Overview

External Affairs Programme Manager - 12-Month Fixed Term Contract

Location: London, Westminster

Work Type: Hybrid/Westminster

Hours: 36.25 hours per week

Salary: up to £43,000

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is a global membership organisation with over 97,000 members and more than two centuries of history. As a centre of engineering excellence, we qualify civil engineers, support lifelong professional development, and assure society that the infrastructure shaping our world is safe, sustainable, and well-designed.

Our community of experts also provides trusted, impartial advice to policymakers on how to build and adapt infrastructure for a better future.

The Role

The ICE is seeking an External Affairs Programme Manager with a passion for current affairs and a talent for delivering high-impact events. The External Affairs Programme Manager will lead the delivery of our events programme within the Policy and External Affairs (PEA) team. Typically, we will deliver up to 40 events a year, from Parliamentary receptions with senior Cabinet Ministers, to in-person and online roundtables with senior stakeholders from government, industry and civil society, both in the UK and internationally.

The successful candidate will be responsible for liaising with stakeholders at the highest level, from CEOs to government ministers and senior leaders from global organisations such as the World Bank and OECD. They will have strong research skills and will be able to identify and suggest appropriate speakers and attendees. They will be expected to create high quality briefings for stakeholders, including the ICE’s President and Director General, as well as working with external partners and the PEA team to agree outcomes for the event.

They will work closely with teams across the organisation, particularly the events team and the Director General's office, to ensure the successful planning of all events to deliver the required outcomes.

They will also be responsible for overseeing the PEA team’s programme, seeking out opportunities and building relationships to enable the ICE to speak to key policy audiences at externally convened events. This is a unique opportunity to shape conversations that influence policy, engage senior stakeholders, and drive meaningful change.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and deliver a compelling programme of events aligned with our global influencing and policy insight goals.
• Lead content and development, identifying key themes, contributors, and audiences.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure seamless logistics and professional execution.
• Secure high-profile speakers and manage event communications and collateral.
• Manage the PEA team’s programme, identifying and securing opportunities for ICE representatives to speak on external panels.
• Oversee evidence-gathering workshops and manage feedback to continuously improve.
• Project manage all team events, ensuring alignment across stakeholders and budgets.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in event project management, ideally within policy or public affairs.
• Strong research, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Familiarity with UK political processes and a keen interest in current affairs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), and project management tools.
• Ability to manage budgets and deliver within financial constraints.
• Politically savvy and professional
• Agile and collaborative team player
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, start-up mentality environment

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification/level of experience
• Desirable: Project Management or Event Management qualification/training

ICE Group Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Shutdown over Christmas period
• Annual £100 allowance towards your well-being
• Discounted hot food from on-site Café bar
• Up to eight per cent of salary contributed to a personal pension scheme
• 24-hour employee support line
• Death in service benefit equivalent to one year’s salary
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Big Gym membership savings with the Gymflex scheme
• Your Rewards discount scheme

ICE Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Data Privacy

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018: The data collected via this application process will only be used by the ICE Group for the purpose of recruitment and for the performance of an employment contract if a job offer is made. This data will not be disclosed to any external sources without express consent unless required to do so by law. Unsuccessful applicants’ data, both electronic and paper will be deleted/shredded six months from date of application. The ICE Group’s Data Protection Officer is Shah Ali, who can be contacted at shah.ali@ice.org.uk. Applicants have the right to complain to the ICO at http://ico.org.uk/ if they have a concern with the way ICE is handling their data.