Salary: £35,850 per annum
Hours: Full time
Contract: Permanent
Benefits:
- 27 days’ annual leave + statutory holidays + three closures days over the Christmas period.
- Flexible working for all staff including working from home/hybrid working, and flexitime/TOIL scheme.
- Attractive family friendly policies.
- Private healthcare cover.
- Season ticket loans.
- Employee awards, and training and development opportunities.
For more information about our benefits please visit our website.
Office location: London
Please note, the successful candidate will be expected to carry out two days in-person working per week on average which will include attendance at the above office location.
Flexible working arrangements can be discussed and agreed with the line manager subject to role and business needs.
Due to an internal promotion, an exciting opportunity has arisen at the National Housing Federation (NHF) for a Public Affairs Officer. The NHF is the voice of housing associations in England. We are the trade body to almost 600 housing associations, who have grown from philanthropic roots to provide 2.6 million homes to around six million people. You can find further information about the NHF on our website.
Our vision is for a country where everyone can live in a good quality home they can afford. We work with our members to make this vision a reality – delivering ambitious programmes that lead to lasting, positive change.
We work at the forefront of the political debate – not only on housing, but also on a wide range of other policy issues including welfare, homelessness and climate change. Our work affects the lives of millions of people and diverse communities across the country.
Our dynamic Public Affairs team has built close working relationships at the most senior level of politics. We have a proven track record influencing policy, shaping legislation and building trusted relationships with key decision makers.
Our Public Affairs Officers independently lead on their own policy areas, creating influencing strategies designed to achieve impactful results for our members. Following a period of significant political change in Westminster, we need you to play a crucial role to ensure social housing maintains its political salience, and that housing associations are understood as an integral part of the solution to the housing emergency.
Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to download the full job profile and person specification for this role.
Key elements of the role:
- Developing and leading public affairs strategies to influence the main political parties on topics that matter to our members.
- Building effective relationships with parliamentarians, ministers and shadow ministers, researchers and political advisers.
- Collaborating with colleagues through project groups and providing expert public affairs advice on a range of policy issues.
- Monitoring Parliament and key political development to ensure NHF staff and our members are informed on key issues.
- Drafting high-quality briefings, letters and other documents for national politicians.
- Making the case for the NHF’s influencing asks in face-to-face meetings with key political stakeholders and presenting to internal and member groups.
The successful candidate:
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
- A proven ability to develop and implement effective influencing strategies.
- Experience of building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders.
- Commitment to working collaboratively with colleagues across the organization.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
- A good understanding of the political environment and climate in the UK.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
The NHF has published its equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, which was co-created with staff. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and we value the contribution each individual makes to our work.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and are working to increase the diversity profile of our workforce. We are currently under-represented by ethnic minorities, people with a disability or disabilities and LGBTQ+, and would particularly welcome applications from people in these groups.
Disability confident employer
We are a disability confident employer and if you are a disabled person who demonstrates you meet the skills and experience we consider essential for the role, we will offer you an interview.
We are happy to consider reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process if you have a disability or have a condition that you feel may affect your performance during the recruitment process. Please contact Stephanie Green, People Manager with your request or to arrange a time to discuss in more detail.
Our role profile and job advert can also be requested in large print or in accessible format via this email address.
Uploading your CV and cover letter
If you decide to apply for this role, when requested, please upload a version of your CV that does not include any personal details, such as name, gender, age etc. You should also ensure that you do not add your name at the end of the cover letter. This will help us to shortlist candidates for interview based solely on their knowledge, skills and experience.
Right to work in the UK/UK VISA sponsorship
You must have the right to work in the UK and it is important to note that the NHF does not sponsor individuals to work in the UK.
Closing date for applications: 17 February 2025
Interview date: 4 and 5 March 2025
