Head of External Affairs

Our Foundation

We are an independent charitable organisation working to build a healthier UK.

Health is our most precious asset. Good health enables us to live happy, fulfilling lives, fuels our prosperity, and helps build a stronger society.

Yet good health remains out of reach for too many people in the UK and services are struggling to provide access to timely, high-quality care.

It doesn't have to be like this. Our mission is to help build a healthier UK by: 

1. Improving people's health and reducing inequalities
2. Supporting radical innovation and improvement in health and care services
3. Providing evidence and analysis to improve health and care policy. 

We aim for excellence across our work and will achieve this by producing research and analysis, shaping policy and practice, building skills, knowledge, and capacity, and acting as a catalst for change. Everyone has a stake and a part to play in improving our health. By working together, we can build a healthier UK. 

About the Role 

As Head of External Affairs, you will lead a team of seven and set the strategic direction for our external affairs function. Your leadership will be instrumental in ensuring our media relations, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement activities enhance the Health Foundation’s reputation, support our strategic objectives, and position us as a leading voice in health and care policy. 

You will play a central role in shaping and delivering our corporate thought leadership and integrated communications strategies, while also contributing to the leadership of our wider communications team of 35. In this role, you will:

• Lead and develop the external affairs team, ensuring high-quality, impactful delivery.
• Oversee media relations, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement to advance our influencing goals.
• Provide expert strategic communications advice to senior leadership, including the Chief Executive and Directors. 

We are looking for a confident and strategic leader with a strong track record in media and public affairs—ideally within the health, public policy, or not-for-profit sectors. You will bring:

• Proven experience in leading high-performing communications or external affairs teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels.
• Strong strategic thinking and the ability to translate complex issues into compelling narratives.
• A deep commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and to embedding these values in your work.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively across teams and disciplines. 

How to apply

Our priority is to find the right individual for each opportunity. We are dedicated to building an inclusive workplace that values diversity and invite you to find out more. You can find the job description for this role Here. If you would like to apply, please submit your CV, and using no more than 1000 words answer the following application questions: 

1. Describe a time when you led a communications or external affairs team through a period of strategic change. What approach did you take to set direction, engage your team, and ensure high-quality delivery?
2. Give an example of how you have successfully influenced senior stakeholders, such as government officials, media representatives, or executive leaders to support a policy or organisational objective. What strategies did you use, and what was the outcome?
3. How have you embedded equity, diversity, and inclusion into your communications or external affairs work? Please provide a specific example that demonstrates your approach and its impact. 

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