Director of External Affairs

Job Details: Director of External Affairs

Vacancy Name: Director of External Affairs

Country: United Kingdom

Office Location: London or Birmingham

About Us: Flexible/Agile Working: This role can be performed with a hybrid working arrangement which balances working from home and your contracted office. It is expected that regular attendance in the office will be required 3 days per week.

Join RICS, a leading global organisation supporting 140,000 professionals worldwide. We set the highest ethical standards in land, real estate, construction, and infrastructure across global markets. As a leading professional body, we empower our members with globally recognised qualifications, influential networking, and access to cutting edge resources that shape the future of the industry. Your work here will directly contribute to advancing knowledge and driving sustainable practices on a global scale, creating a positive impact for society internationally. Join us and help us build a better world, together.

Role Purpose and Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead and direct RICS' External Affairs strategy, collaborating with senior leadership to align with governance, members, and key stakeholders.
2. Manage relationships with domestic and international press, governments, NGOs, and other key audiences to drive RICS' desired outcomes.
3. Develop and execute reputation management strategies, overseeing press outputs, public statements, and ensuring alignment with RICS strategic objectives.
4. Promote knowledge management and best practices within External Affairs, working with teams to develop strategic outputs and engage with key stakeholders.
5. Manage department resources and finances efficiently, ensuring the effective delivery of strategic campaigns, events, and direct engagement opportunities.

About You:

1. Experienced leader skilled in creating inclusive, supportive environments, empowering teams through coaching and development to achieve results.
2. Proven ability to deliver impactful results, provide strategic advice, and lead multiple major programmes while managing diverse stakeholders.
3. Expertise in crisis and reputation management, including leading successful campaigns and applying commercial insights for strategic decision-making.
4. Relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across different cultures and engage executive and stakeholder audiences.
5. Experienced in managing strategic projects within regulated professions, ensuring integrity and credibility of regulatory frameworks and proactively driving delivery.

Rewards and Benefits:

We value your contribution and your commitment. We strive to provide a work environment that supports your professional development and personal wellness. In addition to a competitive market rate salary, we offer:

1. A standard full-time week of 35 hours.
2. Flexible working arrangements, including part-time options, where possible.

We offer a benefits package that's designed to support your health, wellbeing, and lifestyle. This includes:

1. Health & Wellbeing: Private medical cover, an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders, Wellbeing Champions, eye care, and a dedicated wellbeing day.
2. Financial Security: Income protection, life assurance, a competitive pension scheme, and access to personalised money support.
3. Time & Flexibility: 25 days' holiday (plus bank holidays), dynamic working options, and enhanced leave policies for life's important moments.
4. Community & Connection: A paid volunteering day and employee-led networks to help you connect with others and give back.

Equal Opportunity Employer: RICS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds, as we believe that our differences drive our performance. Please speak to us if we can support you with any adjustments to our recruitment process. Candidates will need to have the correct right to work in the country the role resides in.

How to Apply:

To apply for this role, please submit your CV along with your completed application form, ensuring that you answer all questions, including:

1. A statement outlining why you believe you are an ideal candidate for this position, and how your skills and experience align with the role's requirements.

In other organisations, this role may be known as: Director of Public Relations, Director of Government Relations, Director of Corporate Communications.