It's an exciting time to join us as Sovereign have joined forces with Network Homes to form Sovereign Network Group (SNG). Together we provide over 84,000 homes and invest in communities across London and the South of England.
We have a fantastic new opportunity to join the Corporate Affairs team as Stakeholder and Engagement Specialist (External Affairs) on a 12-month FTC basis.
You'll be primarily based at our Basingstoke office, though with offices in Bristol, London, Christchurch, and Newbury, we can be flexible on your base location. In the longer term, there may be some travel required between our offices and external events so you should have access to transport and be happy to travel. The role will combine both home and office working to ensure a positive work/life balance.
The Role
You'll work with the Head of External Affairs to manage stakeholder engagement, supporting senior business leaders. This will include the development and maintenance of stakeholder maps and contacts across political, housing sector, and developer stakeholders.
Other key responsibilities include:
Preparing high quality briefings for senior business leaders, drawing on a range of sources, including your own network
Develop communications plans then work with the press officer and PR agencies to deliver positive news stories and engagement for our development pipeline
Create original social media content which supports our development team
Managing the external affairs content and campaigns calendar
Project manage stakeholder events, including media opportunities, MP visits and the AGM and support Sovereign's presence at sector conferences
Lead on applications for sector awards, including drafting submissions to awarding bodies
Write press releases, features and other content (such as blogs and opinion pieces) for local, trade and national media
Handle media enquiries, working with the Press Office to protect Sovereign's reputation
To enhance Sovereign's reputation as a developer and housing provider, working closely with the Press Officer
What we're looking for
This position would suit candidates that have strong communications or stakeholder engagement experience. Organisational skills are critical, as well as the ability to build networks with a wide range of people.
You'll also need:
Experience of producing high quality communication and strong influencing skills - written and verbal
Excellent understanding of stakeholder management
Ability to build and manage relationships both internally and externally
Experience of event management and networking
Self-motivation with a pro-active approach and be able to multitask
Experience of working with senior management level people within public affairs, and government relations
A knowledge and understanding of housing associations, real estate management, or development is desirable but not essential
What you'll receive from us
We have some fantastic benefits on offer at Sovereign, including:
£450 flex-pot annually, discounted shopping & cycling scheme
25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays (with an extra day every year up to 30 days)
Generous matched pension scheme (up to 12%), life cover at 4x your salary
Access to a range of wellbeing benefits, including 24/7 virtual GP service
Flexible working - we're committed to giving people flexibility as widely as possible
Options for private medical insurance, dental insurance & critical illness cover
We are committed to our Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and believe that you can truly be yourself at SNG.
It's an exciting time to be joining SNG as we continue through our transformation journey and work towards achieving the goals in our ambitious corporate plans. If you're looking for a new opportunity, then we'd love to hear from you!
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
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