An exciting opportunity has become available to join the Public Affairs and Campaigns team as Government and Stakeholder Relations Manager at the Association of Colleges.

Colleges have been receiving increased focus from politicians and policy-makers in recent years. However, there remain fundamental challenges facing the sector – with long-standing under-investment, and the need longer-term ultimately to build an education and skills system that is able to deliver for people, employers and communities to meet the challenges of the future. At the same time, with a new government now in place, we are seeing a range of significant reforms to the way that policy is made and overseen – in particular, with the setting of five long-term missions, which will have to be delivered on over the long term. This agenda involves a renewed emphasis on strengthening working across different government departments, with key agencies and with devolved bodies – including with the proposed establishment of a new oversight body, Skills England.

Taken together, this represents a significant opportunity for the role of colleges to be better understood and supported across government – and ultimately to build a post 16 education and skills systems that is fit for the future.

What will you do?

The Government and Stakeholder Relations Manager will work to strengthen our engagement across Whitehall - ultimately ensuring that the potential of colleges to transform lives is understood by decision-makers and influencers and reflected in policy-making, and leading thinking to build a system that can fully deliver on this. This will involve a particular focus on ensuring that thinking about colleges is effectively embedded into thinking across all of the Labour government’s five missions, and ensuring that the proposals to develop Skills England live up to their potential to ultimately drive a more cohesive and impactful post 16 education and skills system.  

Sitting within AoC’s Public Affairs and Campaigns team, you’ll report into the Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns, working closely with colleagues across the AoC, with sector partners and our member colleges. You will work proactively to forge strong relationships with people across Whitehall, with political parties and with other key stakeholders, such as trade bodies, employers, trade unions, student representatives, and draw on our policy expertise, research and evidence-base.

This role will be varied – and a week might see you meeting with stakeholders to develop coordinated engagement activities; using AoC reports to produce targeted briefings for civil servants and ministers which demonstrate the role colleges can play across government priority areas; securing meetings with ministers and senior officials for our CEO and other senior staff; working with our media team to support coverage discussing the wider role colleges play outside of education and training; and working to identify and develop case studies from member colleges which support your wider work.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for an exceptional candidate, who is excited and ambitious about the opportunities this agenda represents, and committed to unlocking the full potential of colleges in delivering for people, employers and communities. You will have strong experience working with or for government departments and/ or Mayoral Combined Authorities – perhaps as a civil servant yourself, working with an elected politician or working in government relations/ public affairs. This role will involve building new networks and thinking creatively about how we strengthen our influence – and so you will be a self-starter, enjoy working creatively, and will be adept at finding opportunities to influence thinking.

Please refer to the job description and person specification for more details about this role. If you would like an informal chat about this role, please contact the hiring manager, Lewis Cooper. 

Interviews: W/C 16th September @ AoC Head Office, London

AoC has a culture of high performance and commitment and we expect and get a lot from our staff. We offer trust and autonomy in a highly flexible working environment with a great package of rewards that includes a generous holiday entitlement, final salary pension scheme, opportunities for professional development including sponsorship of professional qualifications. We also know that our passion for the further education sector, and our focus on enabling colleges to help people realise their talents and ambitions, act as a great motivator for working at AoC.

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How to Apply

1.    Please prepare a current CV with a cover letter detailing your key skills and strengths that make you an exceptional candidate for this role.
2.    Please complete our equality and diversity monitoring form and attach it with your application. 
3.    Please send your complete application, including CV, cover letter and equal ops monitoring form using the 'Apply' button below. Applications that do not include all 3 attachments, will not be considered.

Please note that your equality and diversity monitoring form will be separated from your application and will not be considered by the shortlisting panel.

AoC is committed to providing equal opportunities and embracing diversity. We encourage applications from everyone and will not discriminate against any applicants on the basis of age, disability, sex, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.  To service our members and their students well, we need a workforce and Board that is more representative of those we serve. That’s why we welcome applications from everyone, from all backgrounds, who share our vision and values and want to be a part of this journey with us.

If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply or attend any interview, please email us to let us know.

Thank you for your interest in this opportunity to join the AoC team.