Senior Internal Communications Manager

As Senior Internal Communications Manager, you’ll head up one of our pivotal internal communications teams, promoting and enabling effective two‑way communications and leadership and colleague engagement across the department and into the Civil Service. You’ll lead the development of strategies, tools, channels and messaging. As well has having a strategic mindset and political awareness, you will also need to deliver against tight deadlines and with competing priorities.

You’ll act a trusted adviser to the most senior leaders in the organization, using insight and your professional credibility to influence and engage. You will see the bigger picture and help your stakeholders join the dots on the most important communications and engagement challenges. You’ll be responsible for leading the strategic planning for a variety of internal audiences, ensuring effective fit with DWP’s external communications, the Executive Team’s vision and being mindful of broader government priorities and the external climate.

You’ll be a strong internal communications business partner for DWP Groups and represent internal communications on departmental change programmes. Key Responsibilities Act as a trusted advisor, providing strategic advice, constructive challenge and coaching to the Permanent Secretary and Executive Team and other key senior decision makers to make sure our communications resonate with colleagues, using creative approaches to drive engagement. Provide exceptional leadership and line management to your team and lead collaboratively across the wider internal communications function and communications directorate.

Lead your team to gather intelligence and insight and analyse the effectiveness of internal engagement to help inform current and future engagement strategies. Lead your team to develop strategic, planned and focused internal communications which are fully aligned with DWP’s wider communications strategy. Be the creative driving force behind design, delivery and measurement of effective two‑way campaigns that engage our people.

Be flexible and have an innovation‑orientated outlook. Develop internal communications talent and build robust succession plans across the department and in the wider cross‑Civil Service communications community. Person Specification Strategic stakeholder influence and advice – demonstrate proven experience of confidently building trusted relationships with the most senior stakeholders across complex organisations to deliver positive communications and engagement outcomes.

People leadership and building capability – demonstrate experience of leading, developing and line managing internal communications teams across different locations and specialisms. Complex internal communication and engagement campaign delivery – bring together the right people and manage competing demands to design and deliver internal communications campaigns that tackle complex engagement challenges effectively. Reputational awareness – understand the political and organisational context in which internal communications in government operates and confidently demonstrate how you use good judgement to handle sensitive issues.

Personal communications skills – exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to craft clear, compelling messages from complex or ambiguous information to tailor content to diverse audiences, and to engage with colleagues and stakeholders with clarity and impact. Evaluation, insight and continuous improvement leadership – demonstrate times when you have driven an insight‑led culture in a team that has resulted in the translation of research, data and measurement into clear recommendations for senior leaders. #J-18808-Ljbffr