Public Affairs Leader -IKEA

Apply by 5th Sep 2022

The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea is to offer well-designed, functional and affordable, high-quality home furnishing, produced with care for people and the environment. The IKEA Brand unites more than 200.000 co-workers and hundreds of companies with different owners all over the world. It’s one brand, but it reaches millions of hearts and homes. Our value chain is unique. It includes everything from product development, design, supply, manufacture and sales – and of course it begins and ends with our customers. The IKEA retail business is operated through a franchise system. Today, 12 different groups of companies market and sell the IKEA product range under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Any jobs published on this page are offered by different companies operating under the IKEA Trademark.

“You care about making a positive impact in the world. You understand greatness requires thinking differently. An inclusive and accepting work environment is important to you.

A job at IKEA is so much more than home furnishings. Together, we work to make a better everyday life for the many. It’s the perfect fit if you want to contribute, grow, and share. Join team and start a better life for yourself.”

• Location Bengaluru Service Office
• Employment type Permanent
• Department Marketing & Communication

Who you are

As a person you are passionate about people, business, IKEA’s purpose and continuously driving better performance. You are energized by increasing customer value, driving business growth and contributing to overall success and results through people as well as motivated by leading and developing people.

For this role we believe you have Proven advanced training in Public Affairs. Minimum 7-9 years of Public Affairs and/or communication experience. Experience working with government and policy makers. Strong documented leadership and influencing skills. Experience in working with strategic business planning. Experience with leading in change Experience with crisis communication. Extensive experience in external representation. Knowledge of IKEA Brand, culture, values and way of working Strong communication skills in English (spoken and written).

• Knowledge of using insights to formulate Public Affairs and communication strategies to drive the IKEA business.
• Knowledge of 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).
• Knowledge of market regulatory processes and institutions, with a well –developed external network Knowledge of stakeholder mapping and understanding of stakeholder drivers within the key target audiences
• Strong knowledge in change management and transformation techniques and tools
• Effectively builds relationships within the organization to help achieve business outcomes.
• Knowledge of the IKEA corporate identity, core values and vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people, to ensure right representation.
• Passionate about Public Affairs
• Passionate advocate on the topic of positive societal impact
• Motivated to work agile and being open to the change
• Motivated about leading, inspiring and influencing people, both inside and outside the company
• Energized by working both independently and interdependently with communication network and cross functions
• Appreciate the mix of strategic thinking and turning communication trends into practice

Your responsibilities

To be the country / region lead and focal point for Public Affairs. To lead, steer and implement strategy for influencing local policy and regulation – in line with IKEA values. To lead, steer and support positioning of the IKEA brand. To drive an open and sharing climate, being a role model of the IKEA values where our co-workers are informed, engaged and empowered.

•  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.
• Apply effective stakeholder management to develop a deep understanding of stakeholder drivers in order to manage Public Affairs effectively in the market. Feed insights into strategy development process.
• 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.
• Secure sufficient communications and business resources and expertise to drive Public Affairs in the market.
• Act as a strategic business partner for relevant internal stakeholders, such as Digital, 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.

Together as a team

We strongly position IKEA as a truly meaningful & trusted brand in people’s hearts & minds, with a focus on us as a retailer and our positive societal impact.

At the same time, we contribute to the growth and transformation of Ingka by ensuring we lead with communication. We do this by taking a strategic approach to reactive, proactive and activist communication.

Why you will love us

From the deep forests in Sweden, we have spread our culture and values around the world. At the heart of our offer are our beautiful home-furnishing products and solutions, made with care for our planet, reaching millions of customers.

At the heart of our business, are our wonderful co-workers representing diversity in all dimen­sions and passionate for life at home. We all contribute with our uniqueness and we want to grow and develop together.

Our vision, “to create a better everyday life for the many people” inspires and guides us in everything we do. This is IKEA.

What we all have in common

• Living our values
• Being your unique self, while respecting and including others
• A passion for home furnishing
• Performing & delivering while learning & developing
• Having fun!