Chief Policy Officer / Head of Global Public Affairs

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Chief Policy Officer / Head of Global Public Affairs is here to set the enterprise-wide strategy for how we deal with governments, regulators, and the broader public across the world. You'll be the person the CEO and Board turn to when there's a major geopolitical event, a looming regulatory threat, or an opportunity to actually shape a new market through smart policy work. Frankly, your job is to make sure our company can operate and thrive anywhere, without getting blindsided by political shifts or regulatory hurdles. When you do this well, we're ahead of the curve, influencing the rules before they're even written, and our investors see us as a stable, future-proof business. If it's not done well, we could face massive fines, market access issues, or even reputational damage that takes years to fix. The challenge is immense—it's like playing multi-dimensional chess against constantly changing opponents. But the reward? You get to genuinely shape the future of our industry and ensure our company's long-term success.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Direct reports: A large, multi-layered team, including Directors and VPs, potentially numbering in the hundreds across different regions.
• Matrix relationships: Chief Public Affairs Officer, Global Head of Government Relations, VP of Public Policy,

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• CEO and Executive Leadership Team
• Board of Directors
• General Counsel and Legal Team
• Heads of Business Units (e.g., Product, Sales, Marketing)
• Investor Relations

External:

• Heads of State and Senior Government Officials
• Global Regulatory Bodies (e.g., EU Commission, FTC, FCA)
• Key Industry Associations and Trade Groups
• Investors and Financial Analysts
• International Media Outlets
• NGOs and Civil Society Organisations

Organisational Impact

Scope: This role directly impacts the company's licence to operate, its ability to enter new markets, its financial performance through regulatory compliance and policy wins, and its overall reputation. You're essentially the guardian of our long-term strategic viability in a politically complex world.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: Quantifiable Policy Wins & Risk Mitigation Value
2. Desc: The direct financial impact of successfully influencing legislation or regulation, or preventing adverse policy outcomes. This includes things like securing favourable tax treatment, blocking harmful regulations, or enabling market access.
3. Target: Achieve >£10M in quantifiable policy 'wins' or mitigated risks annually.
4. Freq: Annually, reviewed quarterly with the Board.
5. Example: Negotiated a £15M tax credit for R&D in a key market, or successfully lobbied to prevent a regulatory change that would have cost the company £20M in compliance.
6. Metric: Market Access & Expansion Facilitation
7. Desc: The number of new geographical markets or product categories where policy work directly enabled or significantly accelerated market entry, avoiding regulatory roadblocks.
8. Target: Facilitate entry into 2-3 significant new markets or product areas per year.
9. Freq: Annually, tied to business unit expansion goals.
10. Example: Successfully navigated complex data localisation laws to enable product launch in a new APAC country 6 months ahead of schedule, generating £5M in new revenue.
11. Metric: Reputational & Brand Sentiment Score
12. Desc: Tracking how the company's reputation is perceived by key external stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, media, investors) on critical policy issues, often measured by sentiment analysis and media share of voice.
13. Target: Maintain a 'positive' or 'neutral' sentiment score above 80% across key policy issues and increase share of voice in critical policy debates by 15%.
14. Freq: Quarterly, using external media monitoring and sentiment tools.
15. Example: After a major legislative debate, our company's positive media mentions related to 'data privacy' increased by 20%, while competitor mentions remained flat or decreased.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Board-level Strategic Counsel & Trust
2. Desc: The extent to which the Board and CEO proactively seek your input on major strategic decisions, M&A activity, and long-term planning due to your deep understanding of the political and regulatory landscape.
3. Evidence: Regular invitations to Board strategy sessions; explicit references to your policy insights in Board minutes; CEO's reliance on your counsel during critical external engagements; unsolicited feedback from Board members on the value of your strategic advice.
4. Metric: Proactive Regulatory & Geopolitical Risk Identification
5. Desc: Your ability to spot emerging political and regulatory trends globally, translating them into actionable intelligence for the business well before they become immediate threats or opportunities.
6. Evidence: Early warnings that lead to successful mitigation strategies; documented instances where your team's intelligence prevented a major business disruption; positive feedback from business unit leaders on the foresight and relevance of your risk assessments.
7. Metric: Industry Leadership & Market Shaping
8. Desc: Your role in positioning the company as a thought leader and a constructive partner in shaping industry standards and regulatory frameworks, rather than just reacting to them.
9. Evidence: Appointment to key industry association boards or committees; invitations to testify before legislative bodies; successful formation of new industry coalitions around shared policy goals; public recognition as a leading voice on critical policy issues.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Influential (with Gravitas)
• Manifestation: You're the person who can walk into a room—be it with a Head of State, a regulator, or our own Board—and command respect without raising your voice. You distil incredibly complex policy issues into a clear, compelling argument in about three minutes flat. Senior leaders, both inside and outside the company, genuinely seek your opinion before they make big decisions. It’s about quiet confidence backed by deep expertise.
• Benefit: Let's be real, you don't have direct authority over governments or regulators. Your entire success hinges on your ability to build immense credibility and persuade powerful people to see things our way. Often, you'll have one shot in a high-stakes meeting, and you need to make it count.
• Trait: Decisive (Under Ambiguity)
• Manifestation: When the political landscape shifts overnight, or you're getting incomplete intelligence on a looming regulatory threat, you don't freeze. You make a clear 'go/no-go' recommendation on whether we engage in a policy battle, even if you don't have all the facts. You're comfortable taking a calculated risk, like proactively engaging a potentially hostile regulator, and you can pivot our strategy quickly when needed.
• Benefit: The world of politics and regulation is a messy, unpredictable beast. Waiting for perfect information means you've probably missed your window of opportunity. You've got to be able to make the right strategic bets on where to put our precious resources—time, money, political capital—for the biggest impact.
• Trait: Unflappable Resilience
• Manifestation: When a major legislative loss hits the headlines, or we're publicly attacked by an NGO, you react with calm, methodical analysis, not panic. You see a 'no' from a key policymaker as the start of a negotiation, not the end of the road. You maintain your composure and professionalism even when being grilled in a hostile committee hearing or a tough press interview. Frankly, you've seen it all before, and you know how to keep a steady hand on the wheel.
• Benefit: Public affairs is absolutely a long game, and you're going to face frequent setbacks. You'll likely lose more often than you win on individual issues. The ability to absorb those blows, learn from them, and keep pushing forward with unwavering momentum is absolutely critical for our long-term success and for keeping your global team motivated.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Politically Astute
• Desc: You've got an innate ability to read unspoken power dynamics, understand the 'inside baseball' of legislative and regulatory processes, and predict how different players will react. It's almost a sixth sense for politics.
• Trait: Extreme Discretion
• Desc: You understand that a single leaked conversation, a misplaced email, or an off-the-cuff comment could move markets, destroy political relationships, or trigger a regulatory investigation. You operate with absolute confidentiality and trust is your currency.
• Trait: Patiently Impatient
• Desc: You can nurture a key relationship with a government official for years, understanding that influence is built over time (that's the patience). But you also drive for results with a fierce sense of urgency, knowing that policy windows can close in an instant (that's the impatience).

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Shaping Global Markets & Policy
2. Daily: You'll spend your days engaging with global leaders, negotiating with regulators, and influencing international frameworks. This isn't about small wins; it's about setting the rules of engagement for our entire industry.
3. Motivator: High-Stakes Strategic Influence
4. Daily: Your advice will directly inform the CEO's agenda and Board decisions. You'll be making calls that protect billions in revenue or open up entirely new business opportunities. The stakes couldn't be higher.
5. Motivator: Leading a World-Class Global Team
6. Daily: You'll be building, mentoring, and empowering a diverse team of public affairs professionals across different time zones and cultures. Your leadership will define how we engage with the world.

Potential Demotivators

Honestly, this job isn't for everyone. You'll be asked to pull off 'miracles'—like killing a bad bill two days before the final vote when the political concrete has been setting for six months. Expect to deal with internal teams launching features with massive privacy implications without a peep to your department, leaving you to manage the inevitable firestorm with regulators and Congress. The grinding, glacial pace of government, where they 'form a subcommittee to study the issue,' will constantly clash with our quarterly-results-driven urgency. Sometimes, you'll feel like a very expensive insurance policy that's only truly appreciated when a crisis hits, and then the cycle repeats. And let's not forget the sheer frustration of trying to make the C-suite understand that a legislative 'win' might just mean watering down a catastrophic bill to merely terrible, which doesn't exactly feel like a victory to them. If you need immediate, tangible wins every single day, or if you can't stomach the political games, you'll struggle here.

Common Frustrations

1. The 'Miracle Request': Being asked by the business to kill a 'bad bill' days before the final vote, when the political concrete has been setting for months.
2. Internal Sabotage: Product teams launching features with massive privacy implications without consultation, leaving you to manage the inevitable firestorm with regulators.
3. Pace Mismatch: The glacial pace of government clashing with the quarterly-results-driven urgency of the business.
4. Cost Centre Perception: Being viewed as an expensive insurance policy until a crisis hits, then suddenly becoming the most important person in the company.
5. Explaining Nuance to Executives: Trying to make the C-suite understand that a 'win' might mean watering down a bad bill from 'catastrophic' to merely 'terrible'.
6. The Relationship Treadmill: Spending years building trust with a key official, only for them to retire or lose an election, forcing you to start from zero.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A predictable, routine work schedule with clear-cut outcomes.
2. Direct control over legislative or regulatory processes; influence is your only tool.
3. A role where you only focus on one region or one policy issue; this is global and broad.
4. A quiet, behind-the-scenes position; you'll be front and centre for major issues.

ADHD Positives

1. The fast-paced, high-stakes nature of global public affairs, with its constant shifts and urgent demands, can be incredibly stimulating and engaging.
2. The need for rapid pivots and quick strategic thinking in response to breaking news or political developments often suits dynamic, non-linear thought processes.
3. The broad scope, covering multiple regions and diverse policy issues, offers variety and prevents boredom.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. Maintaining focus on long-term, multi-year policy campaigns amidst daily crises can be tough; we can support with structured check-ins and dedicated 'deep work' blocks.
2. The volume of complex information from various sources requires strong organisational systems; we can provide access to advanced AI summarisation tools and executive assistants.
3. Managing a large, global team requires consistent communication and follow-through; we use collaborative platforms and clear delegation to help.

Dyslexia Positives

1. The role demands big-picture strategic thinking, pattern recognition in political trends, and strong verbal communication—all areas where dyslexic individuals often excel.
2. The ability to simplify complex information into compelling narratives for diverse audiences is a huge asset.
3. Problem-solving in ambiguous, non-standard situations is a core requirement, favouring creative and lateral thinking.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. Reading and synthesising vast amounts of dense legislative and regulatory text can be challenging; we use AI summarisation tools and provide access to dedicated research support.
2. Producing highly polished, error-free Board and external documents is crucial; we have robust proofreading processes and executive assistant support for final reviews.
3. Reliance on visual aids and verbal briefings for complex information is common at this level, which can be helpful.

Autism Positives

1. The need for deep, methodical analysis of policy documents and political systems can be highly engaging for those who enjoy structured problem-solving.
2. A focus on factual accuracy, logical arguments, and consistent messaging is paramount in public affairs.
3. The ability to spot patterns and predict outcomes based on data and historical precedent is a significant advantage in political risk forecasting.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. Navigating complex, often unspoken social and political dynamics, especially in high-stakes negotiations, can be demanding; we support with clear pre-briefings, post-meeting debriefs, and access to experienced mentors.
2. Dealing with frequent, unexpected changes and ambiguous situations requires adaptability; we provide clear strategic frameworks and empower the team to manage their own workflows.
3. The role involves extensive public speaking and media engagement; we offer coaching and preparation, allowing for tailored approaches to communication.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: C-Suite (Chief Policy Officer / Head of Global Public Affairs)
2. Responsibilities: Define the enterprise-wide global public affairs strategy, ensuring it aligns directly with our long-term business objectives and market expansion plans. This means looking 3-5 years out, not just next quarter.
3. Act as the primary policy advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors, providing clear, concise counsel on critical geopolitical risks, regulatory threats, and policy opportunities that could impact our entire organisation.
4. Lead and develop a diverse, high-performing global team of public affairs and government relations professionals, setting the vision, culture, and strategic priorities for all regional and functional policy efforts.
5. Represent the company at the highest levels of government, industry, and international forums. You'll be the face and voice of our policy positions to Heads of State, senior regulators, and global media.
6. Oversee and approve all major policy submissions, advocacy campaigns, and strategic partnerships, ensuring they are consistent with our global strategy and ethical guidelines.
7. Manage the global public affairs budget (£10M+), allocating resources strategically across regions and policy priorities to maximise impact and achieve enterprise goals.
8. Drive policy integration into major corporate initiatives, including M&A due diligence and post-merger integration, ensuring regulatory and political risks are thoroughly assessed and managed from day one.
9. Supervision: You'll operate with full strategic autonomy, reporting directly to the CEO. Your work will be reviewed at a Board governance level, primarily through strategic outcomes and risk mitigation reports. Day-to-day, you're the boss.
10. Decision: Full enterprise-wide strategic authority for public affairs. This includes P&L responsibility for budgets exceeding £10M, ultimate authority over all global policy positions, major external commitments, and significant organisational design decisions within your department. Any decisions impacting the company's core strategy or requiring Board approval will be made in close consultation with the CEO and Board.
11. Success: Your success is measured by the company's ability to navigate complex global political landscapes without major disruption, the quantifiable value of policy wins, the successful expansion into new markets due to your team's work, and the overall strength of our reputation with key stakeholders. Ultimately, it's about making sure the CEO and Board sleep soundly knowing our policy strategy is robust.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Global Policy Position & Strategy
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: N/A
• Type: Budget Allocation & Spend (Global Public Affairs)
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: N/A
• Type: Major External Engagements & Partnerships
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: N/A
• Type: Organisational Design & Talent (Global Public Affairs)
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: N/A

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

At this level, we expect your foundation skills to be truly exceptional, almost instinctive. These aren't just 'nice-to-haves'; they're the bedrock of your ability to lead, influence, and strategise at the highest echelons.

• Category: Strategic Communication & Influence
• Skills: Board-level presentation and articulation of complex policy issues.
• Mastery of negotiation and diplomacy in high-stakes international contexts.
• Crisis communication leadership and reputational management.
• Cross-cultural communication and sensitivity.
• Category: Executive Leadership & Organisational Acumen
• Skills: Vision setting and strategic planning for a global function.
• Building and leading diverse, geographically dispersed teams.
• Organisational design and talent development at scale.
• Financial acumen and P&L management for large departments.
• Category: Critical Thinking & Geopolitical Acumen
• Skills: Anticipatory strategic thinking and long-term scenario planning.
• Deep understanding of global political economy and international relations.
• Complex problem-solving under extreme ambiguity and pressure.
• Ethical leadership and decision-making in politically sensitive situations.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

These are the specific capabilities that define a world-class Chief Policy Officer. You'll not only possess them but also be the one defining best practices for your global team.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: Legislative & Regulatory Analysis (Enterprise Scope)
• Desc: The ability to rapidly deconstruct vast, dense legal and regulatory texts from multiple global jurisdictions (e.g., a 1,000-page EU directive, a new US federal rule, or an emerging APAC data law) to identify direct business impacts, hidden risks, and strategic opportunities for the entire enterprise.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Stakeholder Mapping & Influence Pathways (Global)
• Desc: A systematic, sophisticated methodology for identifying all relevant actors on any given policy issue—from Heads of State and international agency leaders to local activists and global trade associations—and charting the formal and informal pathways to influence their decisions across diverse political systems.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Coalition Building & Management (Industry-Shaping)
• Desc: The strategic genius to identify non-obvious allies (e.g., competitors, NGOs, academic institutions, international bodies) with shared interests on complex global issues, and orchestrating joint advocacy efforts to amplify impact, provide political cover, and shape industry-wide positions.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Political Risk Forecasting (Enterprise-Wide)
• Desc: A robust, structured framework for continuously assessing the probability and potential impact of major political events (e.g., elections, geopolitical shifts, trade wars, leadership changes) on the company's global strategy, operations, supply chains, and market access, providing actionable intelligence to the Board.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Policy Narrative & Message Framing (Investor/Board Level)
• Desc: The ultimate craft of translating highly complex, technical policy arguments into simple, resonant, and profoundly persuasive narratives tailored for the CEO, Board, investors, and international media, ensuring our message cuts through the noise and drives desired outcomes.
• Level: Expert

Digital Tools

• Tool: Quorum / FiscalNote
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Strategic oversight of global policy tracking, evaluating platform ROI, negotiating enterprise contracts, and integrating platform data into broader business intelligence dashboards for C-suite briefings.
• Tool: Capitol Canary (Phone2Action) / NationBuilder
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Architecting the overall global digital advocacy strategy, ensuring integration with CRM (Salesforce) to create a unified, enterprise-wide view of stakeholder engagement and campaign effectiveness.
• Tool: Cision / Meltwater
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Defining KPIs for global media impact, using platform analytics to brief the C-suite on reputational risk and narrative trends, and selecting/managing vendor relationships for media monitoring across all regions.
• Tool: Salesforce / MS Dynamics 365
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Designing the global data architecture for stakeholder management, ensuring data hygiene, and driving adoption across the entire department to create a single source of truth for all government and external relations.
• Tool: Diligent / BoardVantage
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Preparing and distributing highly confidential briefing materials for Board of Directors meetings, managing secure communication channels with board members on sensitive policy and geopolitical matters.
• Tool: Slack / MS Teams / Asana (Enterprise Management)
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Establishing the global collaboration framework for the entire department, including channel structure, integrations (e.g., with Quorum), and critical communication protocols during a global crisis.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: Global Geopolitics & Trade Policy
• Desc: A deep, nuanced understanding of international relations, trade agreements, and the geopolitical forces shaping global markets and regulatory environments. This isn't just news; it's knowing the underlying drivers.
• Area: International Regulatory Frameworks
• Desc: Expertise in major international regulatory bodies and frameworks (e.g., WTO, UN, OECD, G7/G20 initiatives), understanding their influence on national legislation and our business operations.
• Area: ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Policy
• Desc: Comprehensive knowledge of global ESG trends, reporting standards, and the policy landscape around sustainability, human rights, and corporate governance, and how these impact our reputation and licence to operate.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: Global Lobbying Disclosure Laws
• Usage: Ensuring enterprise-wide compliance with all national and international lobbying disclosure requirements (e.g., US Lobbying Disclosure Act, EU Transparency Register, UK lobbying regulations), managing internal processes and external reporting.
• Reg: Anti-Bribery & Corruption Laws (e.g., FCPA, UK Bribery Act)
• Usage: Establishing and enforcing robust internal controls and training programmes to ensure the global public affairs team operates with the highest ethical standards, preventing any violations of anti-bribery and corruption legislation.
• Reg: Data Privacy & Protection Regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, PIPL)
• Usage: Understanding the global landscape of data privacy laws and their implications for our products, services, and advocacy efforts, working closely with Legal and Product teams to ensure compliance and shape future policy.

Essential Prerequisites

• A proven track record of 15+ years leading public affairs or government relations functions at a senior leadership level (VP/Director) within a large, complex, multinational organisation, or equivalent experience in government.
• Demonstrable experience influencing policy outcomes at national and international levels, with specific examples of quantifiable impact.
• Extensive experience managing multi-million pound budgets and leading large, geographically dispersed teams.
• A deep, nuanced understanding of global political economy, international relations, and major regulatory trends.
• Exceptional executive presence and a history of providing strategic counsel to CEOs and Boards of Directors.

Career Pathway Context

To even be considered for this role, you'll have already mastered the art of leading significant public affairs functions and shaping policy in complex environments. This isn't a role where you learn the ropes; it's where you define them for others. We're looking for someone who has already operated at the highest levels and is ready to take on enterprise-wide accountability.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: Geopolitical AI & Predictive Analytics
• Why: Traditional political risk analysis is too slow. Competitors are already using advanced AI to predict geopolitical shifts, regulatory changes, and public sentiment with greater accuracy and speed. If we're not doing this, we're reacting, not leading.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP)', 'description': 'Using AI to analyse vast unstructured text data (news, social media, legislative text) for sentiment, emerging themes, and early warning signals.'}, {'concept_name': 'Predictive Modelling for Political Events', 'description': 'Building and interpreting models that forecast election outcomes, policy shifts, and social unrest based on diverse data inputs.'}, {'concept_name': 'Scenario Planning with AI', 'description': 'Using AI to generate and evaluate multiple future scenarios for geopolitical events, helping the Board prepare for various outcomes.'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical AI in Public Affairs', 'description': 'Understanding the biases and limitations of AI models, and ensuring their ethical use in policy analysis and advocacy.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Engage with leading AI ethics experts and geopolitical forecasting firms to understand their methodologies.
• Next 6 months: Commission a pilot project to integrate AI-driven geopolitical risk analysis into our existing frameworks.
• Next 12 months: Drive the adoption of AI tools across your global team for legislative summarisation and sentiment analysis.
• Ongoing: Stay abreast of the latest developments in AI and its application to political science and international relations.
• QuickWin: Start by using advanced AI tools (like those in our AI Productivity Hub) to summarise complex international treaties or analyse global media sentiment on a key policy issue today. No need for a full project plan, just dive in.
• Skill: Digital Diplomacy & Counter-Disinformation
• Why: Policy debates are increasingly happening online, and disinformation campaigns can rapidly undermine our reputation and policy goals. We need to be masters of digital influence and capable of defending our narrative at scale.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Strategic Social Media Engagement', 'description': 'Using platforms not just for announcements, but for nuanced engagement with policymakers, thought leaders, and the public.'}, {'concept_name': 'Narrative Warfare & Counter-Messaging', 'description': 'Developing and deploying proactive strategies to combat false narratives and shape public opinion in complex policy debates.'}, {'concept_name': 'Influencer Mapping & Engagement (Digital)', 'description': 'Identifying and engaging with key digital opinion-formers and online communities relevant to our policy agenda.'}, {'concept_name': 'Cybersecurity for Public Affairs', 'description': 'Protecting our digital advocacy infrastructure and sensitive communications from state-sponsored or malicious actors.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Conduct a comprehensive audit of our current digital public affairs capabilities and identify gaps.
• Next 6 months: Invest in advanced social listening and sentiment analysis tools specifically for policy debates.
• Next 12 months: Develop and test a rapid response protocol for digital disinformation campaigns.
• Ongoing: Mentor your team on best practices for digital engagement and narrative defence.
• QuickWin: Identify one current policy debate where our company's narrative is vulnerable online. Develop and deploy a targeted digital counter-messaging strategy using our existing tools.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Integrated Policy Intelligence Platforms
• Why: Siloed data is useless at the C-suite level. We need a single, integrated view of all policy, political, and media intelligence globally to make rapid, informed decisions. This means platforms that talk to each other.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'API Integration & Data Orchestration', 'description': 'Connecting disparate policy tracking, media monitoring, and CRM systems to create a unified data lake.'}, {'concept_name': 'Custom Dashboard Design (Executive Level)', 'description': 'Creating intuitive, high-level dashboards that distil complex data into actionable insights for the CEO and Board.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Governance for Policy Data', 'description': 'Establishing global standards for data collection, quality, and security across all public affairs tools.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Review our current tech stack for public affairs and identify key integration opportunities.
• Next 6 months: Champion the development of a unified policy intelligence dashboard for the executive team.
• Next 12 months: Work with IT and external vendors to implement key API integrations.
• Ongoing: Evaluate new platforms and technologies that can enhance our integrated intelligence capabilities.
• QuickWin: Identify one critical piece of policy intelligence that currently lives in two different systems. Work with your team to create a manual process to combine and present it in a single, executive-ready format.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: A Master's degree in Public Policy, International Relations, Law, Political Science, Economics, or a closely related field.
• Alts: Exceptional candidates with a Bachelor's degree and an additional 5-7 years of relevant, high-level experience in government, international organisations, or corporate public affairs will be considered.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: A PhD in a relevant field (e.g., International Law, Political Economy) or an MBA from a top-tier business school.
• Alts: N/A

Experience Requirements

You'll need at least 20+ years of progressive experience in public affairs, government relations, or a related field, with a significant portion (10+ years) spent at a senior leadership level (VP or Director) within a large, complex, multinational organisation. We're looking for a proven track record of influencing policy outcomes at national and international levels, managing multi-million pound budgets, and leading large, geographically dispersed teams. Experience as a senior government official, diplomat, or a leader in a major international organisation would also be highly relevant.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: Certified Lobbyist / Government Affairs Professional (various national bodies)
• Prod: Relevant national/regional professional associations
• Usage: Demonstrates a formal understanding of ethical lobbying practices and regulatory compliance, particularly valuable for managing global teams.
• Cert: Executive Leadership Programme
• Prod: Top-tier business schools (e.g., Harvard, LBS, INSEAD)
• Usage: Enhances strategic leadership, financial acumen, and organisational management skills essential for a C-suite role.

Recommended Activities

• Regular participation in high-level international policy forums (e.g., World Economic Forum, Munich Security Conference).
• Serving on the board of a relevant industry association or think tank.
• Mentoring rising talent within the public affairs profession.
• Publishing thought leadership articles on critical policy issues or geopolitical trends.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Director/VP of Public Affairs (L6) at a large multinational
• Time: 3-5 years at this level before C-suite consideration
• Path: Senior Government Official / Diplomat (e.g., Ambassador, Senior Civil Servant)
• Time: 5-10 years in a senior government role
• Path: Head of Policy for a Major Trade Association / International NGO
• Time: 5-8 years leading policy for a significant industry body

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: Non-Executive Director (NED) / Board Member
• Time: 3-5 years post CPO role
• Pathway: CEO of a Major Trade Association / Think Tank
• Time: 2-4 years post CPO role

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Global Policy Visionary / Industry Statesperson
• Time: 5-10 years beyond CPO
• Title: Senior Advisor to Heads of State / International Organisations
• Time: 5-10 years beyond CPO
• Title: Author / Academic / Public Intellectual
• Time: 5-10 years beyond CPO

How Zavmo Delivers This Role's Development

DISCOVER Phase: Skills Gap Analysis

Zavmo maps your current competencies against all requirements in this job description through conversational assessment. We evaluate your foundation skills (communication, strategic thinking), functional skills (CRM expertise, negotiation), and readiness for career progression.

Output: Personalised skills gap heat map showing strengths and priorities, estimated time to competency, neurodiversity accommodations.

DISCUSS Phase: Personalised Learning Pathway

Based on your DISCOVER results, Zavmo creates a personalised learning plan prioritised by impact: foundation skills first, then functional skills. We adapt to your learning style, pace, and neurodiversity needs (ADHD, dyslexia, autism).

Output: Week-by-week schedule, each module linked to specific job responsibilities, checkpoints and milestones.

DELIVER Phase: Conversational Learning

Learn through conversation, not boring modules. Zavmo uses 10 conversation types (Socratic dialogue, role-play, coaching, case studies) to build competence. Practice difficult QBR presentations, negotiate tough renewals, and handle churn conversations in a safe AI environment before facing real clients.

Example: "For 'Stakeholder Mapping', Zavmo will guide you through analysing a complex enterprise account, identifying key decision-makers, and building an engagement strategy."

DEMONSTRATE Phase: Competency Assessment

Zavmo automatically builds your evidence portfolio as you learn. Every conversation, practice scenario, and application example is captured and mapped to NOS performance criteria. When ready, your portfolio supports OFQUAL qualification claims and demonstrates competence to employers.

Output: Competency matrix, evidence portfolio (downloadable), qualification readiness, career progression score.