Talent Pool: External Affairs
TALENT POOL ADVERT — REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
External Affairs: Officer to Director level
If you can build a relationship with a stakeholder, a journalist and a policymaker, and get all three pulling in the same direction, we want to hear from you.
Westminster Search is building a talent pool of strong external affairs professionals, at every level from Officer to Director, for our clients across charities, membership bodies and agencies. We are not recruiting for one role — we are getting ahead of the next ten. Join the pool now, and we will match you to a live vacancy the moment it fits, at the level that suits your experience.
Why register with this talent pool
- You are matched to relevant roles before they are advertised publicly.
- One conversation with us saves you dozens of applications to individual employers.
- We know the external affairs market in detail, and we only put you forward for roles that suit your experience and ambitions.
- You hear about opportunities first, from a consultant who has placed external affairs professionals for years.
What external affairs roles cover, at every level
- Building and managing relationships with the full range of external stakeholders: politicians, officials, media, partner organisations and the public.
- Combining public affairs, communications, campaigns and stakeholder engagement into a single, coherent voice for the organisation.
- Monitoring the external environment and advising colleagues on the risks and opportunities it presents.
- Drafting and delivering briefings, statements, campaigns and correspondence that change minds, not just inform them.
- At more senior levels: setting external affairs strategy, leading a team, and advising trustees, Boards or Chief Executives directly.
What clients are looking for
- Experience across public affairs, communications, campaigns or stakeholder engagement — in-house, agency, Parliament, party or the media.
- A genuine understanding of how Westminster, Whitehall and the media operate, and how each one influences the other.
- Excellent written and spoken English, and the ability to adapt a message for very different audiences.
- Sound judgement, discretion and the confidence to represent the organisation externally.
- For senior roles: a track record of leading teams and advising at Board level.
How the talent pool works
- Send your CV and a short note on the type of role and level you are looking for.
- We will arrange a confidential call to understand your experience, motivations and salary expectations.
- We keep your details on file and contact you as soon as a suitable vacancy is instructed by a client.
- You are under no obligation, and we will never put your name forward without asking you first.
Register your interest
To join the Westminster Search talent pool for external affairs roles, register with the pool that matches your level:
- Officer level: join our Public Affairs Officer Talent Pool.
- Manager level: join our Public Affairs Manager Talent Pool.
- Head of / Director level: join our Head of Public Affairs Talent Pool.
Alternatively, email your CV to Joseph Henry at joseph.henry@westminstersearch.com, telling us the level, salary, sector and type of organisation you are looking for.