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Location: Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Gibraltar, Glasgow, Leeds, Leeds Broadgate, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Plymouth, Reading, Sheffield, South Coast - Southampton, Watford

Capability: International

Experience Level: Associate Partner

Type: Full Time

Service Line: International supprt

Contract type: Permanent

Job description

Role summary

This is an exciting opportunity to lead KPMG International’s approach to Public Affairs, connecting our public policy positions to key stakeholders in support of our Trust and Growth ambition.

The role will involve:

• Working with Public Affairs leaders from across KPMG - internationally, regionally and in country member firms - and bringing them together as a decision-making community: with the Head of Global Public Affairs as the final arbiter in decision-making.

• Providing counsel to the Global Chairman and CEO, Global COO and Global Head of Corporate Affairs, on where KPMG has a role to play in broader policy discussions that will support our Collective Strategy and underpin our Trust and Growth ambition.

• Managing a team that will develop internal and external policy positions across: areas that materially impact KPMG’s operating model or service offerings; and, for non-KPMG related developments and events, where KPMG will be expected to have a globally agreed position. In all of these, ensuring that when KPMG faces into a difficult decision, KPMG’s policy positions inform the outcome.

• Mapping and ensuring - with colleagues in communications - a joined-up approach to engaging with all non-client, external stakeholders who directly or indirectly influence trust in KPMG, including: regulators, standard-setters, professional associations, trade bodies, think tanks, NGOs, elected and unelected officials, investors, analysts, alliance partners, multilaterals (including but not limited to the EU) and academics.

• Developing, leading and executing an external engagement programme for the Global Chairman and CEO, alongside other senior leaders including but not limited to the Global Management Team, at key engagement events such as WEF-Davos and COP.

• Overseeing and stewarding KPMG’s industry voice, which is globally managed through the Global Public Policy Committee (GPPC), as well as ensuring alignment with pan-Regional and Country based industry voice activities. Within this, there is a recognition that a substantial part of the work will be related to public interest work (Audit and Tax), as well as standard setting across themes such as ESG and Assurance. However, the work will also extend into supporting Advisory colleagues, where issues arise that require policy or positioning support with, for example, elected and unelected officials, analysts and alliance partners.

• Being an active participant at the Corporate Affairs Steering Group - the governing body for Corporate Affairs at KPMG - and working closely with Regional Heads of Corporate Affairs to support member firms on approaches to strengthen their own Public Affairs teams, leveraging best practice and experience from other parts of the KPMG network.

• Managing the CRM technology and overseeing the process by which we map and evaluate the strength of relationship with key, non-client external stakeholders.

• Maintain a forward-radar of the most significant regulatory, geopolitical and socio-economic trends impacting professional services and KPMG.

Positioning

The role will be part of KPMG International’s Corporate Affairs leadership team, reporting to the Global Head of Corporate Affairs. The successful candidate will be an active participant on the Corporate Affairs Steering Group, and Chair the Public Affairs Working Group.

The role will have a number of direct reports, within a team of circa 10 people.

Key accountabilities

10% - Design and implement a Public Affairs strategy for the KPMG network.

30% - Build Public Affairs assets and deliverables.

20% - Monitor developments in the Public Affairs arena that may directly or indirectly impact KPMG and professional services.

30% - Manage relationships with key influencers, including our global industry voice.

10% - Manage team and oversee operational matters, including business planning and budgeting.

Key activities and deliverables

Strategy

• Building and maintaining a Global Public Affairs plan, agreed by our largest member firms and regions.

Public Policy

• Advising and developing KPMG positions on: issues in the public interest (Audit, Assurance, Tax, Advisory, Consulting); our Operating Model (Multidisciplinary Model); themes which interplay with commercials (Cypto, Metaverse, ESG); geopolitical developments; or events or activities where KPMG is expected to have a point of view.
• Support on standard-setting (in the space of ESG Assurance and Audit Quality, for example) where KPMG engages with regulatory and professional bodies and NGOs.
• Maintain relationship with key global influencers: think tanks, academics etc
• Work to maintain a strong industry voice: internationally, regionally and in-country.
• Supporting policy-maker and regulatory engagement on the above themes.
• Work closely with Quality, Risk and Legal teams to produce guidance for firms or partners that need to be politically active.

Execution

• Maintain a forward radar of emerging issues, ensuring leadership of the firm is aware of developments, signalling where future policy positions may be required.
• Maintain, develop and actively use our CRM systems for tracking and activating our external, non-client relationships.
• Specifically, work with the Global Chairman and CEO to set-up and lead their Public Affairs engagement programme with key influencing bodies and at key moments in time (ie. WEF-Davos, COP etc), working closely with the Head of Global Communications.
• Input into key-note speeches, extending into KPMG publications (Our Impact Plan, Transparency Report and broader Corporate Reporting) and media engagement, with support from our Communications team.
• Work with Subject Matter Experts to help build their non-client exposure and visibility in the Public Affairs space.

The person

Technical skills

• Highly experienced Public Affairs professional, with significant, long standing experince operating at a senior level.
• Qualified in Public Affairs.
• Member of appropriate professional bodies.
• Collaborative and outcomes orientated.

Experience

• Significant and demonstrable leadership experience (at Board level).
• Knowledge of regulatory and public policy matters within the context of the professional services industry.
• Experienced in navigating a partnership / complex matrix structure.
• Experience in a non-corporate setting (NGO, think tank, multilateral, journalism etc).
• Able to work closely and successfully with subject matter experts, including but not limited to Communication teams.

Interdependencies

• This is a senior role and the successful candidate will will need to work closely across the Global Management Team, Global Board and Global Council.
• Specifically, it will require a strong working relations with the Global Chairman and CEO’s Office, Global COO’s Office and Global Management Team members for Audit, Tax, Advisory, Quality and Risk Management and International General Counsel.
• It will also require seamless working with the Global Head of Corporate Affairs, Head of Global Communications and the Head of Global Sustainability and their respective teams.

• Operating in a matrixed organisation, it is important this individual is able to deliver with, and in collaboration with, other senior leaders in the firm.