Public Affairs Executive

 Business Area:  Corporate Communications
Location:  Gatwick - Hybrid

Salary  £40,000 - £45,000 depending on experience. 

Some of our other fantastic benefits 

•  Potential, discretionary annual bonus 


• Generous pension scheme – up to 12% contribution from Nestle 

• 12 flexible days on top of 25-day holiday entitlement 

• 2 paid volunteering days 

Although this is a full-time opportunity, please speak to us about what flexibility means to you as we are always open to discuss individual’s flexible working needs, don’t let this stop you from applying.  

We are recruiting for an exciting opportunity to join our Public Affairs team within the Corporate Affairs & Sustainability function as a Public Affairs Executive. 

This is a role at the heart of a fast-paced political and regulatory landscape, and an ambitious company and team. You will help build trust in Nestlé and strengthen our reputation by supporting our engagement with government, policymakers, NGOs and wider stakeholders, and by keeping the business ahead of external developments.

You will lead a defined policy scope responsible for developing our positions and liaise internally and externally, while also contributing and supporting delivery of proactive campaigns across the team. You will be the heart of the team’s shared insight, running our internal policy updates to the business, leading on drafting of briefings, keeping our tools up to date to support the team, as well as responsible for building our relationships with think tanks.  

The role involves working closely with internal stakeholders across functions and geographies, as well as externally with partners, trade bodies, and political representatives to help deliver campaigns and engagement strategies.   

This role is ideally suited to a rising Public Affairs professional who is curious, proactive and collaborative, wants to get out and engage externally, and is ready to grow.   

A bit about us 

At Nestlé, our purpose is to unlock the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come.  

We operate in a complex and evolving external environment, where trust, transparency and responsible business practices matter more than ever. Our Public Affairs team plays a critical role in helping the business navigate this landscape by bringing insight, shaping debates and policies, and building relationships that support the business in the long-term.  

We take pride in championing inclusion and diversity. We proudly signed the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter, are committed to Disability Confidence, and have been recognised as a Times Top 50 Employer for gender equality for three consecutive years. Additionally, we are a headline partner of Diversity and Inclusion in grocery. 

Your impact 

This is a dynamic role where no two days are the same. You will work across topics and stakeholders, keep the team and business informed and ahead and get out and engage. You will: 

• Bring the outside in – run the team’s internal policy updates, turning external developments into clear, timely, actionable insight for the business; take the lead on preparing briefings for senior leaders. 


• Work across a policy agenda - building expertise quickly and shaping positions on complex issues, working with the relevant experts in the business 

• Support our flagship campaigns – support the two senior managers in the team to deliver proactive campaigns and events, so neither campaign is a solo effort, and provide input to wider Corporate Affairs activities 

• Draft with impact – produce briefings, consultation input, lines and updates that are concise and decision-ready 

• Keep our tools sharp – own and run the tools that help us be effective and deliver, support the running of our team meetings, leading on agendas,Keep us on top of monitoring, and utilize AI where relevent

• Be out and engage – build relationships with think tanks, NGOs, officials and parliamentary contacts, and represent Nestlé at external meetings and events 

• Collaborate across the team – connect the dots between policy areas, share what you learn, and work towards common goals rather than in silos 

Your ingredients for success 

You will be a developing Public Affairs professional (direct experience in public affairs) with a genuine interest in the UK political and regulatory landscape and the drive to build excellent working relationships across different topics and with variety of teams.  

Policy, government, trade association, agency or in-house  public affairs experience is all welcome; corporate or FMCG exposure is a bonus but not essential. You combine curiosity and pace with a collaborative, ownership mindset. We’re particularly looking for: 

Experience; 

• Experience in public affairs, policy, government, parliament, an agency or a related field, with a good understanding of the UK political and regulatory landscape 

• Experience in stakeholder engagement and translating policy into clear insight or briefings 

• Ideally, interest in or exposure to food, health, sustainability or consumer policy 

Key skills and capabilities;

• Curiosity and pace - gets up to speed quickly on new topics and enjoys fast-moving developments, eager to learn  

• Stakeholder engagement - confident building relationships externally and ready to get out and engage 

• Clear communication - translates complex policy into concise, actionable updates and briefings 

• Organisation and reliability - keeps tools, calendars and updates accurate and on time 

• Connects the dots - spots links between policy areas rather than working in silos 

• Collaborative but takes ownership - works across the team and functions, and owns their portfolio with integrity 

What you need to know 

Advert posting date 16/10/2026 

Advert closing date   30/10/2026

We will be considering candidates as they apply and we will occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don’t delay in submitting your application. 

 At Nestlé, inclusion and diversity fuel innovation and help people thrive. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and can provide adjustments throughout the application process. 

To find out more about Nestle’s commitment to DEI: Nestlé's Commitment to a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace 

  find out more about your recruitment journey with Nestle: Recruitment Journey | Nestlé UK & Ireland