands and circumstances in life. Please let us know during the recruitment process if you’re interested in part time working or job sharing. In addition, should your circumstances change once you have joined L&Q, you can also request flexible working arrangements, e.g. a change to working hours - if it’s feasible then we’ll make it happen.
We are recognised externally for our commitment to inclusion. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident (Committed) employer and have signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge to demonstrate our commitment to end mental health discrimination in the workplace.
We expect all of our employees to support our environmental policy and social responsibility work. We are an employer committed to environmental and social responsibility.
Contract: Permanent Full Time
Hours: 35 hours per week
Persona: Agile (20-40% in office and 3-4 days working from home)