Public Affairs

Job Description

Job Description:

UK SENIOR MANAGER, PUBLIC AFFAIRS – MARS WRIGLEY UK

This document outlines the job description for the Senior Manager, Public Affairs, a senior member of the Corporate Affairs function in Mars Wrigley UK.

• Slough based with flexible working policies in place and a need for frequent meetings in central London

PRIMARY JOB FUNCTION

Reporting to the UK Corporate Affairs Director, the UK Senior Manager, Public Affairs will be an expert in public affairs and government relations. The Senior Manager will be responsible for developing and delivering a public affairs engagement strategy to target Government, Parliament, trade associations and NGOs in relation to key strategic issues, including on public health & food policy, litter, and oral health. In addition, the role will cover broader policy topics impacting the business, including policy covering sustainability and plastic packaging.

They will represent Mars Wrigley as the public affairs expert in high-level meetings and demonstrate measurable influence in public policy developments to meet UK business objectives. Working closely with regional and global Corporate Affairs Associates, in particular the UK Public Affairs Director for Mars Incorporated, the successful candidate will work to ensure a proactive and coordinated approach to Mars engagement with UK stakeholders.

Key responsibilities will be to:

• Develop, establish and drive a public affairs engagement strategy for Mars Wrigley building relationships with key stakeholders with support of our agencies
• Manage proactive programmes and business decision-making to deliver positive outcomes on public health, litter and oral health, positively driving the reputation of the business
• Represent Mars Wrigley at key trade association and stakeholder forums
• Lead internal engagement to drive and support the public affairs strategy including informing and engaging regularly with Mars Wrigley business leaders
• Undertake ongoing horizon scanning to identify upcoming risks to Mars Wrigley in the public affairs arena, putting in place strategies to minimise these risks
• Partner with the Senior Manager, External Communications at Mars Wrigley on the proactive management of external-facing messaging on issues affecting the business
• Partner with Scientific & Regulatory Affairs and regional and global teams to manage food policy developments
• Partner with the Mars Incorporated UK Public Affairs Director to ensure local alignment on key strategic policy areas such as sustainability

Mission Critical Leadership Competencies:

• Teamwork
• Dealing with Ambiguity
• Decision Quality
• Planning
• Problem Solving
• Learning Agility
• Drive for Results
• Organisational Agility
• Perspective

CA Functional Competencies

• Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy
• Understanding of Political Systems
• Trade Association Management
• Issues and crisis management
• Demonstrate CA Fundamentals

Key Functional Skills/Knowledge

• FMCG or retail experience preferable
• Experience in Government and an in-depth knowledge of UK Parliament and Government, and EU decision-making process
• Ability to manage a diverse and broad range of issues and situations
• Proven track record of effectively developing relationships with stakeholders to accomplish the company’s objectives
• High level of planning and organisational skills
• Relationship management with agencies/stakeholders
• Ability to work in a fast-moving environment
• Able to react to quick deadlines and turn around accurate information to tight deadlines
• Experience advising C-suite leadership teams on policy developments and translating what that means for the business
• Experience with and ability to manage situations that involve multidisciplinary areas (such as marketing or research and development) and collaboration with multiple internal stakeholders
• Ability to build relationships and trust with internal associates and other key stakeholders to reinforce communication
• Able to operate in a global environment to represent Mars Wrigley at a senior level with trade associations, NGOs, government departments, and parliament
• Existing knowledge of food policy and regulation and/or media policy and regulation would be a benefit
• High level of autonomy to manage programmes and drive forward work streams
• Fluent in English, with excellent written and verbal English language skills

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with over 130,000 diverse and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

Desired Education

A Bachelor's degree is required

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.