Director, Global Policy Communications

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Director, Global Policy Communications, is here to shape and protect our company's reputation and commercial interests in the face of ever-changing global regulations and political landscapes. You'll be the architect of our policy communications strategy, translating complex legislative and regulatory challenges into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with key audiences worldwide. This role sits right at the intersection of public policy, legal, and executive leadership, acting as the critical bridge between our internal strategy and external perception. When you do this job well, we'll see favourable media coverage on complex policy issues, our executives will be seen as trusted voices in critical debates, and we'll successfully mitigate significant regulatory risks before they become major problems. If it's not done right, we risk damaging our brand, facing stricter regulations, and losing our 'licence to operate' in key markets. The challenge is immense, honestly—you're often fighting battles on multiple fronts with limited resources, trying to influence outcomes that can feel out of your control. The reward, though? Seeing your strategic comms work genuinely shift public opinion or influence a legislative outcome that protects our business and benefits our customers.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: VP, Global Public Affairs & Policy
• Direct reports: Typically 3-8 direct reports, including managers and senior specialists, plus external agency oversight.
• Matrix relationships: Head of Policy Communications, Global Public Affairs Director, VP, Policy Comms (EMEA/APAC),

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• C-suite (CEO, COO, CLO): You'll brief them regularly on geopolitical risks and policy comms strategy.
• Legal & Regulatory Affairs: Working hand-in-glove to understand legal implications and craft compliant messaging.
• Product & Engineering Leadership: Helping them understand the 'why' behind policy positions and how product decisions can create comms challenges.
• Regional Heads of Public Affairs: Ensuring global messaging is localised and effective in different markets.

External:

• Top-tier Media (e.g., Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC): Building relationships with key journalists and editors.
• Senior Regulators & Policymakers (e.g., European Commission, UK Parliament): Informing their understanding of our positions.
• Industry Associations & Think Tanks: Building coalitions and amplifying our voice through third parties.
• NGOs & Advocacy Groups: Understanding their positions and, where possible, finding common ground.

Organisational Impact

Scope: Your work directly shapes our company's ability to operate and grow in regulated markets. You're essentially the guardian of our policy reputation, influencing public and political opinion to create a favourable operating environment. Get it right, and you protect revenue streams and open new markets; get it wrong, and you could cost us millions in fines or lost opportunities.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: Favourable Legislative/Regulatory Outcomes
2. Desc: Directly correlating comms activities to favourable amendments or the prevention of problematic clauses in key legislation or regulatory proposals.
3. Target: Influence 2-3 significant legislative or regulatory outcomes annually, with clear evidence of comms contribution.
4. Freq: Annually, reviewed quarterly with Legal and Government Relations.
5. Example: Successfully advocating for the removal of a data localisation clause in a proposed EU regulation, with media coverage reflecting our arguments and a positive outcome in the final text.
6. Metric: Executive Confidence Score for Policy Comms
7. Desc: Executive leadership's confidence in your team's ability to navigate and communicate on complex policy issues, especially during a crisis.
8. Target: Achieve a 9/10 average confidence score from the executive leadership team (CEO, CLO, COO) via anonymous quarterly survey.
9. Freq: Quarterly, via a brief, anonymous survey to C-suite and relevant VPs.
10. Example: After a challenging parliamentary hearing, the CEO rates the comms team's preparation and rapid response as 'excellent' (10/10) in the survey.
11. Metric: Reduction in Negative Share of Voice (SoV) on Critical Issues
12. Desc: Measuring the percentage reduction in negative media mentions and sentiment related to specific, high-priority regulatory or policy issues for the company.
13. Target: Reduce negative 'share of voice' on 3-5 critical regulatory issues by 30% year-over-year.
14. Freq: Monthly, using media monitoring tools like Meltwater or Cision.
15. Example: Our SoV on 'data privacy breaches' dropped from 15% to 10% over 12 months, despite increased industry scrutiny, due to our proactive comms strategy.
16. Metric: Key Message Pull-Through in Tier 1 Media
17. Desc: The percentage of your core policy messages (e.g., 'innovation requires balanced regulation') that appear verbatim or are clearly reflected in top-tier media coverage.
18. Target: Achieve >75% message pull-through in Tier 1 media coverage for major policy announcements or campaigns.
19. Freq: Per campaign/announcement, analysed post-launch.
20. Example: Following our AI ethics policy launch, 4 out of 5 major articles (FT, WSJ, BBC) directly quoted or paraphrased our key message about 'responsible AI development through public-private partnership'.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Strategic Counsel & Proactive Risk Identification
2. Desc: Your ability to anticipate policy shifts and proactively advise the C-suite on potential comms challenges, not just react to them.
3. Evidence: You're regularly invited to C-suite strategy sessions. The CEO asks for your opinion on emerging geopolitical issues. You've got a track record of flagging potential comms crises months before they materialise, allowing us to prepare.
4. Metric: Coalition & Third-Party Influence
5. Desc: The effectiveness of your team in building and activating industry coalitions and securing third-party validation for our policy positions.
6. Evidence: Our policy positions are consistently echoed by respected think tanks, academic experts, and industry associations. We're seen as a reliable partner in joint advocacy efforts. You can point to specific instances where a third party's voice amplified our message significantly.
7. Metric: Crisis Communications Leadership
8. Desc: Your calm, decisive leadership during high-stakes policy-related crises, ensuring a coordinated and effective communications response.
9. Evidence: You're the first call when a policy crisis hits. You can quickly assemble and direct a 'war room' team. Post-crisis reviews consistently praise your strategic thinking and ability to manage media pressure. Your team feels supported and clear on their roles during intense periods.
10. Metric: Team Development & Agency Management
11. Desc: Your success in mentoring your team, fostering their growth, and ensuring our external agencies deliver exceptional value.
12. Evidence: Your direct reports are consistently hitting their development goals and taking on more complex work. Agency reviews show clear KPIs being met and a strong collaborative relationship. You've successfully negotiated better terms or identified more effective agency partners.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Politically Astute (Influential)
• Manifestation: You instinctively know the difference between what's written in a bill and what's actually going to happen. You can read the room in a high-stakes meeting with a regulator, understanding the unspoken dynamics. You know which journalist to brief off-the-record and which to push for an on-the-record quote. This means knowing when to compromise, when to stand firm, and when to just keep quiet. You're not just smart; you're street-smart about power and influence.
• Benefit: At this level, a logically perfect argument can still blow up in your face if you miss the political context. We need someone who can navigate the 'Brussels/DC Bubble' and understand the human element behind policy decisions. Your ability to influence often comes down to understanding who *actually* matters and how to talk to them, not just what to say. Getting this wrong can alienate key allies or provoke unnecessary opposition, costing us valuable time and influence.
• Trait: Thick-Skinned (Resilient)
• Manifestation: You'll read a scathing op-ed in The Guardian about our company's position on a new regulation and immediately move to strategic response, not personal offence. You can handle a multi-year legislative defeat, dust yourself off, and rally the team for the next battle without anyone feeling demoralised. When a major news outlet runs a negative story, your first thought is 'how do we respond?', not 'why me?'.
• Benefit: Policy fights are marathons, not sprints, and they're often adversarial. You're going to face constant criticism, public scrutiny, and sometimes outright hostility. Without genuine resilience, the relentless pressure will lead to burnout, reactive decision-making, and a loss of strategic focus. We need someone who can absorb the hits, learn from them, and keep pushing forward, because giving up isn't an option when our business is on the line.
• Trait: Intellectually Rigorous (Decisive)
• Manifestation: You can read a 300-page proposed regulation from the European Commission and, within hours, pinpoint the three clauses that pose an existential threat to our business. You confidently translate dense legalese and economic jargon into plain English for the CEO, without losing any of the critical nuance. When a journalist asks a tricky question about a complex policy, you can articulate our position clearly and accurately, even under pressure.
• Benefit: Credibility is everything in policy communications. If you can't master the substance of the policy, you simply can't craft an effective communication strategy. Opponents, journalists, and regulators will exploit any gap in your understanding, and once you lose credibility, it's incredibly hard to get back. You need to be able to dissect complex issues, understand their implications, and then communicate them with absolute authority and precision to guide executive decisions and public perception.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Nuanced Communicator
• Desc: You can argue the same core point with completely different evidence, tone, and emphasis to a skeptical journalist, a friendly parliamentarian, an anxious employee base, and a demanding investor. It's about tailoring the message, not changing the truth.
• Trait: Unflappable Under Pressure
• Desc: When a major policy crisis breaks at 10 PM on a Friday, you're the one who functions calmly and methodically, assembling the team, drafting holding statements, and setting the response plan. Panic isn't in your vocabulary when the stakes are highest.
• Trait: Patiently Persistent
• Desc: You understand that meaningful policy change and reputation building can take years of consistent, often unglamorous, effort. You're in it for the long haul, chipping away at challenges rather than expecting quick wins.
• Trait: Strategic Storyteller
• Desc: You don't just report facts; you craft compelling narratives around our policy positions. You know how to make a dry regulatory update sound like a crucial development for our customers or the wider economy, ensuring it captures attention and drives understanding.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Shaping the Narrative
2. Daily: You'll get a real kick out of seeing your carefully crafted message appear in a major news outlet or hearing a policymaker echo our talking points. It's about influencing the conversation on critical issues.
3. Motivator: Navigating Complexity & Risk
4. Daily: You thrive on dissecting intricate global policy challenges and figuring out the best way to communicate our stance to diverse audiences. The higher the stakes, the more engaged you are.
5. Motivator: Protecting & Building Reputation
6. Daily: There's a deep satisfaction in knowing your work directly contributes to safeguarding the company's brand and ensuring we're seen as a responsible, innovative leader, especially when facing regulatory headwinds.

Potential Demotivators

Honestly, this role isn't for everyone. You'll often feel like you're fighting with one hand tied behind your back, trying to defend a corporate position that you know is weak or hard to justify, caught between the legal department's caution and the executive team's ambition. You'll spend a significant chunk of your time being the 'internal translator,' explaining the political and regulatory risks of a new product to engineering and marketing teams who are convinced it's the greatest thing ever, only for them to ignore your advice. Months of careful, behind-the-scenes coalition building and messaging strategy can be instantly vaporised by a single out-of-context tweet from a high-profile politician, and you'll have to pick up the pieces. The 'Hurry Up and Wait' whiplash is real: frantic, all-hands-on-deck sprints for a legislative vote or hearing that gets postponed at the last minute, followed by weeks of silence. If you need clear, direct attribution for every win, you'll struggle here; it's nearly impossible to prove that your comms campaign was the *decisive* factor in getting a problematic clause removed from a bill.

Common Frustrations

1. The 'Internal Translator Tax': Constantly explaining geopolitical risks to teams who just want to ship product.
2. The 'Tweet Derailment': A single politician's tweet undoing months of careful strategy.
3. Fighting with One Hand Tied: Defending corporate positions that are inherently difficult to justify.
4. The Attribution Black Hole: Difficulty proving direct ROI for comms efforts in policy wins.
5. The 'Hurry Up and Wait' Whiplash: Intense sprints followed by sudden delays, messing up planning.
6. The Cost Centre Stigma: Only getting executive attention and resources when a five-alarm fire has already started.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A predictable, 9-to-5 routine with minimal external pressure.
2. Instant gratification or clear, immediate wins for every effort.
3. Complete autonomy over corporate policy decisions (you advise, you don't decide).
4. A quiet, solitary work environment; this is a highly collaborative and visible role.

ADHD Positives

1. The high-stakes, rapid-response nature of policy comms, especially during a crisis, can be incredibly engaging and stimulating, playing to strengths in hyperfocus and quick thinking.
2. The need to juggle multiple, diverse policy issues and stakeholder groups simultaneously can be a strength, offering constant novelty and varied tasks, which can prevent boredom.
3. The role often requires connecting disparate pieces of information (e.g., a new regulation, a geopolitical event, a product launch) into a coherent narrative, which can suit divergent thinking patterns.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. Maintaining focus on long-term, slow-burn policy campaigns can be challenging; we can help by breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable sprints with clear interim milestones.
2. The sheer volume of information (media monitoring, legislative updates) can be overwhelming; we can provide tools for automated summarisation and prioritisation, and encourage delegation.
3. Organisational demands for meticulous documentation and reporting can be tedious; we'll provide templates and AI tools to streamline these processes, focusing on outcomes over perfect adherence to form.

Dyslexia Positives

1. Strong verbal communication and storytelling skills, often associated with dyslexia, are invaluable for crafting compelling policy narratives and delivering impactful presentations.
2. The ability to see the 'big picture' and make connections that others might miss can be a huge asset in geopolitical risk analysis and integrated campaign design.
3. Creative problem-solving, especially under pressure, is a key strength that aligns well with crisis communications and developing novel advocacy approaches.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. The role involves significant reading of dense legislative texts and drafting of detailed responses; we offer access to advanced text-to-speech software, proofreading tools, and dedicated editorial support.
2. Meticulous attention to spelling and grammar in high-stakes public documents is critical; we ensure there are multiple layers of review and encourage the use of AI-powered writing assistants.
3. Organisational tasks like managing complex project plans might be easier with visual tools; we use platforms like Asana and Miro extensively for visual planning and tracking.

Autism Positives

1. A deep, analytical focus on policy detail and regulatory frameworks can be a significant strength, allowing for thorough understanding and precise communication of complex issues.
2. The ability to identify patterns and logical inconsistencies in policy arguments or media narratives can be incredibly valuable for strategic counter-messaging.
3. A preference for direct, factual communication, when applied appropriately, can cut through political noise and deliver clear, unambiguous messages to internal stakeholders.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. The highly social and often ambiguous nature of stakeholder engagement and media relations can be draining; we support a hybrid work model and provide clear guidelines for social interactions where possible.
2. Unexpected changes in policy or crisis situations can be disruptive; we aim for transparent communication about shifts and provide structured response plans to minimise uncertainty.
3. Navigating unspoken political dynamics and 'inside baseball' can be tricky; we offer explicit coaching and context-setting for complex political situations and encourage direct questions.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Director, Global Policy Communications (L6)
2. Responsibilities: Own the global policy communications strategy for the entire organisation. This means you'll be the one mapping out how we talk about everything from AI regulation to data privacy across all our key markets, making sure it all hangs together.
3. Act as the principal advisor to the C-suite (CEO, CLO, COO) on all policy comms matters. They'll come to you for honest, unvarnished advice on how emerging regulations or political events could impact our reputation and business. You'll need to translate complex policy into actionable comms plans for them.
4. Drive the development and execution of integrated advocacy campaigns. This isn't just about media; it's about orchestrating earned media, executive keynotes, digital grassroots mobilisation, industry coalition building, and direct lobbying support to influence specific legislative or regulatory outcomes.
5. Lead our rapid response and crisis communications efforts for policy-related issues. When a negative committee hearing or a leaked memo hits, you'll be the one in the 'war room' directing the comms strategy, drafting holding statements, and managing media inquiries under intense pressure.
6. Represent the company to top-tier media outlets (e.g., BBC, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal) and senior regulators. You'll be the public face and voice for our policy positions, often on the record, so you need to be articulate, credible, and unflappable.
7. Build and lead a high-performing global policy comms team, including managers and senior specialists. This means setting clear objectives, providing strategic guidance, fostering their development, and making sure they've got the resources they need to succeed.
8. Manage and optimise our relationships with external PR and public affairs agencies globally. You'll be accountable for their performance, ensuring they deliver strategic value and align with our overall comms objectives, and you'll be the one negotiating contracts and budgets.
9. Supervision: You're largely autonomous on day-to-day execution and strategic direction within your domain. Your monthly check-ins with the VP are for strategic alignment, major escalations, and resource discussions, not micro-management. You're expected to bring solutions, not just problems.
10. Decision: You'll have full authority over the global policy communications strategy, including messaging, campaign execution, and media engagement. You'll manage a significant budget, typically in the range of £2M-£10M+ for your function, including agency spend and campaign costs. Hiring and firing decisions for your direct reports are yours, as are vendor selections up to a certain threshold. Major strategic shifts or comms responses to enterprise-level crises will require C-suite alignment, but you'll be leading the recommendation.
11. Success: Success looks like our company being recognised as a thoughtful leader in policy debates, with our key messages consistently reflected in top-tier media. It means successfully mitigating major regulatory risks through proactive communications and seeing your team's work directly contribute to favourable legislative outcomes. Ultimately, it's about protecting and enhancing our reputation and commercial interests on a global scale.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Global Policy Comms Strategy & Messaging
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: Full authority within approved overall corporate strategy. Consult C-suite on major shifts.
• Type: Crisis Communications Response (Policy-related)
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: Lead and direct the response; inform C-suite immediately; seek C-suite approval for high-risk public statements.
• Type: Budget Allocation (Comms Function)
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: Full authority for budgets up to £2M-£10M+; require VP/CFO approval for significant overspends or new major investments.
• Type: Team Hiring & Performance Management
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: Full authority for direct reports; consult HR and VP on strategic organisational changes.
• Type: Agency Selection & Contract Negotiation
• Entry: N/A
• Mid: N/A
• Senior: Full authority for agency selection and contract negotiation within approved budget; inform Procurement and Legal for final sign-off.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

At this level, your foundation skills are about strategic leadership, influencing at the highest levels, and navigating complex organisational and political landscapes. It's less about doing the work yourself and more about directing it, shaping it, and ensuring it lands effectively.

• Category: Strategic Leadership & Influence
• Skills: Executive Presence: Commanding respect and trust from the C-suite and external senior stakeholders, articulating complex ideas with clarity and conviction.
• Political Acumen: Instinctively understanding power dynamics, reading between the lines, and knowing how to navigate complex political environments to achieve policy objectives.
• Negotiation & Persuasion: Influencing outcomes with senior internal and external parties, often with conflicting interests, to build consensus and drive our agenda.
• Vision Setting: Defining a clear, compelling global policy communications strategy that aligns with business goals and anticipates future challenges.
• Category: Crisis Management & Resilience
• Skills: Calm Under Pressure: Maintaining composure and making sound decisions during high-stakes, fast-moving policy crises, guiding the team effectively.
• Strategic Foresight: Anticipating potential policy-related comms risks and opportunities, developing proactive plans to address them before they escalate.
• Adaptability: Rapidly adjusting strategies and messaging in response to sudden policy shifts, new geopolitical events, or unexpected media narratives.
• Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks, maintaining morale within the team, and sustaining effort over long, often challenging policy campaigns.
• Category: Team & Agency Leadership
• Skills: Talent Development: Mentoring and coaching a diverse team, fostering their growth, and building a strong pipeline of future leaders.
• Performance Management: Setting clear expectations, providing constructive feedback, and ensuring the team consistently meets high standards.
• Agency Management: Effectively overseeing external PR and public affairs agencies, ensuring strategic alignment, budget adherence, and strong ROI.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Building strong relationships with Legal, Product, Government Relations, and other teams to ensure a unified approach to policy issues.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

These are the specific capabilities you'll need to master the craft of global policy communications at a Director level. It's a blend of deep domain knowledge, strategic application, and expert use of our tech stack.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: Narrative Framing & Message Discipline
• Desc: The ability to distill highly complex, multi-faceted global policy issues (e.g., data privacy regulation, international trade tariffs, AI ethics) into simple, compelling, and consistent narratives. You'll ensure these narratives can be deployed across all channels, tailored for different audiences, and withstand hostile scrutiny from media or opponents.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Geopolitical Risk Analysis
• Desc: Moving beyond domestic policy, you'll understand how international events, diplomatic tensions, and foreign regulations (e.g., GDPR, China's PIPL, US tech policy) create both significant risks and strategic opportunities for the organisation's global policy agenda. This means advising the C-suite on potential impacts and proactive comms strategies.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Integrated Advocacy Campaigns
• Desc: Architecting and executing sophisticated, multi-pronged global campaigns that synchronise earned media, executive keynotes, digital grassroots mobilisation, industry coalition building, and direct lobbying support to influence specific legislative or regulatory outcomes across multiple jurisdictions.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Rapid Response & Crisis Communications
• Desc: Developing and executing comprehensive playbooks for high-stakes, short-fuse policy-related scenarios, such as a negative parliamentary hearing, a leaked internal memo with policy implications, or a sudden executive order impacting our business. This involves pre-drafted holding statements, 'war room' activation, and managing intense media pressure.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Stakeholder Mapping & Coalition Building
• Desc: Identifying and categorising all actors in a global policy ecosystem—from regulators and legislators to NGOs, academics, and industry competitors—and strategically building alliances ('strange bedfellows') to create a powerful echo chamber for our policy positions. This is about influence networks, not just contact lists.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Regulatory Comment Drafting & Submission
• Desc: Overseeing and guiding the intricate process of crafting and submitting formal, persuasive responses to proposed rulemakings (e.g., to the FTC, SEC, European Commission, ICO), translating dense legal and business arguments into clear, public-facing documents that advocate for our positions.
• Level: Advanced

Digital Tools

• Tool: Quorum / FiscalNote / POLITICO Pro / Bloomberg Government
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Using platform data to forecast policy trends, identify key influencers, and inform executive strategy. You'll lead vendor selection and negotiation for these intelligence tools, ensuring they meet our global needs.
• Tool: Cision / Meltwater / Talkwalker / Critical Mention
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Integrating media analytics with business intelligence to demonstrate comms impact on regulatory risk and corporate reputation to the board. You'll design and oversee the entire global media monitoring framework.
• Tool: Customised Salesforce / Dynamics 365 instance
• Level: Architect
• Usage: Designing the global stakeholder data strategy, ensuring data hygiene, and integrating with other enterprise systems for a single source of truth on all policy-related relationships and interactions.
• Tool: Asana / Jira / Slack / Microsoft Teams / Confluence
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Implementing and enforcing cross-functional communication protocols for policy campaigns. You'll use project data to optimise resource allocation and team velocity across your global team and agencies.
• Tool: Tableau / Power BI / Diligent Boards / Nasdaq Boardvantage
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Designing and presenting interactive dashboards to the C-suite and board. You'll prepare and upload policy comms materials to board portals, ensuring clarity, conciseness, and maximum impact for an executive audience.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: Global Regulatory Landscape (Tech/SaaS/FinTech)
• Desc: Deep, current understanding of major regulatory bodies, legislative processes, and emerging policy trends across key global markets (EU, UK, US, APAC). Knowing the nuances of GDPR vs. CCPA vs. PIPL, for example, and how they impact our products and services.
• Area: Geopolitical Dynamics & Impact
• Desc: A sophisticated grasp of how international relations, trade disputes, and geopolitical tensions can directly influence national policy decisions and, consequently, our company's operating environment and reputation.
• Area: Media Ecosystem & Influence
• Desc: An expert-level understanding of how global news cycles work, the editorial priorities of top-tier media, and how to effectively engage journalists and editors to shape narratives on complex policy issues.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
• Usage: Ensuring all policy communications related to data privacy, data localisation, and consumer rights are compliant with GDPR, and proactively shaping narratives around our adherence and advocacy for responsible data practices.
• Reg: Digital Services Act (DSA) / Digital Markets Act (DMA)
• Usage: Leading communications strategies that address our obligations and positions regarding content moderation, platform liability, market competition, and harmful online content, particularly in the EU.
• Reg: National Security & Investment Act (UK)
• Usage: Advising on communications around potential investments, M&A activities, or product launches that might fall under national security scrutiny, ensuring our messaging mitigates risks and builds trust with government stakeholders.
• Reg: Anti-Trust & Competition Law (Global)
• Usage: Developing comms strategies to articulate our market position, competitive practices, and innovation story in a way that pre-empts or responds to anti-trust investigations and public scrutiny across different jurisdictions.

Essential Prerequisites

• Proven experience (15+ years) leading policy communications for a major corporation or a significant public affairs agency, ideally within the technology or regulated industries.
• Demonstrable track record of successfully influencing complex legislative or regulatory outcomes through strategic communications.
• Extensive experience advising C-suite executives on high-stakes policy issues and crisis communications.
• A deep understanding of the global media landscape and established relationships with top-tier journalists.
• Significant experience managing and developing high-performing teams, including managing external agencies.
• A strong grasp of geopolitical dynamics and their impact on business and policy.

Career Pathway Context

You should be able to walk into this role having already run major policy comms campaigns end-to-end, having managed teams, and having advised senior leaders. This isn't a role where you'll be learning the ropes of policy strategy; you'll be defining them. We're looking for someone who's already been in the trenches and knows how to win.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: AI-Powered Predictive Policy Analysis
• Why: Policymakers are increasingly using AI, and so should we. The ability to use AI to forecast legislative trends, predict regulatory sentiment, and identify emerging policy risks before they become public will give us a significant strategic advantage. It's about moving from reactive to truly proactive.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Natural Language Processing (NLP) for legislative texts', 'description': 'Using AI to quickly analyse vast amounts of legal and policy documents to identify patterns, sentiment, and key clauses.'}, {'concept_name': 'Predictive modelling for policy outcomes', 'description': 'Building models that forecast the likelihood of certain bills passing or regulations being enacted based on various inputs.'}, {'concept_name': 'Sentiment analysis of public discourse', 'description': 'Monitoring social media and news for early indicators of public and political opinion shifts on policy topics.'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical AI in communications', 'description': 'Understanding the ethical implications of using AI in policy advocacy and ensuring transparency and fairness.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Engage with our data science team to understand current AI capabilities and identify potential policy comms applications.
• Next 6 months: Pilot an AI tool for legislative summarisation and sentiment forecasting on a key policy issue.
• Next 12 months: Develop a roadmap for integrating predictive AI into our annual policy comms planning cycle.
• Ongoing: Stay current on AI ethics debates and ensure our use of AI in comms is responsible and transparent.
• QuickWin: Start experimenting with public LLMs (like ChatGPT or Claude) to summarise complex policy documents or generate initial drafts of policy briefs. No need for formal approval, just get hands-on.
• Skill: Digital Diplomacy & Influence
• Why: Policy debates are increasingly playing out on digital platforms, not just in traditional media or legislative chambers. Your ability to direct sophisticated digital advocacy, engage with 'influencers' (not just journalists), and counter misinformation online will be critical for shaping public opinion and influencing policymakers directly.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Platform-specific comms strategies', 'description': 'Tailoring messages and engagement tactics for LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and other platforms where policy conversations happen.'}, {'concept_name': 'Influencer mapping beyond traditional media', 'description': 'Identifying and engaging academics, think tank experts, and digital opinion leaders who shape policy discourse online.'}, {'concept_name': 'Counter-misinformation tactics', 'description': 'Developing strategies to identify, analyse, and effectively respond to false or misleading narratives about our policy positions.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data-driven digital campaign optimisation', 'description': 'Using analytics to refine digital advocacy efforts for maximum reach and impact.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Work with our social media team to understand their current capabilities and identify gaps in policy-specific digital advocacy.
• Next 6 months: Develop and launch a targeted digital campaign for a specific policy issue, focusing on non-traditional influencers.
• Next 12 months: Implement robust analytics to measure the impact of our digital diplomacy efforts and refine strategies.
• Ongoing: Monitor emerging digital platforms and trends to identify new avenues for policy influence.
• QuickWin: Follow key policymakers, journalists, and think tanks on X and LinkedIn. Observe how they engage and identify opportunities for our executives to join relevant conversations.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Advanced Media & Policy Intelligence Integration
• Why: Simply tracking media mentions isn't enough. The future demands integrating media monitoring data with legislative tracking, stakeholder CRM, and internal business intelligence to create a holistic view of our policy environment. This allows for truly data-driven strategic decisions.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Unified dashboards (media + policy + business data)', 'description': 'Creating single-pane-of-glass views that combine insights from various data sources for executive briefings.'}, {'concept_name': 'API integration for data flow', 'description': 'Understanding how different platforms can talk to each other to automate data collection and analysis.'}, {'concept_name': 'Custom reporting and visualisation', 'description': 'Designing bespoke reports and visualisations that highlight critical policy comms insights for different audiences.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data governance for external data sources', 'description': 'Ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and ethical use of data from media and policy intelligence platforms.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Work with IT and our media/policy intelligence vendors to explore API integration possibilities.
• Next 6 months: Lead a project to build a unified policy comms dashboard in Tableau or Power BI.
• Next 12 months: Train your team on how to interpret and act on integrated data insights.
• Ongoing: Regularly review our data sources and integration points to ensure they meet evolving strategic needs.
• QuickWin: Identify one key policy issue and try to manually cross-reference its media coverage, legislative status, and key stakeholder sentiment. This will highlight the need for better integration.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: A Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Political Science, Law, or a closely related field.
• Alts: We're open to equivalent professional experience (roughly 4-6 extra years in a senior policy comms role) that demonstrates a deep understanding of the field and strong strategic leadership capabilities.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: A Master's degree in Public Policy, International Relations, Law (e.g., LLM), or an MBA.
• Alts: Significant executive education programmes focused on public affairs, crisis management, or international relations would also be a strong advantage.

Experience Requirements

You'll need roughly 16-20 years of progressive experience in public relations, public affairs, or policy communications. This should include a substantial period (at least 5-7 years) in a leadership role, managing teams and advising C-suite executives on complex global policy issues. We're looking for someone who has genuinely owned the policy comms function, not just contributed to it, and has a proven track record of navigating high-stakes regulatory environments, ideally within the technology, SaaS, or FinTech sectors. Experience working across multiple geographies (e.g., EU, UK, US, APAC) is absolutely essential.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)
• Prod: CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations)
• Usage: Demonstrates a commitment to ethical practice and a comprehensive understanding of public relations principles at a senior level, which is highly relevant for policy communications.
• Cert: Crisis Communications Management Certification
• Prod: Various reputable providers (e.g., PRCA, universities)
• Usage: Given the high-stakes nature of policy comms, especially during crises, a formal qualification in crisis management shows advanced skills in planning, execution, and media handling.
• Cert: Executive Leadership Programme
• Prod: Top-tier business schools (e.g., London Business School, INSEAD)
• Usage: These programmes build strategic thinking, cross-functional leadership, and executive influence skills, which are crucial for a Director-level role advising the C-suite.

Recommended Activities

• Regularly attend and speak at industry conferences on public affairs, policy, and communications (e.g., Public Affairs Awards, Global PR Summit).
• Maintain a strong network of contacts with journalists, policymakers, and industry peers across key global markets.
• Publish thought leadership articles or op-eds on emerging policy issues relevant to our business.
• Engage in continuous learning about new technologies (especially AI) and their implications for communications and policy.
• Participate in executive coaching or mentorship programmes to refine leadership and strategic influence skills.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Senior Manager, Global Policy Comms (Internal Promotion)
• Time: 3-5 years in the Senior Manager role
• Path: Head of Public Affairs/Communications (Smaller Organisation)
• Time: 5-7 years in a Head of role, often with a broader remit
• Path: Director/VP at a Public Affairs/PR Agency
• Time: 7-10 years at agency, leading major client accounts

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: VP, Global Public Affairs & Policy
• Time: 3-5 years as Director, Global Policy Communications

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Chief Communications Officer (CCO)
• Time: 5-10 years post-Director role
• Title: Chief Public Affairs Officer (CPAO)
• Time: 5-10 years post-Director role
• Title: Board Member / Senior Advisor
• Time: 10-15+ years post-Director role

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.