Manager, Corporate Affairs

Union Maritime is a leading global shipowner with an ever-increasing range of activity and relationships, which results in a growing need for strategic, high-impact communication. This new role will play a pivotal role in shaping and amplifying our voice—internally and externally—ensuring that our narrative aligns with our ambitions. This role is central to building trust, engagement, and clarity across our global team and with our external stakeholders. 

The business is in a period of significant growth; fleet growth, digital transformation, and new businesses – including the launch of an investment fund – all of which places greater importance on communications; within the group, as well as with regulators, financiers, charterers, partners and the wider industry. Corporate Affairs sits at the centre of how Union positions itself, and protects its reputation through that growth. 

Role summary 

The Corporate Affairs Manager is a senior, commercially-oriented hire. We seek someone who treats Corporate Affairs as a business discipline that supports commercial and strategic objectives, rather than as a creative or marketing function. 

The role spans executive communications, internal communications, external communications and media, brand and positioning, the conception and delivery of Union’s global events programme, and stakeholder engagement. The remit is expected to grow over time to include ESG and sustainability communications, government and regulatory engagement, and Tetra Foundation outreach. 

Profile

We seek someone from a top-tier corporate affairs / strategic communications consultancy or an in-house equivalent at a serious commercial business (financial services, energy, infrastructure, professional services, large industrials). The core purpose is corporate, not creative. The successful candidate will direct creative output, not personally produce it. 

And the we seek top professional standards in everything produced; written, spoken, visual, operational.

1. Executive and corporate communications 

Communications partner to the CEO and COO. Provide strategic insight, drafting and message discipline on communications, investor and lender updates, and external statements. 

Develop and maintain Union’s core narrative, financial story, ESG profile, etc., and ensure it is deployed consistently across every channel and audience. 

Produce executive-grade presentations, speeches, written briefs and talking points to support senior management in their external engagements. 

2. Internal communications 

Manage a global internal communications framework that serves a multi-office, multi-jurisdiction business. 

Lead the cadence of company-wide communications: town halls, leadership updates, change communications, organisational announcements, results and milestone communications. 

Drive engagement, alignment and clarity across the group . 

3. External communications and media 

Own the external communications programme: media engagement, industry commentary, thought leadership, statements, and reactive media management. 

Manage external agencies, PR partners and freelance specialists.  

Build and maintain relationships with the maritime trade press. 

Manage issues and reputational risk. 

4. Brand and positioning 

Own the Union Maritime brand as an expression of the business. 

Maintain consistency in tone of voice, visual identity and messaging across every touchpoint (corporate website, decks, documents, social channels, signage, events, vessel livery). 

Direct external designers and creative agencies to a defined standard. This is a brand stewardship role, not a creative production role. 

5. Events and planning 

Conceiving and managing Union’s global events programme – internal and external – small and large scale – to consistently high professional standards and with seamless execution. This is a vital strand of the role and the standard of execution is non-negotiable. 

Scope 

External flagship and industry events: hosted dinners and receptions; charterer and lender hospitality; vessel naming and delivery ceremonies; regulator and government engagements; ESG and Tetra Foundation activities. 

Internal events. 

Small-scale, high-touch engagements: lunches, dinners, etc.  

Large-scale, multi-stakeholder set-pieces: conferences, summits, anniversary events and cross-office gatherings, often involving multiple jurisdictions. 

Specific responsibilities 

Own the full event lifecycle: concept, budget, venue selection, supplier procurement and management, guest list curation and invitations, briefing materials, run-of-show, on-the-day execution, and post-event evaluation. 

Maintain a forward-looking global events calendar. 

Build and maintain a stable of trusted venues, suppliers and partners in each Union hub, and a playbook of standards, templates and processes that allow consistent quality at scale. 

6. Stakeholder engagement 

Map and manage Union’s stakeholder universe. 

Build durable relationships that strengthen Union’s standing, and that the business can draw on when needed. 

Experience 

Ten or more years in corporate affairs, strategic communications, or a comparable senior role. Strong preference for candidates with significant time at a top-tier corporate affairs / strategic communications consultancy. 

Direct experience advising and drafting for C-suite executives. 

Track record of conceiving and delivering events end to end, both intimate and large-scale. 

Experience in regulated or commercially complex industries (shipping, energy, financial services, infrastructure, professional services or similar) is an advantage but not essential. 

Skills and attributes 

Commercial judgement  

Top-class writing and editing  

Event management capability  

Resilience