Head of Public Affairs

Alzheimer's Society

2d•Remote

About The Position

This is a senior, outward-facing leadership role operating in fast-moving and often uncertain political environments. The Head of Public Affairs will play a key role in Alzheimer’s Society’s political engagement across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The aim is to secure greater urgency, ambition and sustained political prioritisation for dementia, ensuring evidence, policy positions and the experiences of people affected by dementia lead to decisions that improve diagnosis, treatment, care and support. The role requires anticipating change, identifying moments for progress, and adapting strategy, messages, and resources rapidly. The Head of Public Affairs will work collaboratively with senior colleagues to set the public affairs strategy, establish clear political outcomes, and lead a high-performing team to deliver them. This involves judging where power and influence lie, building trusted relationships with senior political and system leaders, convening coalitions, and utilizing parliamentary, governmental, media, and campaigning routes to accelerate change. The work will ensure influencing is grounded in robust evidence and lived experience, is politically astute, responsive to external change, and focused on impact.

Requirements

Substantial senior-level experience of developing and delivering public affairs, government relations or political influencing strategies.
Ability to build credibility and influence senior stakeholders, including politicians, advisers, civil servants, health and care leaders, and sector partners.
Good track record of translating evidence, policy priorities and lived experience into compelling influencing strategies, political propositions and engagement plans.
Ability to use good political judgement and strategic prioritisation to identify a political opportunity or emerging trend and adapt strategy effectively.
Effective leadership skills with the ability to drive delivery and develop and motivate high-performing teams.
Good communication skills with the ability to build positive, collaborative relationships with teams and stakeholders across the organisation.

Responsibilities

Leading and developing a team of managers, officers and assistants, fostering a culture of high support, high challenge, pace, sound judgement and continuous learning.
Delivering an ambitious public affairs strategy across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with clear political objectives, choices, audiences and measures of impact.
Driving greater urgency and political prioritisation for dementia, making the case for dementia as a health and care priority and securing visible, sustained commitment from decision-makers.
Identifying and acting on political opportunities across the three nations, tailoring approaches to their different institutions, policy landscapes, parliamentary processes and political cultures.
Ensuring the organisation is prepared for elections, changes of government or leadership, fiscal events, legislative programmes, consultations and other significant political moments across all three nations.
Positioning Alzheimer's Society as a leading, authoritative and solutions-focused voice on dementia, using evidence, lived experience and policy expertise to shape political debate.
Representing our priorities through speeches, events, professional networks and media activity, and support senior spokespeople to engage effectively with political audiences.