Public Affairs Leader

What you'll need to have
- We believe that you have proven advanced training in Public Affairs with a minimum of 5-8 years of Public Affairs and/or communication experience.
- You have strong documented leadership and influencing skills as well as experience in leading in change, working with government and policy makers, strategic business planning and crisis communication.
- You demonstrate strong IKEA leadership skills and uses sound judgment to make timely and effective decisions. Knowledge of IKEA Brand, culture, values and way of working is preferred.
- You have strong communication, influencing, interpersonal and networking skills, with the ability to build and maintain a system of strategic and trustful connections, you are comfortable in senior business, political, policy or NGO environment.
- Your strategic development skills, and ability to link closely with the business reality are strong and you have the ability to communicate verbally, visually and in writing in an inspirational way with IKEA tone of voice.
- You hold the ability to lead change through fully integrated communication with the business goal and the key target audiences in focus as well as the ability to understand the complexity of IKEA business and the role of communication as an integrated part of the business.
- Your experience in external representation is extensive, and you have strong communication skills in English both spoken and written.

You have knowledge in following areas:

- Using insights to formulate Public Affairs and communication strategies to drive the IKEA business
- How to leverage Public Affairs and communication to enable better business outcomes, today and tomorrow
- Solid understanding of how to influence policy and regulation and how to lead strategic advocacy, communication and stakeholder engagement by defining, planning, executing and follow-up to relevant stakeholders and influencers (such as governments, policy makers, NGOs and UN organisations).
- Market regulatory processes and institutions, with a well -developed external network
- Stakeholder mapping and understanding of stakeholder drivers within the key target audiences
- Strong knowledge in change management and transformation techniques and tools
- Effectively build relationships within the organization to help achieve business outcomes.
- IKEA corporate identity, core values and vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people, to ensure right representation

What you'll be doing day to day

We are looking for you who are passionate about Public Affairs and to advocate on the topic of positive societal impact. You find motivation in working agile and being open to the change, as well as in leading, inspiring and influencing people - both inside and outside the company. You get energized by working both independently and interdependently with communication network and cross functions and you appreciate the mix of strategic thinking and turning communication trends into practice. You share and live the IKEA culture and values.

You will be the country / region lead and focal point for Public Affairs and lead, steer and implement strategy for influencing local policy and regulation - in line with IKEA values. It is your responsibility to lead, steer and support positioning of the IKEA brand and drive an open and sharing climate, being a role model of the IKEA values where our co-workers are informed, engaged and empowered.
- be responsible for leading the development and delivery of the market Public Affairs strategy and agenda, aligning with global Ingka Public Affairs plan;
- secure effective alignment of Public Affairs objectives to formulated business goals and stakeholder objectives for the market.
- provide passionate advocacy and leadership on the topic of strategically relevant positive societal impact across all IKEA/INGKA departments in the market, engaging not only external, but also internal stakeholders.
- monitor relevant regulatory and non-regulatory developments in the market, feeding back learnings into the strategy development process.
- lead and develop specific strategies for influencing market policy and regulation, impacting the IKEA market agenda. Help to create a positive policy and regulatory environment for a transforming and growing, people and planet positive IKEA business.
- lead and contribute to the overall positioning movement in the market, integrating into communications department and contributing to relevant 360-degree campaigns.
- Act as a strategic business partner for relevant internal stakeholders, such as Sustainability, People & Culture, Property & Expansion
- be a coach and sparring partner to Managers and leaders including the Country Manager and other members of the Country/ Region Management Team.
- represent country/ region in appropriate external and internal forums, conferences and meetings. so that people know what we stand for.
- secure sufficient communications and business res