We are looking for a high-calibre Public Affairs Advisor to work with us in this exciting mission. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.
The Academy is advertising for a Public Affairs Advisor to help us increase our impact and effectively communicate our evidence-based policy advice with policymakers, government, parliament, devolved administrations and regional governments, and shape our engagement with key public policy events and discussions.
In collaboration with the nation’s leading engineers from business and research, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and shaping policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age. You are key to delivering this.
A key aspect of the role will be to raise awareness and understanding of how engineering advice can add value to public policy for public benefit.
At the Academy, we do policy differently; we explore exciting and engaging ways to share our insights and advice and find new opportunities to connect policymakers with engineering expertise.
- In 2019, we established the National Engineering Policy Centre, a collaboration between 43 professional engineering organisations, representing 450,000 engineers, which gives policymakers a single route to expertise from across the engineering profession.
- The Engineering Policy Team at the Academy provides public policy advice with a strong engineering dimension from software and tech; energy and decarbonisation, infrastructure and resilience, AI and more.
- The priority of the Research and Innovation Policy Team is to help stimulate a dynamic and thriving ecosystem for R&D and innovation for public good.
- Our Education Policy Team and Diversity and Inclusion Team focus on enabling the UK to grow and access the skills it needs for its future, by inspiring, attracting and retaining people from diverse backgrounds into engineering and through the education and development of current and future generations of engineers.
To shape and deliver this advice we use our excellent networks operating across government, industry and academia and we work closely with the country’s leading engineers and entrepreneurs, with policymakers, and in partnership with the wider Engineering profession.
As the Academy’s Public Affairs Advisor, you’ll get to work across a broad range of exciting and diverse areas, not only on policy topics such as net zero, safety and ethics of autonomous systems and engineering biology, but also our flagship activities like This is Engineering and the MacRobert Award.
We are looking for someone who is up for the challenge of working in a fast-paced environment and taking on a broad portfolio of work. Someone with outstanding interpersonal skills who can collaborate across professional boundaries and proactively develop and nurture networks. Someone who can communicate complex ideas in a clear and compelling way to the people who need to hear them.
You will have the opportunity to really shape and drive the way public affairs is conducted at the Academy. Excellent organisational skills, an ability to take a strategic approach, and a good eye for detail will ensure our public affairs delivers the impact the Academy deserves.
You must have a passion for public affairs, public policy and ideally engineering! We welcome creative and critical thinkers who are open to new ideas and enjoy collaborative ways of working.
If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.
In return, we offer an unrivalled package of benefits including a non-contributory pension scheme, BUPA cash plan, private medical insurance, subsidised restaurant, regular social activities, health and wellbeing programmes and the possibility of flexible working, as well as significant investment into your personal and professional development.
Our offices are based in central London near St. James’ Park. We have adapted our working practices in response to Covid-19, and all staff are currently working remotely.
To find out more and to apply, please visit our website
Interviews will be held via video conference (e.g. Zoom or MS Teams) on 26, 27 and 30 November.