About us

The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local authorities. We work on behalf of our member councils to support, promote and improve local government.

We are a politically led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils to help them deliver local solutions to national problems.

We also provide councils with the tools and resources to respond to challenges present and emerging, and support improvement across the sector.

We value diversity and encourage applications from all sections of the community to this high-profile role.

About the role

Reporting to the Head of Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement, duties of the Public Affairs and Campaigns Adviser include:

Working collaboratively as part of the Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement team to contribute to the development and review of the LGA’s public affairs and campaigns. This will mean working with colleagues from across the LGA to help enhance the political influence and public profile of both the LGA and local government.
Contributing to the delivery of the LGA’s Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement strategy by working as part of a team that influences parliamentary debates, select committees and legislation in order to secure positive change on behalf of local government.
Assisting the delivery of the LGA’s Communications Strategy by building and owning key relationships in parliament and with other relevant corporate stakeholders.
Supporting LGA councillors and member councils to engage with Parliament, including briefing senior LGA members and officials ahead of parliamentary inquiries and as part of the LGA’s party conference engagement. This also includes working closely with the LGA’s Chair and members of the Senior Leadership Team.
All relevant responsibilities with due regard to the LGA’s Children, Young People and Families and Safer Stronger Communities committees, working closely with relevant colleagues and stakeholders across these portfolio areas.

About You

Based in the LGA’s office in Westminster, the Public Affairs and Campaigns Adviser will have:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, be highly motivated and able to work using your own initiative.
An interest in developing your own networks within both political and communications circles.
strong commitment to personal and professional development achieved by maintaining regular communication with contacts in Parliament, Whitehall and stakeholders relevant to local government.
Have strong interpersonal skills and a proactive, team-oriented approach to working.
Have a keen interest in networking and confidence to communicate with members of parliament, government ministers and officials, and leaders across local government.

You must have the right to work in the UK, the LGA are unfortunately unable to offer sponsorship visas. Evidence for the right to work in the UK will be requested at the interview stage.

To apply

If you would like to be considered for the role, please complete the online form and include a supporting statement detailing how you meet the criteria for the role before the closing date.

We are specifically assessing candidates against the following criteria:

Previous experience working for a parliamentarian, select committee or other lobbying or campaigning organisation.
An excellent understanding of Westminster, Whitehall and local government, including the interface between local authorities, national government, political parties and opinion-formers.
Experience and evidence of success in positively influencing relevant opinion-formers, including influencing primary legislation, a parliamentary debate, a select committee report or working with parliamentarians to secure the tabling of parliamentary questions.
Evidence of success in working to deliver public affairs plans and corporate campaigns.
Experience in aligning public affairs and campaigning activity with colleagues in other disciplines, including media, policy and campaigns.
Ability to prioritise competing demands, within a pressured environment, and adopt a flexible approach to work and - when necessary - working hours.

Public Affairs Adviser - Job Description

Closing Date: 5pm, 15 September 2025

Interview Date: TBC

We use anonymous recruitment, which is the practice of hiding candidates’ identities. This process involves removing any identifying information from candidates’ applications which includes names.

At the LGA we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit.

The LGA are proud to be awarded a “Disability Confident Leader”. Please contact us via Recruitment@local.gov.uk if you require a reasonable adjustment, which is a change to the format or conditions of the recruitment process to accommodate any disability-related needs you may have.

Our benefits

LGA annual leave entitlement is 29 days, rising to 31 days after three years’ service and to 33 days after five years’ service, plus all UK public holidays (pro rata for fixed term and part time contracts).
Flexible & agile working – office-based staff are required to work in the LGA’s London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need and this may vary significantly between different roles and from week to week.
Future development – face-to-face and virtual courses are scheduled in line with developmental goals
The LGA offers 24/7 access to a free, confidential employee assistance programme managed by Health Assured. This service is also available for Dependants.
Family friendly policies

For more of LGA’s benefits and working with us, please view our webpage https://www.local.gov.uk/benefits-and-working-lga

Our values & behaviours

Our Values and Behaviours are there to give us an understanding of who we are as an organisation and who we want to be. They are a framework to help us understand:

how we work with each other
how we work with our members and stakeholders
our expectations for ourselves and each other

Our values are:

Collaboration – We value collaboration, to pursue shared goals by encouraging and utilising diverse perspectives and working with internal and external colleagues across the organisation.

Inclusion – We value inclusion, where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported to contribute meaningfully.

Ambition – We value ambition, reflecting our desire to achieve best possible outcomes for local government, communities, and individuals.

Respect – We value respect, to ensure fairness, recognition, and shared accountability.

Public Affairs Adviser