Government Relations Advisor
National Highways · United Kingdom
About the job.
This role is based in the Government Relations team and is responsible for assisting in the development and ongoing management of National Highways’ relationship with the Department for Transport and wider government. Your work will enable National Highways to engage effectively with government to shape and influence decisions related to or impacting on the Strategic Road Network.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with a range of Department for Transport officials to support the effective delivery of National Highways’ formal engagement cycle with the Department and wider government
- Maintain knowledge and strategic awareness of issues that may impact the relationship with government, through actively maintaining and encouraging regular dialogue with key business areas and undertaking proactive challenge as required.
- Support the Head of Government Relations and Team Leaders with the resolution of issues and requests from the Department for Transport and wider government.
- Assist in managing National Highways’ formal cycle of engagement with the Department for Transport and wider government. Planning and agreeing agendas, commissioning and preparing papers and liaising effectively to enable high-quality conversations to take place.
About you.
- Knowledge of working with Government and/or operating in a highly scrutinised, monitored/regulated environment.
- Organised, with an ability to multi-task across different areas of work simultaneously, prioritising your own work effectively
- Stakeholder management and influencing skills and the confidence to challenge others, including senior colleagues, where necessary
- Ability to present information clearly and appropriately, adapting your approach to suit the audience and the information being communicated.
- Experience with a range of standard computer software, particularly Microsoft Powerpoint.
About us.
Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.
The Customer, Strategy, and Communications directorate is essential to National Highways. We guide the direction of the strategic road network, helping the company deliver economic and social benefits by meeting the needs of our customers, clients, and fulfilling regulatory requirements. As the central hub within National Highways, we provide the corporate strategic planning function for the organisation.
External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.
We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Why you should join us
At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers.
So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it – then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation.
A connected and sustainable working approach has been adopted across National Highways. For some roles, this means being able to work in a hybrid way spending up to 60% of time working from a remote location such as home.
Please wait until the interview stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what is possible.
Our benefits package
- Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus
- Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10%
- Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays)
- Flexible hours and an approach driven by connected and sustainable working which includes hybrid working
- Life assurance of 4 times annual salary
- Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines
- A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel
- Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience
And we are
- Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities
- Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays. Alongside a financial wellbeing programme
- Community friendly – offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year
If you are successful, it is key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include:
- Right to work check
- 3 year employment history references
- DBS criminal record check
- Social media and adverse journalism check
- Driving licence check (if applicable)
- Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable)
- Qualifications and/or professional membership check (if applicable)
And finally
We reserve the right to close before the advertisement expires.
This role is based in the Government Relations team and is responsible for assisting in the development and ongoing management of National Highways’ relationship with the Department for Transport and wider government. Your work will enable National Highways to engage effectively with government to shape and influence decisions related to or impacting on the Strategic Road Network.