Global Affairs Associate - UK Parliamentary Affairs

About BII

British International Investment is the UK’s development finance institution, owned by the UK Government. With a mission to solve the biggest global development challenges, we aim to create a virtuous circle of investment and impact. Your contribution will be essential. 

It won’t be easy: we do the hardest work in the most complex markets. Be prepared to test your skills, get creative and say your piece as you take on high-profile work as part of a diverse team of exceptionally smart, passionate people. 

In return, you can take your career to all-new places in a culture that rewards curiosity and collaboration, and balances high performance with wellbeing.

BII at a glance

75 years supporting sustainable business growth in developing and emerging markets

£8.1 billion in net assets

1,400+ businesses invested in

950,000 workers in the businesses we support

£9 billion in new investments planned in the next 5 years

600+ people in our diverse global team

3 key development objectives: Productive | Sustainable | Inclusive

Team and role overview

• The Global Affairs team is a high-performing team that sits at the centre of a dynamic policy agenda.
• The team performs 3 roles: 1) monitoring and analysing external trends - identifying opportunities/risks; 2) managing shareholder and stakeholder relationships to build long-term trust; and 3) informing the decisions, policies and opinions that matter most to the institution
• The team is on the frontline of a diverse range of topics, issues and processes – spanning both public affairs and investor relations. From managing the shareholder relationship with the UK government; overseeing engagement with Parliament and accountability bodies; engaging with the development finance industry on international policy issues.

 
Purpose

The role will be responsible for supporting the delivery of BII’s UK political affairs activity – encompassing UK Parliamentary engagement and interactions with broader stakeholders (principally civil society organisations) who influence the UK development policy debate. It will work closely and collaboratively with colleagues across the Global Affairs team responsible for shareholder and development finance relationships. And leverage expertise from across BII, especially BII’s Development Impact teams. Long-term success will be judged by increasing awareness and trust amongst target stakeholders - advancing our licence to operate. Success will be tracked via the Quarterly Global Affairs report to senior management and the Board and changes in sentiment tracked by a stakeholder survey.

Responsibilities
Responsibilities include:

• Monitoring parliamentary debates and developments in policy issues that impact BII – inputting into internal updates and briefings notes to senior management
• Developing regular, tailored external briefing materials communicating of BII’s activities to parliamentary stakeholders, including coordinating submissions to Parliamentary Committees
• Manage requests for information about BII’s work and support the drafting of responses to parliamentary questions
• Implement a parliamentary contact programme for senior BII staff (Chair, CEO and Director of Global Affairs) – actively identifying, coordinating, and tracking parliamentary engagement across the firm
• Deliver a series of set piece activity that drives engagement and understanding of BII’s work – such as visits to investee companies; roundtables and teach-ins
• Maintaining lines to take to document – ensuring BII is positioned in the most effective way and staff are effectively briefed for engagement
• Attend relevant events in order to strengthen BII’s understanding of its stakeholder environment
• Undertaking other activities relevant to the team as identified by the Global Affairs Advisor and the Director of Global Affairs
  
  

The candidate
Background, skills, aptitude

• Successful candidates will have a background in public affairs and UK political engagement
  
  

Essential skills:

• Suitable experience within the UK parliamentary environment with a track record of influencing outcomes.
• Demonstrable understanding of international development policy, development finance and the financial sector would be an advantage
• Effective communicator – exceptional writing skills and ability to distil complex scenarios into clear, understandable analysis

Desirable skills:

• Rigorous and professional in their work - showing a “can-do” attitude that strives for excellence and can manage/adapt to competing priorities
• Thoughtful and analytical approach to understanding issues and policies that impact on BII
• Works collaboratively with colleagues with a readiness to roll-up sleeves to ensure that the team and the organisation succeeds
• Diplomatic and patient in their approach, with the ability to build trusted relationships
• Candidates should be strongly motivated by BII’s development mission and ideally demonstrate some commitment to development or social goals through previous executive or non-executive activity.
  
  

Our cultural values

We look for team members who aspire, as we do, to work at our best and to be:

• Impact-led, commercially rigorous
• Tenacious in the face of challenges
• Collaborative and caring
  
  

British International Investment is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or educational background. 

Please provide a cover letter with your application

Salary: Competitive