SASA-IND-Public Affairs Leader

Company Description

At IKEA, we do things a little differently. We think, differently and work differently as well. We challenge ourselves and make functional, beautiful, long lasting products sustainable and affordable. Like music-playing lamps. And beds disguised as sofas. Even plant balls that help us look after our planet. It’s all part of our vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people. This has been guiding us for over 80 years.

We believe in a glorious future! We want our actions to have a big and positive impact. We want to lead by example, influence change, sharing our stories and insights, while listening and learning from others. To help us do this we are strengthening our Public Affairs team. Curious? 

This position shall be based out of Bangalore, India office.

Job Description

Public Affairs seeks to share the IKEA experience and customer life at home with Indian regulators, legislators, and opinion-builders and position Inter IKEA Group as a trusted, competent, and preferred discussion partner. Making sure that the IKEA vision of safe, sustainable, and affordable products are supported by up-to-date legislation that is good for IKEA and good for the world.

As Public Affairs Leader, you will deliver to the strategic public affairs goals for Inter IKEA Group in India. Working in a dynamic and fast paced environment, this means leading projects related to regulatory issues that impact or could impact our ability to market and sell our products, underpinned by trade and sustainability. The assignment requires the ability to work effectively, efficiently, diplomatically, and calmly in a high-pressure environment on issues that are often complex and politically sensitive, bringing people with diverse cultures and perspectives together. The agenda is broad, and the tasks are many, including:

• Leading and managing priority public affairs projects as identified by the business, with a focus on product safety, supply chain, trade and sustainability.
• Identifying and developing trusted relationships with key policy-makers, regulators, business associations, and opinion leaders.
• Representing Inter IKEA Group in external forums such as business associations, committees and working groups
• Gathering and creating consensus among internal stakeholders and franchisees, fostering strong collaboration across IKEA
• Be up to date with and influence national legislations, industry standards and market developments

Qualifications

We believe you are diplomatic, flexible, consensus-oriented and have a high sense of integrity and ethical behavior. You have a vast experience in engaging in public policy discussions on all levels, particularly related to policy and regulatory agendas such as product safety, trade and sustainability. Experience from multinational companies in India is an asset. Furthermore, we believe you have:

• Comprehensive working experience in a relevant position such as public affairs, regulatory affairs, government affairs, or public policy and/or from working inside national or international institutions in a complex context.
• Extended language skills, with fluency in both spoken and written English and preferably an additional language.
• Ability to travel extensively, within India primarily but also beyond.

Additional Information

Please send us your application – CV and letter of motivation – in English. Make sure you tell us why you would be a good fit for this role. Please send at the latest 1-Nov-2024. 

Please note that we will be interviewing continuously, which means that we may close the application process earlier than stated if we find the right candidate. So, don’t delay, please send us your application today.

This is a permanent position located in Bengaluru, India.

If you have questions about the position, please write to Recruitment India.

We are an equal opportunity employer:
At IKEA, we value diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are committed to providing coworkers with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We encourage individualism and invite you to come join our team and be yourself with us! We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristic protected by law. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need.

Videos to Watch

The story of IKEA: https://ikeamuseum.com/en/digital/the-story-of-ikea/