Head of External Affairs

Marine Conservation Society

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

Marine Conservation Society, we’re working for a cleaner, better-protected, healthier ocean. To achieve this, we are required to build and sustain strong, high-value, and long-term partnerships that align with our strategic mission and goals. We’re looking for a confident and ambitious Senior Corporate Development Manager to lead the cultivation and stewardship of high-value, strategic relationships with corporate funders. This is a pivotal role focused on new business acquisition, driving forward our corporate fundraising strategy, and unlocking transformational income to support marine conservation.

About the role

To lead the Marine Conservation Society’s external affairs work across the four nations of the UK. That means our engagement with parliaments, governments and business, and the legal routes that support it. You aim to secure political, legislative and business change that measurably improves the health of UK seas. This role will set the direction for this work, lead the Parliamentary Affairs team and act as one of our senior external voices. As a member of our Leadership Team, you’ll also help shape how we deliver our Ocean Goals across the organisation. 

Responsibilities

Main Duties:

• Set the strategy and direction for our external affairs work across the four UK nations and evaluate its impact.
• Lead our engagement with parliaments and governments across the UK, including parliamentary campaigns.
• Build partnerships with business leaders on agreed priority areas and represent us externally as a senior spokesperson.
• Oversee strategic legal interventions where they’re the right route to our advocacy goals.
• Lead and develop the Parliamentary Affairs team and manage the external affairs budget.
• Contribute to organisational leadership as a member of our Leadership Team.

Strategy & Evaluation:

• Work with the Director of Conservation & Policy to set our four-nation external affairs strategy and operational plans, so they deliver our Ocean Goals and reflect devolved competencies.
• Decide where, when and how we influence, choosing between parliamentary engagement, coalition building, public campaigning and legal routes.
• Set clear objectives, milestones and measures of success for external affairs work, and review progress regularly.
• Work with the Head of UK Policy and Advocacy and the Policy & Advocacy team so our policy positions and external affairs activity reinforce each other.
• Work across our teams so projects are SMART, geographically focused and aligned to political, policy and legal opportunities in each nation.

Parliaments & Governments:

• Lead our engagement with the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd and the Northern Ireland Assembly, and with the four governments.
• Design and oversee parliamentary campaigns, including on legislative change that affects marine recovery.
• Coordinate our parliamentary work with cross-border organisations and partnerships, so we take a joined-up four-nation approach.
• Give expert advice on policy and advocacy outputs, so our messaging is targeted and reflects devolved competencies.

Business Partnerships & External Representation:

• Act as our lead with business leaders and business bodies on agreed priority areas.
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with our key external contacts.
• Act as a senior spokesperson for media and public-facing communications.
• Help our comms, engagement and fundraising teams build our profile with new audiences.

Strategic Legal Interventions:

• Assess, with legal advisers, where legal routes could support our advocacy goals.
• Develop and oversee strategic legal interventions, such as challenges to decisions by government or public bodies, where they're the right approach.
• Identify and manage the legal, financial and reputational risks of this work, and advise the Director and Leadership Team.

Team Leadership & Budget:

• Line manage the Parliamentary Affairs team, setting objectives and KPIs, and providing regular support and supervision in line with our policies.
• Review and appraise performance and support each team member's development.
• Plan the team's work to realistic timescales, so everyone knows their role and work fits the time and resources available.
• Build cohesion in a remote team and share information within the team and across the organisation.
• Manage the external affairs budget, covering team and relevant programme budgets, including the annual budget and half-year review.

Leadership Team:

• Contribute to our strategic direction and decisions as an active member of the Leadership Team.
• Champion cross-team working, leading our matrix-style approach to deliver joined-up projects and operational plans.
• Encourage colleagues to find new approaches that improve team and organisational performance.
• Contribute to strategic planning and reviews of our environmental and organisational objectives.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Knowledge & Experience Essential:

• Led political or parliamentary engagement at a senior level that achieved a clear policy or legislative outcome.
• Explain how devolution shapes environmental or marine policy across the four UK nations and adapts influencing approaches to match. This understanding may come from work, study, volunteering or another route.
• Designed, led and evaluated advocacy campaigns, with clear objectives, a theory of change and measures of success.
• Built trusted relationships with parliamentarians, senior officials or business leaders that led to a change in position or practice.
• Led and developed a team, including people working remotely, so they deliver to a high standard.
• Managed a budget, planning spend, monitoring it, and reporting against it. 

Skills & Abilities:

• Uses sound political judgement to spot opportunities and risks, and chooses the right tactic: parliamentary engagement, coalition building, public campaigning or legal routes.
• Explains complex policy in plain English, in writing and in person, tailoring messages for each UK government and audience.
• Represents an organisation confidently with the media, including writing press releases and giving TV and radio interviews.
• Plans and manages a complex programme of work to deadline and budget, adapting when circumstances change.
• Uses evidence to evaluate progress and adjusts the approach when something isn't working.
• Identifies and manages legal, financial and reputational risk in high-profile external work.

Personal Qualities:

• A personal style in line with our values and our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• A genuine commitment to ocean conservation.
• Builds open, supportive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, and leads by example.
• Stays resilient and solutions-focused under pressure, prioritising a varied workload and competing deadlines.
• Seeks continuous improvement and encourages others to try new approaches.
• Organises their own time and stays connected with colleagues when working from home.
• Able to travel regularly across the UK.

Desirable:

• Developed or supported strategic legal interventions, working with legal advisers to use legal routes alongside wider advocacy.
• Knowledge of coastal and marine conservation issues, legislation and organisations to shape advocacy priorities.
• Engaged business bodies or industry groups to change policy or practice.
• Written funding proposals or reports for funders.
• Spots and acts on opportunities to raise our profile and build new partnerships.

Conditions of employment

• We are not licensed to issue work permits, so candidates are required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK and may be requested to present original documents if invited for an interview. If appointed, you will be required to have your right to work in the UK confirmed through our approved agency before starting work. If your right to work cannot be sufficiently established, we will be legally unable to continue with your employment.
• Information on what you’ll need to show will be provided as part of the invitation to attend an interview, but you can read more on the Home Office UK Border Agency website
• Receipt of two references, which are satisfactory to MCS
• A check of your driving licence and insurance, if using a vehicle, is an integral part of your role

Working locations

• Home-based
• With regular travel across the UK to external meetings, events and in-person team gatherings.

How to apply

• Apply on our website
• If you would like to contact us to request an adjustment that would help you to fully and comfortably take part in our recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected].

Interviews

• The interviews are w/c 30th November 2026. 
• If you’re invited to an interview, you may be requested to prepare a task in advance or take part in a group activity as part of the assessment process. We’ll let you have all the details in the invitation to interview. We will also invite you to talk with us about any reasonable adjustments which would support you in fully and comfortably taking part in the interview process. 

Policies

It would be great if you've also worked on strategic legal interventions, engaged business or industry bodies, or know coastal and marine conservation issues. You don't need all of these to apply. Most of all, you'll share our commitment to ocean conservation and to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Return to listing