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Assistant Director of External Affairs


Your role
Here at the National Trust, we’re always looking for new and exciting ways to grow the nation’s love of special places. We’re working hard in other areas too. From green living to the great outdoors, from food and farming to housing, planning and transport, the size and scale of our work is breathtaking. That’s why it’s so important that we know what’s happening in the world around us. You’ll help us to do this by setting out a vision for effective and compelling external affairs influencing. You’ll make sure that, as an organisation, we fully understand the external context in which we operate and that we’re recognising risks while taking opportunities and responding to emerging trends and issues. You’ll lead the external affairs profession at the National Trust and manage a small specialist team. As you actively influence policy-makers, decision-makers and partners at the highest level, you’ll be standing up for and promoting the importance of the relationship between people and place.
About you
You’re tuned in to the world around you and you’ll already have an impressive understanding of the issues we face. An outstanding influencer of people, a credible campaigner and authoritative communicator, you’ll have experience of working with government and NGOs, as well as with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders. We’d also like you to have proven experience of aligning external affairs strategies with overall organisational strategies. And just like your understanding of complex policy and political issues, your network of contacts is in-depth and up-to-the-minute. More than anything, you’ll thrive on the opportunity to be a powerful, credible, consistent voice for the Trust, defining and championing our position across a broad agenda while convincing the world to listen.
About us
We are the largest conservation charity in Europe, with 4 million members, 5,000 permanent staff and 67,000 volunteers. We look after 255,000 hectares, 720 miles of coastline, 350 historic houses and gardens. Here at the National Trust, we want even more people to enjoy our extraordinary places. We want people of all ages and backgrounds to get involved with them, be inspired by them, and love them as much as we do. That’s why we’ve put some bold ambitions in place. We want everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to feel like a member of the National Trust and, by 2020, we want to have grown our membership to more than five million.
Incredibly rewarding
We expect a lot, but we’ll offer a great deal in return, starting with stimulating and challenging work and the opportunity to help us achieve our bold ambitions. We value your contribution, recognise the importance of a work-life balance, and are committed to your continued development. You can also look forward to free admission to all our incredible places, plus a helpful 20% off at our shops, cafes and restaurants. But they’re just the benefits we can tell you about here. There are lots more at www.nationaltrustrewardsandbenefits.org.uk
Apply
This is a genuinely exciting time to be joining us. To find out more about this very high profile role, and to apply online please visit http://bit.ly/TWfHF1 Closing date: 29 January 2013. Interviews likely to take place on the 8, 13 and 15 February 2013.
Committed to equal opportunities.
Registered charity number 205846.