External Affairs Manager

Overview

We are working exclusively with the Chartered Management Institute; a leading professional body committed to improving management and leadership standards across the UK.

This External Affairs Manager role is an exciting opportunity for a highly proactive and outward-facing professional to take ownership of a visible external engagement portfolio. It will be suited to someone with experience across public affairs and stakeholder engagement who thrives on building networks and turning relationships into meaningful outcomes. This role may particularly suit candidates from a consultancy environment.

You will lead engagement with key stakeholders across government, the public sector and industry, with a particular focus on partnerships across the NHS, central government and professional bodies. The role sits at the heart of the organisation's external activity, connecting policy, communications and commercial priorities to ensure its voice is heard and its influence continues to grow.

Working closely with policy, PR, partnerships and sales teams, you will help position the organisation as a thought leader across key agendas including leadership, skills, employment and the future of work. This role offers strong variety, visibility and autonomy, and would suit someone who operates at pace in a collaborative, purpose-led environment.

Additional Key Responsibilities

• Identify and leverage opportunities to translate stakeholder engagement into partnerships, commercial activity and organisational impact.
• Proactively secure and deliver speaking opportunities, partnerships and external platforms to position the organisation as a thought leader.
• Support engagement across priority areas including NHS leadership development, inclusive workplaces (EDI) and employment policy.
• Support senior leaders with external engagement through high-quality briefings, speech writing and coordination of activity.
• Work alongside the PR team to support reactive and proactive media activity, including drafting press lines and identifying opportunities to amplify messaging.

About You

• Experience in public affairs or external relations.
• Exposure to media engagement or press activity, with confidence supporting reactive opportunities.
• A strong track record of stakeholder engagement, ideally with exposure to public sector or health networks.
• A highly proactive, network-driven approach, with the ability to spot and create opportunities.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to translate relationships into partnerships or organisational growth.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience producing content for external or media audiences.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities independently, delivering high-quality work at pace.
• A collaborative mindset and confidence working with senior stakeholders across organisations.
• An interest in policy areas such as leadership, skills, employment or the future of work.

Additional Information & How to Apply

You will join a collaborative, purpose-driven organisation with a strong focus on flexibility, development and impact.

This role is London-based with a hybrid working model (minimum two days in the office).

Deadline for applications is 3rd July 23:59.

Please ensure you send a full copy of your CV clearly highlighting the experience relevant to the post.

Full right to work in the UK is required sponsorship cannot be provided.

Murray McIntosh is proud to be an equal opportunities employer on behalf of their clients. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.

Murray McIntosh is a specialist Policy, Public Affairs, Strategic Communications and Economics recruitment consultancy, recruiting positions at all levels and across all sectors. Our team boasts over 20 years of experience in this space, with expertise spanning all manner of industry and subject areas.