Full job descriptionAbout the role
We’re looking for an experienced communications professional who sees communications as more than creating messages and managing channels.
This role is for someone who has helped shape the success of complex transformation or strategic programmes through communications, stakeholder engagement and influence. You’ll understand that effective communications don’t simply explain change—they help design how change happens, build momentum, surface risks early and influence programme decisions.
Working closely with Programme Managers, senior leaders and the Communications Lead, you’ll be a trusted adviser who challenges thinking, shapes engagement strategies and ensures stakeholders remain informed, involved and supportive throughout the lifecycle of major strategic programmes.
If you’ve partnered with programme teams to influence delivery—not just communicate it—we’d love to hear from you.
What you’ll be doing
You’ll work as an embedded member of strategic programme teams, using communications and engagement to improve programme outcomes.
Your responsibilities will include:
*Designing and leading communications and stakeholder engagement strategies for complex business transformation programmes.
*Working alongside Programme Managers and senior stakeholders to influence programme design, sequencing and decision-making through a communications and engagement lens.
*Identifying where stakeholder risks, resistance or misunderstanding could affect delivery, and recommending practical approaches to address them.
*Mapping stakeholder groups, understanding their needs and designing engagement approaches that build confidence, advocacy and commitment.
*Creating clear, compelling narratives that simplify complex operational or technical change into messages that different audiences can understand and act upon.
*Delivering high-quality communications across multiple channels, maintaining a regular cadence of updates while responding to emerging issues.
*Acting as a trusted adviser to programme teams, constructively challenging assumptions and bringing an external stakeholder perspective into discussions.
*Monitoring stakeholder sentiment and feedback, using insight to refine communications approaches and influence programme activity.
*Ensuring communications are consistently high quality, aligned to brand standards and support the wider organisational narrative.
About you
We’re less interested in someone who has simply delivered communications plans, and more interested in someone who has used communications and engagement to influence the success of complex programmes.
You’ll likely bring:
*Significant experience in strategic communications, change communications or transformation communications.
*Experience working as part of large business change, transformation or strategic programme teams.
*A track record of shaping programme outcomes through stakeholder engagement rather than simply communicating decisions already made.
*Strong stakeholder management skills with the confidence to challenge constructively and influence senior leaders.
*Experience identifying stakeholder risks and developing engagement strategies that improve programme delivery.
*The ability to translate complex technical or operational change into clear, engaging and meaningful communications.
*Excellent writing, facilitation, presentation and interpersonal skills.
*Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
*Experience within regulated industries such as water, energy, utilities or financial services would be advantageous but is not essential.
We’re particularly interested in candidates who can tell us about a programme where they:
*Changed the direction or approach of a programme because of stakeholder insight.
*Designed an engagement strategy that improved adoption, reduced resistance or influenced delivery.
*Worked as a strategic adviser to programme leadership rather than purely delivering communications.
*Demonstrate how communications directly contributed to programme success.
If those examples describe your experience, we’d love to hear from you.