Senior External Affairs Manager

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Job description

The opportunity:

The Health Foundation is an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and health care for people in the UK.

Ellwood Atfield has partnered exclusively with The Health Foundation who are looking for a new Senior External Affairs Manager. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Communications, the Senior External Affairs Manager will lead, develop and set the direction of the external affairs function, ensuring it continues to build their profile within the media and delivers high quality advice and activity that support the Health Foundation's objectives and safeguard and enhance their reputation. A senior member of the communications team, you will also contribute to the leadership and smooth running of the communications team as a whole.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the development of the Health Foundation's overarching influencing and communications strategies, and lead design and implementation of media relations, public affairs and integrated communications activity, both directly and through managing others, to successfully meet these objectives.

Suitably qualified and with demonstrable professional media, public affairs and/or communications experience, you will have a well-developed understanding of the UK media particularly health care, public health and political and a strong understanding of health care and public health policy, political and policy making processes, and the wider health sector. You will be able to use your knowledge of communications and the health care sector to provide high quality advice that enables the organisation to achieve effective and powerful outcomes.

In addition, the successful candidate will be highly organised and able to deliver multiple projects and streams of work to deadline. Equally important will be your communication and interpersonal skills and your ability to get the best out of others and influence beyond line management boundaries.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an External Affairs professional with a passion for improving health outcomes and a commitment to our core behaviours - Working Together, Discovering & Learning and Achieving Impact. If the role excites you, we would love to hear from you.

For further information and to see the job description please click here.

To apply for this role please send a CV and covering letter in which you set out:

Your excellent track record of strong leadership and management skills.
Proven ability to use evidence and analysis to generate news coverage, raise profile and increase influence - and strong network of media contacts.
A strong understanding of the policymaking process and proven ability to develop effective communications and public affairs strategies to influence policy

Applications for this role close on 26 November and interviews will commence shortly after.

Ellwood Atfield and The Health Foundation values equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. The office is located at Salisbury Square, London EC4Y but we have moved to a hybrid way of working. Details available upon request.