The Commonwealth Secretariat seeks to appoint a highly motivated and talented Public Affairs Adviser within the office of the Secretary-General. The post-holder will formulate and advise the Secretary-General on the implementation of public relations strategies in order to provide exposure across the Commonwealth to the Secretary-General’s work.
The role also entails supporting the Secretariat’s communications strategy through developing and implementing complementary initiatives involving the Secretary-General personally. This includes identifying and overseeing the Secretary-General’s participation in selected public events, and also leading in producing editorial outputs such as draft speeches, public statements and other contributions to publications and print media.
The responsibilities of the Public Affairs Adviser include (but are not limited to):
Produce high quality written public affairs briefing material for the Secretary-General.
Contribute to creating greater awareness of the Secretary-General’s work among policy makers, opinion formers and the public in general.
Create, implement and manage a proactive media strategy and initiatives for the Secretary-General personally that contributes to the overarching communications strategy for the Secretariat devised by the Communications Division.
Initiates liaison by the Office of the Secretary-General with internal contacts in the Secretariat on selected political, development and governance policy areas where there is a particular requirement for coordination of effort and coherence under the guidance and direction of the Secretary-General.
Attends meetings and travels with the Secretary-General from time to time as a representative and adviser from the Office of the Secretary-General, including delivery of follow-up and accountability needs such as outcome reporting.
To be considered, you will need to have a post-graduate University degree or qualification, preferably in English Literature, History or Law and at least 10 years’ post qualification experience in a relevant field. You must have excellent knowledge of legislative and political process/workings of government combined with proven experience of successful networking, negotiation and influencing skills and the ability to build effective and sustainable partnerships to achieve shared aims. Experience of writing clear, concise and persuasive copy for a range of audiences and in variety of formats including draft reports, speeches and briefings. Working knowledge of the Commonwealth or related international organisation and experience in dealing with international Law/Affairs. You must also have demonstrable experience in covering political, parliamentary, legal, social or economic issues, and an appreciation and knowledge of international and or diplomatic issues.
Please apply by submitting a CV and cover letter. Covering letters should be structured to address the key criteria required in the person specification, giving clear examples.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 member governments and provides guidance on policy making, technical assistance and advisory services to Commonwealth member countries. We support governments to help achieve sustainable, inclusive and equitable development.
To join us, you must be a citizen of a Commonwealth country.
Closing date 22 July 2021, 17:00 BST.