External Affairs and Policy Manager

Advert Close date: Thursday 2nd October

About Us

The Crown Estate is a truly unique organisation with a bold purpose: to create lasting and shared prosperity for the UK. From marine stewardship and urban regeneration to sustainability and science-led innovation, we operate across some of the most dynamic and high-impact portfolios in the country. We’re not just managing assets, we’re helping shape the future of places, industries and communities.

Our Corporate Affairs team sits at the heart of this mission. We lead strategic engagement and policy development that influences national conversations, unlocks partnerships and drives meaningful change. If you’re passionate about making a difference, inspiring progress, and working at the forefront of public value, this is the moment to join us.

Why This Advert Is Different

This is a rare and brilliant opportunity to take on a pivotal role that spans some of the UK’s most exciting agendas. We’re hiring five manager-level positions across our External Affairs and Policy team, each with a distinct focus, but all united by a shared mission: to shape strategy, build influence, and deliver impact.

Whether your passion lies in sustainability, marine policy, science and innovation, or regional transformation, these roles offer the chance to lead strategic engagement and policy development at a national level. And with so much happening across The Crown Estate from major investments to new partnerships it’s a truly energising time to come on board.

This is a single job advert covering all five roles. When applying, please specify your top 3 preferred roles in order of interest and we’ll consider you for each based on your experience and fit.

The Roles

Corporate Affairs Sustainability Manager: This role leads strategic communications and stakeholder engagement to advance The Crown Estate’s sustainability agenda. You’ll be responsible for developing a unified sustainability narrative, supporting net zero and social impact goals and positioning the organisation as a leader in environmental stewardship.

External Affairs & Policy - Science & Innovation: Focused on urban regeneration and partnerships, this role oversees engagement strategies for our £1.5 billion science and innovation portfolio. You’ll work across major developments in Oxford, Cambridge and London, building relationships with government, industry and research partners to support place-based transformation.

Government Affairs Manager, Marine : This role builds strategic relationships across Whitehall, devolved administrations and local government to support The Crown Estate’s marine priorities. You’ll lead government engagement efforts, monitor policy developments and ensure our marine strategy aligns with national objectives around energy, biodiversity and thriving communities.

Corporate Affairs Strategy Manager: You will be responsible for designing and delivering the corporate affairs strategy for the business, bringing together place, partnership, stakeholder and comms activity into a single and unified strategy and ensuring it is delivered effectively and efficiently. You will also seek to unblock complex policy and stakeholder issues across the enterprise and be responsible for providing the business with strategies to mitigate reputational risk and protect our license to operate.

External Affairs Manager, Marine - Strategic Engagement & Programmes:  In this pivotal role, you will lead the development and delivery of external affairs strategies for marine programmes, acting as the primary point of contact for stakeholder engagement. You’ll work closely with public affairs, policy managers, and project teams to identify risks and opportunities, manage reputational issues, and maximise positive outcomes for marine projects.

Across all four roles, we value:

• Strategic thinkers with strong government, public affairs or policy experience

• Proven ability to manage complex stakeholder landscapes

• Excellent communication and influencing skills

• Passion for delivering public value through sustainability, regeneration, or marine stewardship

• Experience working in or with government, industry, or civil society

How to Apply :

• Please submit your CV and cover letter and a clear ranking of your top 3 preferred roles from the list above

What We Offer

• A collaborative, purpose-led culture

• Flexible working arrangements

• Opportunities for professional development

• The chance to shape national conversations on sustainability, innovation, and place-making

Please note: We regularly recruit for similar roles across our External Affairs and Policy team. If your experience aligns but this particular opportunity isn’t the right fit, we may still be in touch about future vacancies. By submitting your CV, you agree that we may contact you regarding other relevant roles at The Crown Estate.

Our Offering / Benefits:

As well as a competitive salary, pension and performance related bonus offering, we have a wealth of benefits available ranging from flexible working; market leading family policies and shopping discounts in the West End, to private healthcare; life and critical illness cover and 28 days holiday with the option to buy more. We value work life balance and your wellbeing highly, enabling you to be your best self to work.

Disability Disclaimer:

We are a proud disability confident employer and operate the offer of interview scheme  Disability Confident employer scheme - GOV.UK ( .

We are happy to offer alternative application methods or formats and can be flexible on our process to enable you to have the best opportunity.

If you have any questions about our recruitment process or would like to talk about adjustments, please contact us on  [email protected]