Public Affairs Consultant
🔍 London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Joining Arup
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The Opportunity
We have an exciting opportunity for a Public Affairs Consultant to join our UKIMEA Team. You will work closely with Public Affairs Lead to deliver and execute the public affairs strategy for the region.
This role will develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to build on existing partnerships in the private sector and with local, regional and national government.
This position will perform a crucial role in supporting delivery of the region’s public affairs strategy and securing a policy and regulatory path to help the business reach its objectives.
Is the role right for you?
This role is ideal for someone with a strong understanding of political, policy, and regulatory landscapes in the UK and internationally, particularly in key industry markets such as infrastructure, transport, planning, water, and energy. You should be skilled at stakeholder engagement, building relationships with government, Parliament, regulators, think tanks, Combined Authorities, and other influential groups, providing strategic and tactical advice as needed.
You will thrive if you enjoy developing compelling policy positions and thought leadership content, including briefing notes, consultation responses, strategic reports, and public-facing commentary. Strong organizational skills are essential, as the role requires maintaining accurate records of stakeholder engagement and sharing political intelligence with the wider business. Collaboration is key, and you will work closely with colleagues across related policy areas, including technology and international regulatory trends.
The position also involves contributing to integrated public affairs and communications campaigns, ensuring meaningful impact and alignment with broader business objectives. In addition, you will manage high-profile political events, such as Party Conference programmes, roundtable discussions, and parliamentary events, helping to drive engagement and influence.
The Requirements
5 years of public affairs experience, with detailed knowledge of UK political institutions and a thorough understanding of policy development and the legislative process.
Highly developed stakeholder engagement, networking, and influencing skills with experience of developing and delivering successful stakeholder engagement plans, as well as working across all organisational levels including with senior management.
Experience of working with national government, regional Combined Authorities, Metro Mayors and local government institutions.
Ability to develop partnership working opportunities with membership organisations, think tanks and the wider business community.
Outstanding standard of writing, and ability to translate complex concepts into simple terms.
Skills and experience in the use of political monitoring tools and client relationship management systems.
Diplomatic, self-motivated personality at ease in collaborating with a large number of stakeholders.
Strong collaboration skills.
Commitment to Arup’s values, in particular to engaging in “straight and honourable dealings” and to pursuing excellence.
Not ready to apply just yet or have some questions? Contact Rhian Melaney at rhian.melaney@arup.com - Please note, to ensure we remain GDPR compliant do not send your CV directly to us via this email.
What We Offer you
At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.
Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.
We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.
We also provide Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accident insurance and Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.
Different People, Shared Values
Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.
Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.
We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact Rhian Melaney at rhian.melaney@arup.com to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.
Our Application Process
To understand what to expect next, please visit https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/
Stay safe online – Arup will never ask for your bank details as part of our recruitment process.
Recruitment Agencies - We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on the list.
Closing date 25th July 2025