JOB DETAILS

The Executive, External Affairs (Engagement & Initiatives) is a key supporting role in delivering high‑quality thought‑leadership outputs, engagement initiatives and coordinated communication flows that reinforce Ibec’s enterprise positioning. Operating within the Strategic Engagement, Thought Leadership & Initiatives team, the role contributes to research, content development, stakeholder coordination and the delivery of strategic forums and initiatives.

Blending insight gathering, narrative support, coordination and operational delivery, the Executive helps ensure Ibec’s thought‑leadership activity, strategic engagement work and external initiatives are timely, accurate and aligned. The role strengthens Ibec’s capacity to communicate a clear, coherent and trusted voice across audiences and supports the organisation’s strategic ambitions, reputational priorities and external influence.

The closing date for applications will be 5pm on Wednesday the 29th of July.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Thought Leadership Support

Contribute to the development of thought‑leadership content including summaries, articles, draft reports,speechesand opinion pieces
Support translation of complex policy,businessand economic themes into clear, accessible content
Assistin preparing materials for flagship outputs that reinforceIbec’svisibility and authority
Monitor emerging themes,debatesand issues toidentifyopportunities for new thought‑leadership activity
Maintain version control, alignmentmaterialsand content documentation for thought‑leadership initiatives

Strategic Engagement & Initiatives Support

Support coordination of strategic engagement initiatives across External Affairs and internal teams.
Assistwith planning and delivering external forums, roundtables and platforms that deepen engagement with key audiences
Support the preparation of agendas, briefing notes, participantlistsand supporting materials for engagement events
Ensure engagement initiatives are aligned withIbec’snarrative direction, strategicthemesand positioning
Maintain trackers,schedulesand structured coordination tools for cross‑organisational engagement work

Content Creation & Editorial Support

Draft and refine short‑form content including talking points, event notes, summaries, blogs, statements, briefing notes and supporting copy
Assistin editing and improving content developed across External Affairs, Policy and other teams, ensuring clarity and alignment
Helpmaintaineditorial consistency withIbec’stone, narrativeframeworkand brand guidelines
Prepare structured documentation for leadership briefings and strategic communication flows

Research, Insight & Analysis

Conduct horizon scanning on business, economic, labour‑market and public‑discourse trends relevant to strategic engagement and thought leadership
Gather and synthesise insights from policy work, economicdataand sector intelligence into clear, concise summaries
Produce insight briefs, thematictrackersand contextual updates to inform narrative development and engagement planning
Maintain organised logs, researchsummariesand monitoring tools to support evidence‑based content

Stakeholder & Cross‑Team Coordination

Coordinate information and inputs across Policy, Lobbying& Global Affairs, Media & Issues,Marketing & Brandand Sectors
Build constructive internal relationships to gather insights, sourceexpertiseand support aligned communication flows
Assistteams with content preparation and engagement materials to support cross‑organisational initiatives
Coordinate supporting documentation for engagement forums, ensuringtimelyand structured delivery
Contribute to effective information flow and narrative alignment across divisions

Operational Excellence & Delivery

Ensure all outputs are delivered withhigh standardsof clarity,accuracyand consistency
Maintain trackers, shared folders, logs,calendarsand governance tools to support disciplined execution
Assistwithlogistics, workflow processes, approvals and version control across engagement and content workstreams
Support continuous improvement of operational processes related to initiatives,engagementand thought‑leadership activity

NOTE: This list is not exhaustive but serves to reflect the nature of the duties included in the role. Given the nature of the organisation and the need to respond to members’ needs on an ongoing basis, the role is subject to change over time.

ABOUT YOU

Qualifications

Qualificationin a relevant discipline such as communications, public policy, economics,events,politics, business, internationalrelationsor journalism
Additionalpostgraduate qualifications are an advantage
Ideally 1–2 years’ professional experience in a communications, public affairs, policy, research, externalengagementor related role
Experience supporting thought‑leadership activity, strategic engagement initiatives,researchor policy‑informed content development
Demonstrated ability to contribute to structured, high‑quality written outputs for senior stakeholders and external audiences

Key Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex policy, economic or business themes into clear,accessibleand compelling content
Proven drafting and editing capability across thought‑leadership outputs, briefing notes, summaries, talking points, eventmaterialsand short‑form commentary
Research and insight‑gathering skills, including horizon scanning and synthesis of policy, economic and sector‑level information
Ability to support strategic engagement initiatives, including preparation of agendas, briefing packs, participantmaterialsand supporting documentation
Strong coordination and organisational skills, with experiencemaintainingtrackers, schedules, logs, sharedfoldersand version control
Ability to ensure narrative alignment, editorialconsistencyand tone discipline across cross‑organisational content
Familiarity with content management systems,monitoringtools or digital platforms (e.g. Sitecore) is an advantage

Personal Characteristics

Highly organised, detail‑focusedand methodical, with a strong commitment to accuracy and quality
Curious and intellectually engaged, with a genuine interest in thought leadership, publicdiscourseand enterprise‑focused debate
Collaborative and team‑oriented, with the ability to build constructive relationships across diverse internal teams
Proactive and adaptable, comfortable managing multiple workstreams and supporting time‑sensitive initiatives
Disciplined and reliable, witha strong senseof accountability and follow‑through
Strong organisational awareness and appreciation of how insight,engagement,narrativeand reputation interact

Why us?

Ibec Core Competencies
Bias towards action

Collaborative - work together as 'one Ibec'.
Dynamic - approach initiatives with careful planning, energy, drive, and resilience.
Decisive - make clear, well-informed decisions.

Member and Customer Focus

Agile and Adaptive - embrace change and be adaptive to members' needs and in ambitious situations.
Creative and Innovative - not afraid of dynamic thinking in finding solutions.
Curious and Critical Thinking - open minded and proactive in gathering data in developing opinions.

Drive and Personal Leadership

Ambitious - driven and can take responsible risks.
Accountable - committed to highest standards and takes ownership of actions.
Continuous Improvement - proactive on personal and professional development

Ibec is an equal opportunity, and inclusive employer is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for potential and existing employees with a disability. Should you wish to request a reasonable accommodation please email Kenny at Kenneth.kelly@ibec.ie

About us

Working in Ibec

Join Ibec and further your career.

Working in Ibec means you are part of an overall effort to deliver on a vision for Ireland to be a balanced, growing and prosperous society. We look to the workplace of the future with the changing needs of our members as well as our workforce to create a dynamic and exciting working environment.
We hire people from many backgrounds who are highly knowledgeable, engaging, professional and, most importantly, passionate about business.

Executive, External Affairs (Engagement & Initiatives) Specified Purpose Contract

Job Description