External Affairs Officer

As part of our larger Corporate Affairs team, the External Affairs Officer will support with the development and execution of our media, social and strategic communications plan, bringing our purpose, vision, and values to life through clear and compelling content, whilst also building and maintaining relationships with relevant external stakeholders. 

National Grid have a crucial role to play in tackling climate change by accelerating our capacity to deliver clean green electricity across the UK.  National Grid Strategic Infrastructure (SI) was set up last year with special dispensation from Ofgem to accelerate 17 key onshore electricity transmission infrastructure upgrade projects across the UK within timescales never seen before. 

This is a truly amazing time to join us!

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• Build and enhance our reputation and influence, support integrated campaigns and develop communication strategies, pro-actively shaping clear and compelling content.

• Network with external stakeholders, pro-actively meeting and briefing relevant journalists, and media outlets to promote and increase the knowledge of the SI business interests.

• Anticipate and identify current and future strategic issues and industry trends of interest, pro-actively providing insight on media opportunities.

• Lead the delivery of briefings for business leaders’ meetings with key journalists, including producing briefing material prior to interviews and providing constructive post-interview feedback.

•  Write and distribute compelling content, articles, and press releases.  Keep track of media content, coverage & industry trends to assess the impact of activity. Track KPIs to measure progress against the outcomes of campaigns and engagement.

• Media position statements and media counsel as needed.

• Support on crisis management and media handling, taking part in the Corporate Affairs Response Team. This will include participation in the 24/7 duty press officer rota.

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You're experienced in corporate media relations and corporate affairs, with the ability to convey key messages to both expert and lay audiences. Tactically astute, with demonstrable knowledge of appropriate media relations tools and techniques, and especially digital and social media expertise.  You may be from an agency looking to make a move in-house, or already have in-house experience.

In person, you’re pro-active - you enjoy networking and influencing internal and external stakeholders, including journalists, working collaboratively to plan and deliver successful integrated campaigns and engagement strategies.  You're a creative ‘ideas person’, articulate, and an influencer, with current knowledge and experience of the social media scene (Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn etc).  You can prioritise competing issues whilst maintaining high and consistent standards, working at pace and with minimal guidance.  Finally, you are results-orientated, and unflappable in the face of rapid change, complexity, and sometimes ambiguity!

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Salary circa £50,000 (salary and package dependant on experience and hiring location). 

Plus:

• Up to 10% annual bonus

• Double-match pension scheme (for every £1 you put in we put in £2, to a max company contribution of up to 12%)

• 28 days holiday (plus 8 statutory days, plus the opportunity to buy 5 more days annually)

• Life Assurance: 10 x your base salary

• Access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car, health & technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

• Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions, course fees, books, exam fees and time off for study leave – relevant to your role.

• Family care benefits including a back-up care service for when your usual care arrangements fall through (six paid days each year as standard with the option to purchase further days).

• Access to apps that support health, fitness and wellbeing.

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We offer a hybrid working approach, a mix of office working from our London Strand office (c2 days per week) and the rest home working.  We can also consider this role to be based from our Warwick office, Warwickshire – with fairly regular travel to London as required. 

The closing date of this advert is Friday 9th February 2024

Interviews will be held w/c 19th or 26th February 2024