Senior Manager, Policy & Public Affairs

Closing Date: 28/10/2026

Locations: at least 3 days a week on site in any of the locations, Preferably London but Birmingham and Bristol will be considered too.

12 month FTC

About the role

Our role is to develop and advance BT Group’s positions on public policy issues of key customer, commercial, financial and regulatory importance with political stakeholders. We aim to enhance BT Group’s reputation with these audiences and advise the business on how best to navigate the current and emerging political environment.

The Infrastructure Policy and Public Affairs team is responsible for policy engagement and advocacy in support of BT’s nationwide full fibre and 5G+ network investments, as well as critical topics such as security and resilience; our ten-year legacy networks programmes; international and EU engagement, including managing geopolitical events; and supporting BT’s AI and sovereignty agendas.

As part of this team, you will be involved in driving and shaping policy debates around the long term investment environment for infrastructure in the UK – issues that are critical to BT’s commercial success and its reputation. To be successful, you’ll need to build alliances across industry, association memberships and among BT’s own experts and leaders. Your goal will be build distinctive policy arguments that help BT Group achieve its goals and to influence others to do the same.

Do this well, and you’ll enhance BT’s reputation – while advancing BT’s commercial interests and business objectives, building value in the company.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead the development of BT’s policy positions on network and infrastructure issues, ensuring they support commercial objectives, influence policy outcomes and strengthen BT’s reputation.
• Represent BT’s interests with political stakeholders through consultation responses, briefings, presentations and direct engagement, building compelling, evidence-based cases for change.
• Develop and deliver political engagement strategies, campaigns and stakeholder programmes that advance BT’s policy, regulatory and reputational priorities.
• Build and maintain relationships with government departments, parliamentarians, trade associations, think tanks, influencers and industry partners to support BT’s external affairs objectives.
• Identify and assess emerging political, regulatory and policy developments, providing insight and horizon-scanning to help the business anticipate risks and opportunities.
• Provide expert advice and timely briefings to senior leaders on political developments, stakeholder priorities and external issues that could impact the business.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration across BT, bringing together teams from policy, public affairs, communications and the wider business to develop aligned positions and engagement strategies.
• Support major announcements, events, campaigns and communications activity, ensuring political and stakeholder engagement is effectively planned and executed.
• Build strategic partnerships, alliances and advocacy programmes that strengthen BT’s influence and credibility across the political and policy landscape.
• Use political insight and stakeholder intelligence to inform business strategy, support commercial growth and help create a positive external environment for BT’s networks and infrastructure ambitions.

Essential Skills / Experience

• Experience and understanding of BT’s network and infrastructure priorities
• Policy analysis and policy-making – able to understand and unpick complex policy and technical issues
• Communication, including public advocacy – able to engage in public debate and argument as an ambassador for BT
• Influencing and negotiating – able to build effective networks within the company and across the industry and political spectrum

Desirable Skills / Experience

• Business development – using political networks and insight to help development of commercial strategies and opportunities.
• Political strategy, including tactical campaign planning
• An interest in or understanding of government, Parliament and regulatory decision-making and processes, as well as their impact on the business environment, and the capacity to quickly spot and address political risks

Our Package

Tailored benefits make a real difference. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range to support your growth, wellbeing, and everyday life. You can design the package to suit you and your lifestyle.

Your core benefits include:

• Company car scheme (or cash alternative)
• 15% on target annual bonus
• Private healthcare for you and your family
• Access to an online private GP 24/7 for you and your immediate family
• Market-leading paid carers leave with up to 2 weeks off
• Equalised maternity, paternity, and adoption leave – 18 weeks’ full pay and 8 weeks’ half pay
• Discounted EE and BT products, including mobile and broadband
• Market leading Pension scheme – 5% from you and 10% from us
• Holiday purchase scheme

You can select additional benefits, including healthcare, dental, gym memberships and more when you’re ready.

BT Group is the UK’s leading communications group and the holding company behind some of the country’s most recognised brands – including BT, EE, Openreach and Plusnet. Our purpose is as simple as it is ambitious: we connect for good. Our customers include consumers, small, medium and large businesses, public sector organisations and other communications providers.

BT Group’s role is about setting direction, unlocking value and creating the conditions for our brands and businesses to thrive.

Having come through the most capital-intensive phase of our fibre investment, our focus now is on what comes next – simplifying how we operate, using technology and AI to work smarter, and organising ourselves to serve customers better and grow sustainably. Group teams shape strategy, policy, brand, capital allocation and transformation, helping the whole organisation perform at its best.

We have a singular culture that unites all our people: we are customer-first challengers, who are committed, clear and connected. These behaviours unite us as one team to deliver for our colleagues, our customers, our stakeholders and the country. Joining BT Group means working at the heart of a business that matters to the UK, with the opportunity to shape decisions, influence outcomes and help set the future course of one of the country’s most important companies.