<div><span>We’re seeking a Senior Government &amp; Public Affairs Consultant (Freelance, Director level) to lead the strategic expansion of our Jobs 2030 reskilling initiative (</span><a href="http://www.jobs2030.ai">www.jobs2030.ai</a><span>) across the UK, attracting new member partners, and championing the initiative with senior government officials, industry bodies, and strategic stakeholders. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span>In this role, you’ll take a hands-on approach to stakeholder and government engagement, partnership building, and high-level advocacy — working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure Jobs 2030 is recognised as the UK’s leading banking workforce reskilling programme. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span>This is a strategic, high-profile position for someone who excels at the intersection of public affairs, government relations, coalition building, and programme advocacy. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span>You’ll join a collaborative, forward-thinking team with experience working at the highest levels of government, industry, and financial services innovation. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span>The role reports into the VP of Communications &amp; External Affairs. </span></div><h3>A day in the life </h3><ul><li><b>Strategy &amp; planning – </b>Create a public affairs and stakeholder engagement plan to scale Jobs 2030’s presence nationally, aligned with parliamentary cycles and the 2026 Labour Conference, industry events, and major skills and employment policy milestones. </li><li><b>Collaborate &amp; align –</b> Work closely with Zopa’s leadership, policy, communications, and partnerships teams to develop compelling narratives that resonate with government, industry bodies, and potential partners. </li><li><b>Lead &amp; deliver advocacy –</b> Develop and help execute high-impact engagement campaigns targeting MPs, civil servants, trade bodies, and policy influencers to secure buy-in for Jobs2030. </li><li><b>Build coalitions –</b> Attract and onboard new member partners from the banking, fintech, education, and training sectors to join the Jobs2030 mission. </li><li><b>Coach &amp; influence – </b>Prepare the Zopa Leadership Team to present the Jobs2030 initiative at parliamentary events, select committee hearings, industry roundtables, and conferences – where applicable.  </li><li><b>Measure &amp; optimise – </b>Track engagement outcomes, partner acquisition metrics, and policy influence, providing insights to refine strategy. </li><li><b>Partnership activation –</b> Design and launch joint initiatives with member partners to showcase Jobs 2030’s impact and scale adoption. </li></ul><h3>About you</h3><ul><li>10-15+ years in government affairs, public policy, or advocacy in the UK, ideally across both advisory (Senior Director/Practice Director level) and in-house (Head Of/Director level) roles, with at least 5 years of senior leadership experience. </li><li>Strong, established relationships with senior government officials, parliamentary stakeholders, and relevant industry bodies. </li><li>Proven track record of influencing policy outcomes and securing high-level stakeholder support for large-scale initiatives. Experience in the consumer fintech and banking sector a plus but not a pre-requisite.  </li><li>Experience building cross-sector coalitions, ideally in skills, employment, education, or financial services. Demonstrable experience in re-skilling and cross-skilling initiatives within government and Whitehall a plus.  </li><li>Highly organised, able to manage multiple engagements at pace, and comfortable executing at both strategic and tactical levels. </li><li>Confident in representing initiatives to senior decision-makers, media, and the public. </li><li>Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a talent for persuasive messaging. </li><li>Proactive, adaptable, and thrives in fast-paced, politically sensitive environments. </li><li>Passionate about Jobs 2030’s mission and committed to driving national impact through workforce reskilling. </li></ul><h3>What success looks like </h3><ul><li><b>Government engagement – </b>Strong recognition of Jobs2030 among key parliamentary, ministerial, and civil service stakeholders. </li><li><b>Policy influence –</b> Evidence of Jobs2030 shaping skills and employment policy discussions at national level. </li><li><b>National presence –</b> Jobs2030 is regularly referenced in government, media, and industry forums as the leading UK banking reskilling initiative. </li><li><b>Coalition activation –</b> Member partners actively engaged in co-branded initiatives, case studies, and advocacy efforts. </li><li><b>Partnership growth – </b>Significant increase in member partners (target agreed with leadership) across banking, fintech, education, and training sectors – with the help of the Zopa in house team.  </li></ul>