Senior External Affairs Manager

The External Affairs team ensures that the voice of the external environment is reflected in organisational decision-making. The team develops and delivers HM Land Registry's influencing strategy and external engagement plan, aligned to agreed corporate priorities.

The team provides intelligence-led insight and strategic advice by maintaining an overview of HM Land Registry's most influential stakeholders, identifying how these relationships support organisational objectives, and developing a clear narrative of our engagement across government, industry and other key sectors.

We have 2 great opportunities to join our External Affairs team:

1 permanent Senior External Affairs Manger role, focusing on leading and coordinating engagement plans

1 temporary Senior External Affairs Manager role, focusing on managing strategic partnering plans and internal procedures. This role is temporary for 6 months with the possibility of extension and can start from January 2027 onwards.

Following the publication of our Strategy 2025+, it has put a renewed focus on our relationship with our key stakeholders and the importance of our external affairs function. We are looking for 2 motivated and collaborative individuals with strong stakeholder management, strategic thinking and influencing skills and the desire to shape and influence our evolving external affairs approach.

In these roles you will develop influence-based approaches to achieving strategic outcomes which informs stakeholder engagement and behavioural change plans and activity. You will provide External Affairs leadership to colleagues across HM Land Registry and provide advice on Government Communications Service (GCS) standards and best practice in delivering and evaluating external affairs programmes of work. You will act as a trusted advocate and engage effectively with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels including HMLR Boards.

The role will give exposure to the successful candidate both at a senior level within HM Land Registry and with high-profile external audiences. Outside of the core role of supporting the smooth operating of our various industry and internal groups, there is a real opportunity to shape and influence our evolving external affairs approach, so this role would seek somebody who is motivated by the idea of making change.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

How to apply:

Please complete the first stage of the online application form and then complete the Civil Service verbal test. If you pass the verbal test, you will then be invited to complete the Civil Service Judgement test. If you pass the Judgement test, you will then be invited to complete the full online application form, in which you will need to complete a CV and Personal Statement.

The closing date for the test and full application form is 11:55pm on 26th October 2026. You must ensure you build in sufficient time to complete the full application form if you pass the online test. It is recommended that you complete the practice test first. For more information about preparing for the Civil Service verbal and Judgement test and access to the practice test, please follow this link:

• Preparing for the Civil Service Verbal and Numerical tests - GOV.UK
• Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test - GOV.UK

Please note these tests aren't timed.

Please complete your CV to include your work history. We will be scoring your CV against the following essential experience criteria:

• A track record of communicating and dealing effectively with a diverse and senior set of stakeholders.
• Demonstrable application of excellent organisational and interpersonal skills and ability to forge positive working relationships at all levels.
• Be able to provide advice and recommendations that demonstrate strong political awareness and analytical insight; and maintain focus on big picture considerations whilst understanding the detail.

Complete the Personal Statement section (in no more than 1000 words), using the essential experience, please tell us why you would be suitable for this role. Please give specific examples.

Please review your application form before clicking ‘submit’ – once you have submitted, you will not be able to amend your application.

Ensure your application form is received by the closing date for receipt of applications –this is 23:55 on the advertised date.

Sift

The sift will take place shortly after the closing date.

In case of a high volume of applications, we will complete a pre-sift on your CV.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend a face to face, blended interview and deliver a pre-prepared presentation. The interviews will be held in our Croydon or Coventry office.

The blended interview will test the essential experience and behaviours listed in the Job Description, as well as the strengths associated with the role, details will be provided on invitation to interview.

We want to hear your first, unrehearsed, natural response to strength questions, and so we don’t advertise which strengths are being tested. The best way to prepare for strengths questions is to reflect on what you identify as your own personal strengths, and your preferred ways of working.

We expect interviews to take place during the week commencing 9th November 2026.

Candidates can refer to notes within their interview, but they should be used as a prompt only.

HMLR is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people.

If you require the panel to consider a reasonable adjustment or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you are asked to notify us of this at application stage where possible or during the process as soon as it becomes a requirement.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa where a role is in a certain business critical category. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a skilled worker visa.

You must ensure you have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

You can find more information on how we use your personal data on our website

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.