Director of External Affairs AMRC

Job Title:

Director of External Affairs AMRC

Posting

Start Date:

29/09/2026

Job

School/Department:
Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre

Work Arrangement:
Full Time (Hybrid)

Contract Type:
Permanent

Salary per annum (£):
Competitive Senior Executive Salary (Commensurate with experience)

Closing Date: 27/10/2026

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a senior leader to join the University of Sheffield AMRC's (AMRC) Board at a pivotal moment in the organisation's development, driving high-level external influence and national public affairs for one of the UK's most respected applied research institutions.

The Director of External Affairs is a critical senior leadership role within the AMRC, fundamentally tasked with driving high-level external affairs, political engagement, and policy positioning across Whitehall, Westminster, and key national government bodies. Operating at the strategic intersection of academia, industry, regional leadership, and central government, the postholder will ensure that the core messaging, strategic capabilities, and policy priorities of both the AMRC and the broader University of Sheffield land effectively with key decision-makers across UK Government.

As an innovation powerhouse within both the University of Sheffield and the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult network, the Director will partner closely with the CEO and University Executive Board (UEB) leads to position the AMRC at the heart of His Majesty’s Government’s (HMG) Industrial Strategy. The role will establish high-impact, strategic engagements with UK Government stakeholders, ensuring the University’s wider research impact shapes national industrial policy and funding frameworks.

In addition to driving political strategy and external diplomacy, the postholder will oversee and line manage the marketing and communications function to maintain alignment with overarching external affairs objectives.

• Serve as a core member of the AMRC Board, driving institutional external strategy, political risk management, and strategic policy positioning.
• Lead the development and execution of an overarching UK Government engagement strategy, ensuring that key messaging from both the AMRC and the wider University of Sheffield reaches key decision-makers in Whitehall, ministers, special advisers, and senior civil servants.
• Partner with the CEO, Commercial Director, and University Executive Board leads to position the AMRC as a primary delivery partner for HMG’s Industrial Strategy, securing high-level political buy-in and long-term strategic support.
• Provide line management, line management support, and high-level oversight to the marketing, communications, and STEM engagement teams, ensuring their operational delivery aligns with the agreed strategy.

• Build, cultivate, and sustain trusted, high-level relationships across Whitehall departments (including BIST, MOD, and DESNZ), Treasury officials, Select Committees, and MPs to advance the interests of the AMRC and the broader University.
• Drive high-impact…