Location: London (Westminster)- Hybrid, with a strong on-site presence aligned to parliamentarybusiness.
Salary:£89,548per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week(full-time)
The Role
We are seeking an outstanding Deputy Director of Strategy and Communications to join the Scotch Whisky Association at a pivotal moment for the industry. Reporting to the Director of Strategy and Communications, this is a high-profile role at the centre of our engagement with SWA member companies and political stakeholders.
You will help shape and deliver our strategy and communications activity, building influential relationships across Westminster,Whitehall,and the devolved administrations. Working across the political spectrum, you will ensure our members’ priorities are clearly understood and effectively represented.
Download the full job description at: www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/newsroom/were-hiring-deputy-director-strategy-communications/
Key Responsibilities
* Develop and deliver SWA’s political engagement strategy, positioning the Scotch Whisky industry with senior stakeholders across Government and Parliament.
* Build andmaintaininfluential relationships with Ministers, officials, Special Advisers and other key stakeholders across the UK and devolved administrations, supporting SWA’s ability to influence policy and public debate.
* Manage,motivate,and develop a high-performing team, ensuring effective knowledge-sharing and supporting the development of junior colleagues.
* Anticipate and manage political and reputational risks,advisingthe Director, CEO, seniorcolleagues,and member companies on implications,options,and recommended actions.
* Foster strong collaboration across SWA and member companies, drawing on internal and externalexpertiseto advance political engagement priorities and deliver sharedobjectives.
* Work closely with communications colleagues to align political engagement with external messaging, ensuring clear and consistent positioning.
About You
* Significant senior experiencein public affairs and government relations, ideally in a complex and politically sensitive environment.
* Proventrack recordof shaping and delivering high-profile political engagement, with responsibility for strategy,messaging,and delivery.
* Sophisticated understandingof UK government,Parliament,and the wider political and economic context, and how industry engages effectively on key issues.
* Exceptional relationship-builder, able to cultivate and sustain senior-level contacts across politics,industry,and stakeholder organisations.
* Strategic thinkerwith the ability to balance long-term positioning with responsive, tactical interventions.
* Strong judgement under pressure, including experience advising senior leaders on political and reputational risk.
* Line managementexperience, including managingbudgets and resources.
* Demonstrable experiencetranslating complex policy issues into clear, persuasive narratives for diverse audiences.
* Experience of membership organisations is useful but not essential.
We are committed toproviding equal opportunities for all. We want every colleague to feel included,valued,and respected. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, and we particularly encourage applications from groups that are underrepresented in our organisation and in the wider sector.
If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the recruitment process, please let us know.
How we work
Inclusion matters to us. Weoperatehybrid working and flexitime, and we welcome open conversations about what works best for you.
This is a London-basedrole,and you will be expected tospendsubstantialtime in our Westminster office.Due to the nature of this role, there is also a requirement for regular in-person working aligned to parliamentary business, including engagement in London and Scotland.This may involve periods of increased travel and a higher level of on-site attendance than is typical for some other roles.
We encourage applicants to share any circumstances that may affect their working arrangements, so we can explore how best to support flexibility within the requirements of the role.
What’s on offer
The opportunity to shape and deliver a high-profile agenda for one of Scotland’s most iconic industrieswhich isthe UK’s largest food and drink export.
Competitive salary and benefits, including:
* Employer pension contributions up to 15%
* Private medical insurance (subject to eligibility/qualifying period)
* Life assurance
* Group incomeprotection.
* Monthly wellbeing allowance
* Wellbeing initiatives, plus engagement and activity days throughout the year
* CPD days and professional development opportunities
* Cycle to Workscheme.
How to apply
Please email the following documents to:hr@swa.org.uk. Please attach each document as a separate fileinMicrosoftWord format; applications will be redacted in line with our recruitment procedures.
* Your CV
* A one-page covering letter outlining your suitability for the role and how you meet the person specification (maximum 500 words)
Closing date:5.00pm,Thursday 29 January 2026.
Weanticipatea high volume of applications and may close early; if so, we will not close applications before12.00pm, Friday 23 January.
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