External Affairs Officer

On behalf of HSE, we are looking for an External Affairs Officer - Inside IR35 for a 4 month contract working on a Hybrid basis (1/2 days per week in any HSE office and remaining WFH)

At the Health and Safety Executive, we believe everyone has the right to come home safe and well from their job. Our mission is to prevent work-related death, injury, and ill health.

Our roots stretch back to 1833. The modern HSE is an independent regulator with a wide reach across many employment sectors. Using world leading science, we have helped protect millions of people from devasting injury and suffering through our diverse regulatory activities.

We concentrate effort on the most serious risks, targeting industries with the greatest hazards, and sectors with the worst risk management record. We hold people to account where we have to, and we are firm but fair when using our legal powers. We also provide support to businesses through free guidance and advice tailored to business needs. By giving them the confidence to manage risks sensibly, we boost productivity, support the economy, and contribute to a fairer society. We work hard to help maintain an effective regulatory framework, playing our part in providing proportionate and accountable legal requirements.

The world of work is always changing. We use science to understand these changes. And that understanding helps us all prepare for the workplaces of tomorrow... so Great Britain continues to be one of the safest and best places to work and do business.

Job summary

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has moved from the Health and Safety Regulator (HSE) to an arms-length body from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This was announced in June 2025 and came into force on 27 Jan 2026.

As BSR previously operated fully within HSE the communication function for BSR is being built to support the organisation deliver against its objectives . Working in support of the Head of Communications you will help develop and deliver the external affairs strategy for BSR during a time of rapid change.

This is an exciting, inspiring opportunity that will challenge and develop you as a professional communicator. You will be working on impactful initiatives , helping to shape engagement and communications on issues that directly influence how BSR will function in the future.

We are looking for a proactive and skilled individual to drive the delivery of high-quality external communications across priority policy areas. In this role you will build, develop and maintain effective relationships with a diverse range of key stakeholders, contribute to strategic planning, and support senior leaders in their engagement activities.

You will work within a fast-paced environment, responding quickly to changing priorities while maintaining strategic focus. This role requires excellent judgement, strong interpersonal skills , and the ability to navigate complex policy landscapes while building trusted relationships with diverse stakeholders.

The main duties and responsibilities of the External Affairs Officer would be:

- Managing the process and delivery of HSE’s attendance at external events and meetings with key stakeholders. This includes managing a dedicated email account and acting as secretariat to a fortnightly meeting
- Liaising with external stakeholders and gathering feedback on the success of events
- Using insight to understand our priority audiences and the basis of our communication plans
- Working closely with wider communications team to support the development of future partnerships that will contribute to the overall communications strategy
- Working effectively with policy, operational and colleagues across the wider government BSR programme to record insight and feedback from stakeholders, identifying any risks or opportunities
- Maintaining a Stakeholder Relationship Management System including stakeholder maps. Regularly reviewing mapping and salience score, understanding and highlighting how the different workstreams interact and can affect the score of a stakeholder
- Researching, writing and creating audience-led content for stakeholders as part of integrated multi-channel campaigns

Essential:

- Professional experience working on behaviour change communications
- Experience using analytics, user feedback, and user research to evaluate and improve content
- Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with key stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally
- Experience planning, coordinating and delivering stakeholder engagement activities, including events, meetings, workshops or consultation exercises.
- Strong written communication skills, with the ability to research, develop and tailor content for different audiences across multiple communication channels.
- Experience building and maintaining effective working relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, using insight and feedback to inform communication and engagement approaches.
- Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, exercising sound judgement and responding effectively to changing organisational and stakeholder needs.
- Experience identifying, recording and analysing stakeholder insights, risks and opportunities to support communications planning and organisational objectives .
- Experience using stakeholder relationship management systems, stakeholder mapping tools, or similar approaches to monitor engagement and inform strategic decision -making.
- Experience working collaboratively with policy, operational or programme teams to develop and deliver integrated communications and engagement activity.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident employer, HSE encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent candidates . Applications from candidates who identify as having a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

HSE welcome applications from veterans, service leavers, reservists and military spouses or partners. Applications from eligible candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".