Senior Public Affairs Manager

Introduction

Saab UK is part of Scandinavia's largest defence company, bringing together the best of Swedish and British innovation. Saab offers world-leading solutions and services in defence, aviation, space, and civil security to keep people and society safe. Our UK presence has been growing at pace, meaning we can offer a wide range of opportunities for personal fulfilment and career growth. We currently employ over 600 people across eight sites in the UK, and our specialisations include software engineering, underwater robotics, radars, AI, and armed forces training.

The Role:

The Senior Public Affairs Manager will be a key member of Saab UK's Strategy & Public Affairs function, working closely with the Managing Director, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and Executive Leadership Team to support the company's strategic, commercial and growth objectives.

The role will lead the planning and delivery of public affairs activity across Saab UK, building and maintaining relationships with Government, Parliament, industry partners and other key stakeholders. The successful candidate will provide political and policy insight to support business decision-making, helping the company identify opportunities, manage risks and strengthen its position within the UK defence and security sector.

The role will also support major UK and international business campaigns through targeted stakeholder engagement, whilst maintaining an awareness of political and policy developments across the UK, Sweden, NATO, AUKUS and Europe that are relevant to Saab's interests. Working closely with colleagues across Strategy, Business Development and Communications, the Senior Public Affairs Manager will help ensure that Saab UK's engagement activity is coordinated, effective and aligned to business priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

Support the development and delivery of Saab UK's public affairs strategy and stakeholder engagement plans.

Deputise for the Chief Strategy Officer on political, governmental and stakeholder engagement activities as required.

Build and maintain effective relationships with Ministers, Parliamentarians, Special Advisers, civil servants and other key stakeholders.

Monitor political, policy and regulatory developments and provide timely analysis of their potential impact on Saab UK and the wider defence sector.

Support key UK and international business campaigns through strategic government and stakeholder engagement activity.

Provide political and policy insight to support business planning, market positioning and strategic decision-making.

Work closely with the Head of Communications to ensure alignment between public affairs, communications and wider corporate engagement activities.

Prepare briefing materials, stakeholder engagement plans, speeches, correspondence and meeting notes for senior leaders.

Coordinate Saab UK's engagement with trade associations, industry groups and relevant external organisations.

Support the development of policy positions and advocacy activity aligned with Saab UK's strategic and commercial priorities.

Build strong relationships across Saab UK and the wider Saab Group to ensure coordinated engagement in support of business objectives.

Qualifications and Skills:

Essential:

Significant experience in public affairs, government relations, policy or stakeholder engagement, ideally gained within government, Parliament, industry, consultancy or a related environment.

Excellent understanding of UK political institutions, parliamentary processes and government decision-making.

Strong knowledge of the UK political and policy environment, including the key drivers shaping defence, security, industrial and economic policy.

Demonstrable experience of building and managing relationships with senior stakeholders across government, Parliament and industry.

Sound understanding of the roles and priorities of key Government departments, including the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST).

Strong political judgement, with the ability to analyse complex issues and provide balanced, evidence-based advice.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing briefings and supporting senior executives.

Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to work independently whilst collaborating effectively across a range of functions and teams.

Desirable:

Experience of working within the defence, aerospace, security or advanced technology sectors.

Understanding of defence procurement, export campaigns and international government engagement.

Familiarity with NATO, AUKUS, European and Nordic defence and security policy.

Experience engaging with trade associations, industry bodies and representative organisations.

Knowledge of UK industrial strategy, defence policy and international trade issues relevant to Saab UK's business areas.

By submitting an application to Saab UK you consent to undertaking workforce screening activities that may include but are not limited to: Baseline Personnel Security checks, National Security Vetting, reference checks, verification of working rights and in all circumstances preferred candidates will be placed through a security interview