Location - London or Edinburgh

As part of this role, travel will be required. 

About Openreach

Openreach Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group. We look after the copper wires and fibre cables that connect homes and businesses to phone and broadband. Our customers are the 650+ communications providers who sell phone and broadband services to these households and businesses. 

Why this job matters

The Regional Public Affairs Manager will be engaging political stakeholders across the Midlands and north of England on a daily basis. While spending time across the region will be fundamental, the role is based at one of our two Corporate Affairs hubs to ensure collaboration and co-creation across a small and dynamic team. 

Our roll-out of digital infrastructure is crucial in underpinning the UK’s future, be it better access to vital public services or realising the benefits from Artificial Intelligence. 

While our 21st Century broadband network is being built faster than anywhere in Europe and is the second largest infrastructure project in the UK today, there remain a number of areas where we need support to ensure ultrafast, ultra-reliable broadband is available to everyone, no matter where you live. 

Recent research by Cebr states that our roll-out could be worth £72 billion to the UK economy in 2030 and bring over half-a-million people back into the workforce. 

We’re now looking for a passionate and driven individual to come and add value to our PRCA Award nominated team. 

What you’ll be doing

• You’ll be engaging with stakeholders on a daily basis. This will include MPs, councillors, Metro Mayors, as well businesses, interest groups and interested third parties. 
• You will create engaging content to develop regional relationships across multiple channels, alongside our existing media relations offering. 
• You will be horizon scanning for new opportunities to engage, and proactively be providing advice to the Head of Public Affairs (and other senior leaders) on regional intelligence.
• You’ll be supporting our specialist teams with parliamentary casework, ensuring timely and accurate resolutions.  
• You will have responsibility for a regional budget.
• You will be supporting our Policy Manager and Head of Sustainability by building stakeholder campaigns to support our policy objectives.
• You will work with our Regional Build and Contract teams to identify opportunities to promote the work of Openreach across our core stakeholders, and support their work with our local authorities and devolved administrations. 

The skills you'll need

• An excellent understanding of the political landscape and processes, specifically across the Midlands and north of England. 
• Top verbal and written skills, as you’ll be responsible for briefing and accompanying senior leaders to stakeholder meetings, or be tasked with representing Openreach at events, conferences and/or public meetings yourself.
• The ability to translate detailed and technical information into simple and clear communications, and to drive digital communication strategies, such as social media and blog posts.
• An excellent networker, who can exercise connections to the benefit of Openreach.
• A passion for the region you’d be representing. 
• As this role relies on the building of strong relationships, a significant amount of travel is required, therefore a full, clean, UK Driving License is required. 

Benefits

• 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays, and additional days for length of service
• 10% on target bonus
• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme - If you pay in a minimum of 5% of your pensionable salary every month we will pay in 10%
• 50% off BT and EE mobileSIM only plans
• Exclusive colleague discounts on our latest and greatest BT broadband packages
• BT TV, including BT Sport and the NOW Entertainment membership, and 25% off NOW Sport, Cinema and Kids
• Shared Parental leave - maximum amount of leave you can share with your partner is 50 weeks
• 3 volunteering days per year
• Competitive employee discount on BT/EE products
• Competitive friends and family discount on EE Mobile

Our leadership standards

Looking in:
Leading inclusively and Safely
I inspire and build trust through self-awareness, honesty and integrity.
Owning outcomes
I take the right decisions that benefit the broader organisation.

Looking out:
Delivering for the customer
I execute brilliantly on clear priorities that add value to our customers and the wider business.
Commercially savvy
I demonstrate strong commercial focus, bringing an external perspective to decision-making.

Looking to the future:
Growth mindset
I experiment and identify opportunities for growth for both myself and the organisation.
Building for the future
I build diverse future-ready teams where all individuals can be at their best.

About Openreach
We employ more than 35,091 people who install, support and maintain the wiring, fibres and connections which link tens of millions of homes and businesses in the UK to our customers’ networks.

A FEW POINTS TO NOTE:

Although these roles are listed as full-time, if you’re a job share partnership, work reduced hours, or any other way of working flexibly, please still get in touch.

DON'T MEET EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT?

Studies have shown that women and people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse or from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification and criteria. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can be their best, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement on the Job Description, please apply anyway - you may just be the right candidate for this or other roles in our wider team.