We are SunExpress. Uniting people, countries, and cultures for more than 35 years. Founded as a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines in 1989, we are a true sun specialist offering numerous direct connections between Europe and Türkiye (Turkey).

Besides flying our guests to many idyllic holiday destinations in Türkiye, we reconnect them with their families and loved ones with our direct flights from Europe to many Anatolian cities. Our success story relies on our valued passengers who choose to fly with us as well as more than 4,800 dedicated employees, who serve our customers to the highest standards.

We do our very best to remain high-flyers for another 35 years and continue to offer our guests high-quality services. Our two headquarters are in sunny Antalya, widely known as Türkiye's tourist capital, and in the very heart of Europe, in Frankfurt/Main. Another key hub is Izmir on Türkiye’s Aegean coast, with additional bases in Dalaman and Ankara.

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Public Affairs Senior Lead to join our Corporate Office, with responsibilities across Antalya and Ankara, working in close collaboration with Executive Management. This role is pivotal in strengthening SunExpress’s position within the Turkish political and regulatory landscape, while also supporting relevant stakeholders and regulatory processes in Europe (EU).

The position is located in Antalya / Ankara.

• Strategic Relationship Building: Establish and maintain close relationships with authority executives up to the department head level
• Industry Leadership: Organize regular platforms with key stakeholders, including Ministers, DHMI, DGCA, and other relevant Turkish aviation stakeholders, while also supporting EU-related stakeholder processes
• Lobbying Coordination: Develop a lobbying key account matrix specific to SunExpress and coordinate visit schedules for Executive Management and Top Management
• Executive Support: Prepare briefing notes for authority visits and regular reports aligning SunExpress positions and keywords for Top Management
• Regulatory Insight: Act as an early warning system for regulatory developments and manage changes in line with company requirements and strategies
• Stakeholder Consultation: Establish SunExpress as a key resource for external stakeholders during the legislative process

Key Goals:

• Positioning SunExpress as a key industry player in the Turkish political and regulatory environment
• Developing an early warning system for significant regulatory changes
• Establishing SunExpress as a crucial resource for external stakeholders during legislative processes
• Supporting EU-related stakeholder and regulatory processes

• Proven experience in government affairs, lobbying, or a similar role within the aviation industry or related sectors
• Bachelor’s Degree in related departments
• Minimum 8 years of professional working experience
• Advanced level of English & Turkish
• Strong understanding of the Turkish political and regulatory landscape; familiarity with EU regulatory processes is considered an asset
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage with high-level executives and authority figures
• Ability to support cross-border coordination with relevant stakeholders in EU where required
• Strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate changes and align them with company strategies
• Ability to coordinate and support high-level visits and prepare strategic documents and reports