Senior Public Affairs Manager

Southern Water • Worthington, MN

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Southern Water is investing billions to improve environmental performance and resilience across the South East. Public affairs sits at the heart of that effort — helping us explain our plans, manage political and regulatory risk, and build credibility with those who influence how we operate. We are looking for a Senior Public Affairs Manager to play a leading, hands‑on role in how Southern Water engages with MPs, government departments and other senior political stakeholders. This is a senior role combining deep public affairs expertise with a strong grasp of process and transformation. Alongside leading high‑profile political relationships, you will help ensure our engagement activity is joined‑up, effective and tells a cohesive story across national, regional and local government. Reporting to the Head of Public Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement, you will provide trusted counsel to senior leaders and act as a key part of the organisation’s political leadership capability during a period of significant change and scrutiny.

Requirements

• Significant experience in public affairs, political engagement or a related role, either in‑house or agency.
• A strong understanding of the UK political system and how organisations influence policy and decision‑makers.
• A demonstrable track record of managing senior political relationships and advising senior leaders.
• Experience operating confidently in politically sensitive, fast‑paced environments.
• Strong judgement with the ability to balance risk, reputation and delivery.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly and persuasively.

Nice To Haves

• Experience at Account Director level (or equivalent) within a public affairs or communications agency.
• Experience working in a highly regulated or politically sensitive sector.
• Experience of mentoring or guiding colleagues through complex issues.
• An understanding of infrastructure, environment, public services or utilities policy.

Responsibilities

• Lead Southern Water’s engagement with senior MPs, peers, advisers, government departments and other priority political stakeholders.
• Act as a trusted adviser to the Executive team on the political landscape and its implications for the business.
• Help shape public affairs priorities and approaches in response to emerging political, regulatory and media risk.
• Lead the preparation of high‑quality briefings, talking points and advice for the CEO, Executive Directors and senior leaders.
• Provide clear, confident political advice that supports effective decision‑making and external engagement.
• Sense‑check and assure public affairs outputs to ensure they are accurate, credible and proportionate.
• Support continuous improvement in how public affairs and stakeholder engagement activity is planned, coordinated and delivered.
• Help drive consistency, clarity and effectiveness across engagement activity to ensure a cohesive narrative at all levels of government.
• Contribute to shaping ways of working that enable the team to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, high‑profile environment.
• Support and mentor Public Affairs Manager, providing oversight, challenge and guidance on complex or sensitive issues.
• Lead by example within the Public Affairs team
• Act as a senior escalation point for high‑profile stakeholder concerns and politically sensitive casework.
• Provide cover for the Head of Public Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement when required.
• Lead horizon‑scanning and analysis of political and parliamentary activity relevant to Southern Water.
• Translate external developments into clear internal insight with recommended actions.
• Support issue management during incidents, regulatory challenges or periods of heightened scrutiny.
• Work closely with colleagues across Strategy, Regulation, Communications, Customer and Operations to ensure joined‑up engagement.
• Build constructive working relationships with local authorities, regulators and sector partners where political interests intersect.

Benefits

• Southern Water is investing billions to improve environmental performance and resilience across the South East.
• This is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in how water services are managed.
• We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions and help shape long‑term outcomes.
• We believe diverse perspectives drive innovation.
• We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities and experiences.
• If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.
• Careers with us have real meaning.
• If you’re driven and ambitious, we can offer you huge opportunities for personal growth, professional development and constant innovation.
• We empower and encourage everyone to play to their strengths and to help us shape a fair and positive future for all.
• We believe in Water for Life.
• All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority.
• That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve.
• Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team.
• Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed