Job Title: External Affairs Officer
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £35,641.63 (£39,226.75 is achieved after 12months successful performance in the role)
Working Hours: 35 hours per week
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday
Location: London/ Liverpool / Hybrid
If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.
The difference you will make as a External Affairs Officer
You’ll be joining a high-performing and politically engaged external affairs team that sits at the centre of the organisation in the Corporate Services department. This role plays a crucial part in the organisation’s influencing and public affairs strategy, by tackling some of the biggest issues facing housing associations at a vital and exciting time for the sector with a new Government in place. You will be instrumental in driving forward our public affairs and media work by building strong relationships with key stakeholders, creating compelling content and enhancing our reputation, placing Riverside as one of the strongest and most respected voices in the sector.
You’ll have the freedom and backing of your team to make this role your own, from influencing activities to media relations and everything in between, you’ll have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the social housing and homelessness sectors and help shape Government policy to transform lives.
About you
We are looking for someone with:
1. An interest in the housing and care and support sectors.
2. A positive, energetic, can-do attitude that demonstrates Riverside’s values.
3. Experience in any or a combination of the following fields: public affairs, public policy, external affairs, parliamentary researcher, media relations, or journalism.
4. Strong political awareness and a good understanding of government.
5. Experience working with social media platforms.
6. Comfortable and confident working with senior leaders.
7. drafting briefings, press releases, and corporate responses in relation to policy announcements.
8. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, suitable for a range of external audiences.
9. A self-motivated individual capable of overseeing projects from inception to completion.
10. Experience of working within a team environment, focusing on partnership and support to achieve project aims and objectives.
Why Riverside?
At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.
We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.
Working with us, you’ll enjoy:
11. Competitive pay & generous pension
12. 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
13. Flexible working options available
14. Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
15. A wide range of benefits
Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:
We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.
Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to be considered.
Role Profile
Job purpose
To deliver the organisation’s public affairs strategy and optimise influencing opportunities which enhance the reputation of Riverside with its customers and stakeholders.
We are seeking to recruit for the external affairs officer role as part of the external affairs and policy team at one of the leading not-for-profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing over 75,000 homes across the country.
Riverside is also a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods' dates back over 90 years. We are committed to building more affordable homes over the next decade.
You’ll be joining a high-performing and politically engaged external affairs team that sits at the centre of the organisation in the Corporate Services department. This role plays a crucial part in the organisation’s influencing and public affairs strategy, by tackling some of the biggest issues facing housing associations at a vital and exciting time for the sector with a new Government in place. You will be instrumental in driving forward our public affairs and media work by building strong relationships with key stakeholders, creating compelling content and enhancing our reputation, placing Riverside as one of the strongest and most respected voices in the sector.
You’ll have the freedom and backing of your team to make this role your own, from influencing activities to media relations and everything in between, you’ll have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the social housing and homelessness sectors and help shape Government policy to transform lives.
Role requires you to:
16. Support the execution of a public affairs strategy with the rest of the external affairs and policy team (EA), which will help the Group deliver its corporate objectives, focusing on transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
17. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of policy developments in housing and care sectors at a national level in England and Scotland to support our influencing work with national Government, regional authorities, and local authorities.
18. Work with colleagues and the EA team to establish clear ‘positions’ on key policy areas, so that Riverside can establish messages for external and internal audiences, responding to political events such as general elections/local elections and devising appropriate public affairs responses.
19. Work with colleagues across the Strategy and Communications to ensure Riverside optimises external and internal communication channels to push out key messages.
20. Work with the EA team, wider strategy and communications department, and senior directors to provide responses to media enquiries ensuring journalists receive timely and accurate information.
21. Working with our media relations partner and our PR agency to identify opportunities for proactive media pieces and deliver media relations campaigns that develop the brand and reflect our values.
22. Pitch positive news stories & secure coverage that communicate key objectives & messages in local and trade media.
23. Work with colleagues and customers across the business to understand real-life experiences, to tell compelling stories and create political and media campaigns which influence stakeholders.
24. and maintain a database of key influencers (MPs, Ministers, prominent Councillors, Metro Mayors, Assembly Members, and other influential policy makers) and cultivate contacts and networks, building and managing relationships with parliamentarians and other politicians.
25. Develop and manage the delivery of high-quality briefings to senior leaders across the Group, utilising our political monitoring software.
26. Support the Group to deliver key media, public affairs, and research projects as standalone projects as well through our membership organisations such as the G15, Homes for the North, Greater Manchester Housing Providers and Liverpool City Region Housing Associations.
27. Maintain links with other public affairs specialists in the housing sector particularly the National Housing Federation, Chartered Institute of Housing, G15, Homes for the North, Homes for Cathy, and other stakeholders, opportunities for collaborative working.
28. Develop succinct and relevant briefing material to support campaigning, media and influencing activities, including written Parliamentary briefings, consultation responses, case studies, blogs etc.
29. Undertake lobbying activities and engagement with key political contacts, officials and stakeholders as and support senior colleagues to do so with appropriate briefing material. This will include attending meetings, conferences, and events as Riverside’s sole representative.
30. Support the delivery of stakeholder engagement events, such as organising roundtables, coordinating policy briefings, stakeholder visits, party conferences, tracking engagement and sharing insight to support the public affairs strategy.
31. Manage proactive and reactive social media channels and campaigns that enable us to meet our influencing strategy goals.
32. Support with general administration tasks on behalf of the External Affairs and Policy team.
33. Undertake other duties or special projects as defined by the Head of External Affairs and Policy.
Person specification
Essential
34. An interest in the housing and care and support sectors.
35. A positive, energetic, can-do attitude that demonstrates Riverside’s values.
36. Experience in any or a combination of the following fields: public affairs, public policy, external affairs, parliamentary researcher, media relations, or journalism.
37. Strong political awareness and a good understanding of government.
38. Experience working with social media platforms.
39. Comfortable and confident working with senior leaders.
40. drafting briefings, press releases, and corporate responses in relation to policy announcements.
41. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, suitable for a range of external audiences.
42. A self-motivated individual capable of overseeing projects from inception to completion.
43. Experience of working within a team environment, focusing on partnership and support to achieve project aims and objectives.
44. Demonstrable experience of creating clear, concise, accessible materials.
Desirable
45. Experience of working in a housing-related or not-for-profit environment would be an advantage.
46. Experience of working within Parliament, a political party or demonstrating a strong knowledge of party politics.
47. Experience of working within a public affairs or public relations agency.
48. Experience of planning and delivering integrated public affairs or other engagement campaigns.
49. Relevant political contacts or demonstrable experience of building and maintaining a network of contacts.