Head of Public Affairs

Over the past 2 years, GuildHE has been transforming into the voice for distinctive higher education providers, building our brand on the principle that diversity is necessary for a healthy and vibrant higher education sector.  We have a new look, a renewed energy, and a bold vision for the future of distinctive institutions. Now, we need the final piece of the puzzle: our first-ever Head of Public Affairs.

This is a landmark appointment for us. As a newly-created role following our recent rebranding, you’ll be building our external presence, taking our fresh identity and the work we’ve undertaken so far to the next level as we seek to double-down on our high-impact advocacy and engagement work. 

As our inaugural Head of Public Affairs, you will have a unique mandate to shape the way GuildHE interacts with the world, where you can:

• Own the Narrative: Take our new brand and shape the 'GuildHE voice' across Westminster, the media, and the wider HE sector.
• Build the Blueprint: You will have the autonomy to design our engagement frameworks from scratch—working with the Director of Policy and Strategy to decide how we influence policy and how we best champion the value of specialist education.
• Create a Legacy: Because this is a brand-new headcount, every success will be yours to claim. You are here to build a function that will help define our influence for the next decade.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who will champion diversity in higher education. From world-leading arts and agricultural institutions to large and distinctive HE providers who serve their students, industries and communities in innovative ways, you will find the common threads that bind our members and weave them into a compelling national story. You aren’t just representing institutions; you’re representing a vision of a more varied, vibrant educational landscape.

The right candidate will have proven experience leading communications, marketing or external relations at a senior level, with exceptional and wide-ranging communications skills. As a small team, we're looking for those who are adaptable, agile and resilient, able to flex well between high and low pressure moments and different paces of work throughout the year, helping the team to navigate chaotic periods calmly.

Most importantly, we’re looking for pioneers, who are energised by the phrase, “we haven’t done that before.”

We’ve done the work on our look and feel—now we need you to provide the megaphone. If you’re a strategist who loves the 'start-up' energy of building and expanding functions within a respected, established body, we want to hear from you.

Application closing date: May 22

Interviews: June 3-4

Curious about the role? Please contact Angellique Woolery, Director of Operations and Membership, for more information or an informal chat: angellique.woolery@guildhe.ac.uk.