Government Affairs Advisor

Job description

Role synopsis

The UK Political Team, sits within the UK & European Region. As part of this team the role-holder will build relationships with, and advocate BP's position on a range of issues and activities to, the UK Government (HMG), Westminster and the wider political community. Strategic programmes and initiatives will be managed alongside the unexpected. Unpredicted events may develop very quickly, arising from external forces over which BP has no control. The successful candidate will therefore need to develop relationships that are strong, credible and trustworthy externally as well as internally. Given the Group is located in London, ‘air traffic controlling' all the interactions people in BP may have with HMG is a major activity for this team.

The team influences very high level business decisions, but does not take them. The level of influence is often determined by personal relationships and track record. Key decisions can include advice on when and at what level to engage with HMG; and, to predict the response of HMG to BP business initiatives.

The candidate must keep fully abreast of external political events while maintaining familiarity with BP's business interests and policies, so that the two can be reconciled.

Req ID

83587BR
Location

United Kingdom - South East - London
Is this a part time position?

No
Relocation available

No
Travel required

Negligible travel
Key accountabilities

·  To lobby in support of specific business interests, mainly downstream, maintaining consistency with BP's strategy and policy positions
·  To assist in devising and implementing a strategic framework for the UK Political Team
·  Flagging external developments that impact the business and group along with potential risks and mitigations
·  To provide advice, support and briefings to BP management on UK political/external issues.
·  To provide political input into the UK reputation plan, working with the Head of UK Communications.
·  To be an external ambassador for BP in meetings and at certain events and functions
·  To represent BP on trade associations, think tanks and other external bodies.
·  To write policy submissions for HMG consultations and select committee inquiries, and other papers for external use as required.
About BP

Our business is the exploration, production, refining, trading and distribution of energy. This is what we do, and we do it on a truly global scale. BP operates with business activities and customers in more than 80 countries across six continents. Every day, we serve millions of customers around the world. We are continually looking for talented, committed and ambitious people to help us shape the face of energy for the future.

The Strategy and Portfolio team is part of the Group Chief of Staff office. The Strategy team's focus is on the structure, contribution and composition of BP's portfolio within an 18 month to 10 year time frame, primarily focused on the oil and gas business through the full value chain.
Application close date

15-Sep-2017
Sub-category

Public, Government & Regulatory Affairs
Job category

Communications & External Affairs
Countries (State/Region)

United Kingdom - South East
Essential experience and job requirements

·  Demonstrable experience in explaining policy issues to external audiences.
·  Political insight, likely developed from a respectful appreciation of, and familiarity with, current/political affairs and the work of Westminster and Whitehall in particular.
·  Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
·  Ability to identify and communicate the major issues at stake, while still able to participate in detailed policy discussions.
·  Personal confidence, and credibility; personable, with an ability to establish respect and a willingness to take personal accountability.
·  Good at relationship building and networking with stakeholders, both inside and outside BP.
·  Comfortable at dealing with and explaining ambiguity.
·  The courage to speak up and do the right thing.
Other Requirements (eg Travel, Location)

There are no additional requirements. Please respond with N/A below.

Desired profile

Essential Education

The job-holder is most likely to have a degree in political sciences/international relations or a related subject.
Desirable criteria and qualifications

Political experience and campaign participation could be useful, but is not essential. Knowledge of the United Kingdom and its institutions is assumed.
·  Understanding government and politics.
·  Managing non-technical risks.
·  Gathering intelligence from ambiguous data.
·  Building relationships and trust.
·  Making wise decisions.
·  Communicating with impact, both inside and outside BP.