Senior Associate Director/Director, Public Affairs

at  APCO Worldwide

APCO’s London office is hiring a Senior Associate Director/Director to join our fast-growing public affairs team. We are looking for an ambitious, enthusiastic and talented professional to join our team based on The Strand just a few minutes’ walk from Parliament.
We work with high-profile companies and organisations spanning energy, transport, health, tech, sustainability, AI and professional services. Candidates with an interest in these sectors would be welcomed. You will have strong expertise navigating UK policy issues on behalf of clients in an agency setting and a deep understanding of developments in Whitehall and Westminster.
The ideal candidate would need to have a minimum of eight years of relevant experience in consultancy, in-house, UK political institutions, or within trade associations/think tanks. Experience of working in the UK’s Parliament or political parties would be of great advantage, but not a pre-requisite for this role.
You will be self-directed, proactive and motivated to win for your clients every day. You will have experience leading teams and managing work streams while also serving as senior counsel on major projects. You will have a desire to learn and grow – both across industries/sectors and communication mediums, such as traditional media, social/digital media, issues advocacyand stakeholder communications. You know how to work with clients and have a positive, proactive attitude that wins the confidence of clients and inspires teams.
2025 promises to be a hugely exciting year in the political calendar. By joining our team, you will be working with colleagues across APCO’s international network of 32 offices who are open, collaborative, collegiate, supportive and diverse.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 8 years of UK public affairs and strategic communications campaign experience including leading successful teams.
• Exceptional presentation, writing and analytical skills, and the ability to write both strategically and creatively under tight deadlines.
• Solid project management experience, including overseeing a team and multiple deliverables, providing clear and concise feedback to maintain high standards.
• Demonstrated success formulating and leading strategic engagements with external stakeholders.Have strong enthusiasm for UK politics and a deep understanding of Westminster & Whitehall, how connections are built, and policy forged.

• Lead a wide range of public affairs and issue campaigns for our clients.
• Manage and grow client relationships including overseeing client projects, supervising project teams, allocating resources, and delegating and reviewing work effectively.
• Provide the highest level of client service on a daily basis through proactive account management, serving as the key client contact while also managing staff (both senior and junior) to successfully maintain and grow client relationships.
• Design and implement integrated public affairs campaigns to position client issues, messages and priorities with key audiences that may include politicians (national, regional and local), civil servants, media, trade associations, consumers and other key stakeholders for our clients.
• Lead strategy development and craft effective messages for both prospective clients (as a key part of the new business process) and for existing clients.
• Monitor developments in key client issue areas and flag opportunities for further client engagement.
• Identify and lead new business opportunities for APCO.