External Public Affairs Manager

The External Public Affairs Lead will manage the organisation’s public policy, legislative engagement, and government relations strategy. The role ensures that Campden BRI’s priorities and the interests of the food, drink and consumer goods sectors are effectively represented to policymakers, regulatory bodies, trade associations, and industry groups.

The role will provide strategic insight on political, legislative, and regulatory developments, strengthen the organisation’s influence across UK and international policy landscapes, and help shape external environments to support members, clients, and organisational growth.

Strategic Policy Leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of the organisation’s government affairs strategy, ensuring alignment with business priorities and industry needs.
• Monitor, assess and communicate emerging legislation, policy reforms and regulatory developments across UK, EU, and global markets.
• Advise senior leadership on risks, opportunities, and the strategic implications of policy trends.

External Stakeholder & Government Engagement

• Build and maintain influential relationships with government departments, regulatory authorities, parliamentarians, policy advisers, and public sector stakeholders.
• Represent the organisation externally, positioning it as a trusted expert voice in food, drink, and consumer goods policy.
• Participate in consultations, policy reviews, advisory groups, and public hearings.

Government Affairs Operations

• Oversee political monitoring processes and ensure timely, accurate intelligence flows into the organisation.
• Prepare regular reports, risk analyses, and strategic updates for senior leadership teams.
• Support training and capability‑building across the business on policy engagement and government interface.

Advocacy & Thought Leadership

• Develop some evidence-based advocacy materials, including position papers, briefings, consultation responses, and speeches.
• Lead proactive advocacy campaigns to influence policies affecting members and clients.
• Provide thought leadership to strengthen the organisation’s profile in national and international policy forums.

Cross‑Organisational Collaboration

• Work closely with regulatory, scientific, technical, commercial and communications colleagues to ensure consistent external messaging and policy alignment.
• Support multidisciplinary teams in understanding new legislative frameworks and their impact on services, client needs, and business strategy.
• Ensure effective internal communication of political and regulatory developments.

Commercial & Strategic Impact 

• Ensure policy engagement strategies support commercial objectives, client needs, and the broader organisational mission.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships, collaborative projects and funding initiatives with government and public sector bodies.
• Contribute to thought leadership events, conferences, and public platforms to enhance the organisation’s visibility and influence

• Degree qualified in public policy, law, political science, economics, international relations, or a relevant scientific/regulatory discipline. A postgraduate qualification (e.g., Masters) in a relevant field is an advantage.
• Extensive experience 5 yrs + working in government affairs, public policy, regulatory strategy, or a related senior‑level external affairs role, ideally within the food, drink, science, or consumer goods sectors.
• Demonstrated credibility when engaging with senior government officials, regulators, policy advisers, and industry bodies, with a strong understanding of UK and EU policy‑making processes.
• Strong capability to interpret, analyse and communicate complex legislation, regulatory developments, and political trends.
• Experience developing policy positions, consultation responses, strategic briefings, and evidence-based advocacy materials.
• Skilled at developing and executing advocacy strategies that influence government policy and regulatory frameworks.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build trusted relationships across government, industry, members/clients, and internal teams.
• Proven ability to lead multi-stakeholder projects, influence outcomes, and navigate political and regulatory environments.
• Effective project and programme management experience, including coordination of cross-functional teams
• Experienced and confident in public speaking, presenting at industry events, government briefings, policy roundtables, and conferences.
• Strong time management, able to juggle long-term strategic work with urgent policy developments.
• IT literate, comfortable using business systems, policy‑monitoring tools, and digital communication platforms.
• High attention to detail with the ability to proofread, sense‑check and ensure accuracy in all outputs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distil complex regulatory and policy issues for senior business audiences.

• Eligibility to work in the UK, and a full UK/EU driving licence for travel as required.