External Affairs Manager (West Midlands)

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: West Midlands Based with Hybrid Working

Salary: Competitive Salary plus bonus

 

At Cadent we’re excited to be part of the future of UK energy!  We’ve got a clear roadmap that will both drive our performance to the forefront of our industry and support the UK government in achieving its net zero targets by 2050.

We’re making a difference through innovation and new ways of working. Together we’re shaping/creating a cleaner, greener future for our 11 million customers whom we put at the heart of everything we do.

About The Role

As the External Affairs Manager for our West Midlands network you`ll protect and build Cadent`s reputation by developing and executing a regionally tailored external affairs plan with the objective of building the brand, forging relationships with key stakeholders. This will be aligned to Cadent`s priorities and positioning and will be tailored to the individual needs of the region. In this role, you are the face of Cadent with key stakeholders in the region and facilitate the delivery of your own stakeholder engagement strategy in the area. Specifically, the role requires the ability to work with both operational teams in the region and deliver on Cadent’s corporate strategy.

Key Accountabilities of the External Affairs Manager will be:

• Leading on key stakeholder engagement activity which supports Cadent’s strategic objectives on the future energy landscape and which protects and enhances our corporate reputation, regulatory and reputational aims, and objectives and leads to positive outcomes for stakeholders and the business. Developing innovative ways to identify stakeholders to engage, with clear outcomes, and demonstrate action in response to feedback. 
• Working with our colleagues across Cadent including our operational teams, to provide key political insight and provide expert advice and guidance on stakeholder engagement.
• Develop and deliver a regional political engagement strategy and build a proactive plan of activity to tell Cadent’s story, build brand awareness which can generate positive PR across digital and non-digital channels. 
• Directly supporting key projects in the region with political and wider stakeholder engagement activity
• Champion Cadent social responsibility programmes around community impact and customers in vulnerable situations e.g. priority service register, carbon monoxide awareness, Centres for Warmth etc.
• Responding to crisis and incidents by effectively managing stakeholders during and after the events, liaising closely with the Communications Business Partners to ensure consistency of messages.

About You

You’ll possess the following qualifications, skills and experience:

• Clear understanding of the dynamics of different stakeholder relationships within a region (political and non-political)
• Proven experience in building and sustaining relationships and strong understanding of public affairs
• Ability to influence successfully and demonstrating that action has been undertaken in response to feedback
• Strong external awareness of the local, regional and national political landscape, and comfortable working at each level
• Possessing impact and credibility at the highest levels, with excellent communication skills
• Comfortable working with different teams across a large organisation
• Proven influencing, planning, writing and editing skills, particularly in addressing different communications and engagement challenges within a changing and demanding environment
• Ability to write in an effective, plain-English style which can be tailored to the needs of different audiences
• Full UK driving licence

What’s In It For You

Here at Cadent, we are committed to supporting our employees to get the best out of themselves, and we are open to offering:

·       Funding and support towards relevant professional qualifications

·       Opportunities for progression within the business

·       Mentoring and guidance opportunities

Benefits

We offer a host of benefits to suit your lifestyle and support your well-being. These include:

·       25 days holiday, plus statutory days, and an option to buy more

·       Fantastic career development prospects delivered through our Training Schools, our Learning and Development team and through funded learning options

·       Pension Scheme – double match up to 12%

·       Opportunity to earn an annual bonus

·       Generous family provision policies

·       Flexible benefits including cycle to work scheme, salary sacrifice car scheme, insurance and healthcare packages, plus much more

·       Flexible working requests supported from first day - #FlexFrom1^st

·       My Offers membership card – offering discounts and savings from hundreds of retailers

·       Support with financial wellbeing

·       Access to our Occupational Health Services

·       Paid 2 volunteering days per year

·       Gym Membership

We want our employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance and are happy to discuss flexible working options with you if the role can accommodate it. Let us know about your flexibility requirements, whether that be reduced hours, remote working, flexible start/finish times, or compressed hours, and we will be more than happy to explore what’s possible for the role.

 

Diversity and Inclusion

Understanding, learning, and celebrating what makes us different, as well as what we have in common, is not only good for us as individuals but also enables us to work better together as one team. Cadent is committed to being an equitable and diverse employer that fosters an inclusive culture for all our employees, therefore, all our employment decisions are assessed based on qualifications, merit, and business need. So, if you’re excited about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification mentioned, we would still love for you to submit your application – you may just be the right person for this role or other opportunities at Cadent.

As a recognised Disability Confident Employer, we are proud to champion inclusion in the workplace and ensure to provide an environment that is accessible to all and supports individuals throughout their journey with Cadent. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments during the application process.

We place great importance on equity, diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Our employee communities include Women in Cadent, Pride at Work (LGBTQ+), Embrace (ethnicity and religion), Thrive! (disability) and the Cadent Military Community, which we are proud to support.
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Circle Back Initiative

As an active and proud member of The Circle Back Initiative, we aim to ensure that all candidates receive a response to their application, regardless of the outcome.

We will be receiving applications until the specified date above, though Cadent retains the right to close this vacancy early without prior notification, so it is advisable to complete your application at your earliest convenience.

Be part of something big. Help shape the future of gas for generations to come - keeping people warm, whilst protecting the planet.