Head of Internal Communications

at  Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities

JOB SUMMARY

DLUHC’s remit is broad and covers many of the government’s most important priorities. Whether that is delivering the homes the country needs, unlocking opportunities for levelling up across the UK, delivering a fairer deal for renters, landlords and leaseholders, to continuing our mission to end rough sleeping – DLUHC leads on high-profile government policies that dominate the national conversation and we need the very best communications professionals working in our team.
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, motivated, collaborative and creative corporate communicator to lead the Internal Communications team. The role is fast-paced and varied with responsibility for leading the team that deliver a wide range of internal communications activity with a particular focus on the department’s policy and people communications. This will include supporting our policy teams to communicate their work internally, enabling our employees’ voices to be heard and coordinating the delivery of Civil Service-wide people campaigns as well as our own. Expert leadership, relationship-building and organisational skills are required for this role.
The successful candidate should also have extensive experience of communicating to an internal audience at all levels and via a number of different channels and media, also knowing how to evaluate the impact of our work to continuously improve what we do. You will need to be able to work well under pressure to lead the delivery of high-profile communications and engagement activities including regular live senior leader engagement events.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the internal communications team with clear direction to support the team to deliver a strategy that supports the department’s business objectives and ensures staff feel empowered, connected and understand the part they play in the department’s success
• Develop the internal communications function to ensure it meets and exceeds Government Communication Service standards (from insight to evaluation)
• Lead the team to develop creative communication campaigns in support of key business and strategic objectives and shape all internal and engagement activity using a variety of insight to develop dynamic content
• Ensure the team delivers consistently high-quality content by quality assuring, evaluating the effectiveness processes and identify opportunities for improvement
• Coach, inspire, empower and upskill the Internal Communications team, to boost performance, boost internal communication capability to deliver visual, informative and engaging content and build resilience
• Provide regular communications advice to the Permanent Secretary and the Executive team on communications opportunities or emerging issues, offering practical solutions for managing the reputation of the organisation
• Build strategic partnerships with the People Capability and Change team, Private Office and the HR teams to ensure consistent and joined up internal and external communications on key themes

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

WE DO NOT CONSIDER DIRECT CV APPLICATIONS TO OUR RECRUITMENT MAILBOX – YOU MUST APPLY FOR THIS ROLE VIA THE APPLICATION LINK ON CIVIL SERVICE JOBS

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the internal communications team with clear direction to support the team to deliver a strategy that supports the department’s business objectives and ensures staff feel empowered, connected and understand the part they play in the department’s success
• Develop the internal communications function to ensure it meets and exceeds Government Communication Service standards (from insight to evaluation)
• Lead the team to develop creative communication campaigns in support of key business and strategic objectives and shape all internal and engagement activity using a variety of insight to develop dynamic content
• Ensure the team delivers consistently high-quality content by quality assuring, evaluating the effectiveness processes and identify opportunities for improvement
• Coach, inspire, empower and upskill the Internal Communications team, to boost performance, boost internal communication capability to deliver visual, informative and engaging content and build resilience
• Provide regular communications advice to the Permanent Secretary and the Executive team on communications opportunities or emerging issues, offering practical solutions for managing the reputation of the organisation
• Build strategic partnerships with the People Capability and Change team, Private Office and the HR teams to ensure consistent and joined up internal and external communications on key theme

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.

• Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service