Assistant Director, Head Of Public Affairs

When meeting us, you’ll quickly discover that the best thing about the Association of British Insurers is the people. We’re hugely proud that 98% of our people think individual differences are respected and we are empowered to bring our whole self to work without fear of judgment. If that sounds like your sort of culture, read on to find out how you can join us.
We are open to flexible, part time and/or job share working – please let us know if this would be your preference. We work in a hybrid way with at least 40% of time in the office.
We’re looking for a Head of Public Affairs to lead our Public Affairs function. Working in collaboration with the Assistant Director, Head of Public Policy (Scotland, Wales & NI), you’ll oversee the delivery of impactful political stakeholder engagement and lobbying that raises awareness of the insurance and long- term savings industry and positively moves the dial in relation to the reputation of the industry, supporting sector and societal change.
We welcome people who are new to insurance (most of us were when we joined) – as well as those with experience.
What’s the job?
Line manage a high-performing London- based Public Affairs team in delivering effective engagement strategies.
Be the main contact for managing positive relationships to build and drive an influential profile for us and our industry with a wide range of stakeholders in the Houses of Parliament and UK government.
Oversee the development and delivery of stakeholder engagement and influencing strategies to support of ABI policy and campaigns.
Provide political insights and forecasts to the Executive Team and other colleagues and work alongside colleagues to ensure Executive Team members are prepped with speeches and briefings.
Lead debates at our Committees and Working Groups to develop and advance credible positions which take into account the views of members and the interests of the wider insurance and long-term saving industry.
Represent our industry at external meetings, conferences and events, including undertaking high profile speaking engagements.
Work closely with Government Affairs advisers in our member companies, developing a strong relationship with them to further our political influence.
Work collaboratively with the other Heads of department within Corporate Affairs and the ABI to ensure a joined- up approach to our external representation activity, including industry events and membership activity.
What skills do you need?
Political knowledge – you’re a UK Public Affairs expert with a wide political network.
Leadership – you can manage, develop and retain a team to deliver work across a broad range of objectives.
Strategic thinking - you identify and act on emerging opportunities, challenges and risks.
Lobbying and influencing – you can win the trust of senior people and argue persuasively to deliver strategic objectives.
Relationship management – you work collaboratively and build close and enduring relationships with decision makers and colleagues to build support for ideas and future changes.
Adaptable – you respond quickly and efficiently to issues as they arise and galvanise your team to do the same.
Throughout the interview and assessment process, we will be looking for you to demonstrate our values; We are Brave; We take Ownership; We are Appreciative; We are Human and We are Curious.
Inclusion matters to us
We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds and we run our application process a bit differently – we don’t assess based on CV or past experience. We’ll ask application questions which are relevant to the role and the skills we need to ensure our process is fair, inclusive and everyone has equal opportunity to demonstrate their suitability.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to making adjustments to help you perform at your best in our recruitment process. Additionally, where practicable, we offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum requirements for a role. To discuss, please contact careers@abi.org.uk
To find out more
You can find lots more information on our careers page, including details of our generous benefits package and who we are as an organisation.
You can find out how we use your personal information by reading our candidate Privacy Notice: https://www.abi.org.uk/about-the-abi/careers/abi-candidate-privacy-notice/.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme