Head of Internal Communications

What you’ll be responsible for

An experienced communications professional with a strong background in internal communications, culture change and campaign management.  You will have experience of transformational change within a large organisation and delivering engaging two-way communications to build the trust of colleagues and be central to our work to support the company as we deliver on our customer promises and build the trust of our customers every day.  With an ability to build relationships at all levels of the organisation, including as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, you will have experience of developing and delivering compelling internal communications campaigns that focus on colleague engagement and delivery of business priorities.
 

Key Responsibilities of the role:

• Design and deliver against an internal communications strategy that meets the company’s objectives and vision.
• Own and implement internal communications handling strategies for the company’s key communications campaigns.
• Build strong relationships with business areas to understand their internal communications support requirements and deliver two-way communications channels that meet business needs.
• Use insight and evaluation to identify target audiences and partners and inform communication objectives, messages and solutions.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders within the business, building relationships at Executive level to achieve communications and engagement objectives.
• Oversee delivery of effective, evaluated communication activities in line with agreed campaign activities including internal eventsOwn and maintain an internal communications grid and the timely and accurate feed from this into the central grid.
• Provide leadership, guidance, management, development and support to the internal communications team 
• As part of the Welsh Water communications senior management team, provide insight, support and advice to colleagues to ensure delivery of the team’s objectives.
• Provide essential 24/7 press office service and support to gold and silver operational incidents as part of the on-call out of hours rota.
• Undertake line management activities in line with company requirements including PDR management, health and safety and financial management.
• Segment employee audiences and define appropriate internal channels to ensure targeted, effective two way communication across diverse colleague groups.
• Equip leaders and managers with communication toolkits, enabling them to deliver clear, consistent and timely messages to their teams.
• Identify emerging employee issues, risks or sentiment trends and escalate insight to senior leaders to support informed decision making.
• Support development of the suite of colleagues/customer collateral needed for operational incidents.
• Part of a 24hr press office service through an on-call out of hours rota

About you

The following are essential requirements for the recruitment of the role:

Qualifications
•    Educated to degree level or equivalent experience of working at a similar level in a specialist area and or with a professional communication or equivalent qualification

Experience
•    Experience of working in a communications environment in a customer focused organisation/industry
•    A proven track record in communication campaign management
•    Track record in engaging employees in change management programmes, also building relationships and internal partnerships to form strategic plans
•    Credibility and experience to advise senior managers effectively about communications issues

Knowledge & Skills
•    Strong change communications experience and the ability to work with and influence senior leaders in the company
•    Ability to work at senior level to achieve long-term strategic goals through creating, developing and implementing the communications strategy
•    Excellent interpersonal skills to establish rapport, credibility and relationships across Welsh Water
•    Ability to motivate and influence others and manage resistance to change
•    Confidence in using new communication technologies
•    The ability to build relationships at all levels across the organisation, to empathise and to get to the crux of what is on the mind of employees
•    Proven ability to project manage including change management and benefits realisation (desirable)
•    A clear understanding of budgets and financial management within a large organisation
•    Proven ability to achieve results both autonomously and as part of a team
•    Ability to manage complex activities and events
•    A strong understanding of the role internal communications plays in employee engagement
•    Provide communications training and direct support for on call rota and during gold, silver and bronze operational incidents, where required. 

Benefits

As well as a market competitive salary, 34 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

•             Option to buy additional annual leave up to 5 days per year
•             Enhanced employer pension contributions – Up to 11% employer contributions
•             Free Mortgage Brokering Services 
•             Enhanced family friendly policies
•             Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
•             Gym and fitness discounts as well as high street shopping
•             Cycle to work scheme
•             Discount off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
•             Car-leasing scheme and free on-site parking at all sites
•             Health CashBack scheme and access to an online GP service
•             An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family
•             Many more can be found here!