Internal Communications and Engagement Manager

On behalf of The Department for Transport, we are looking for an Internal Communications and Engagement Manager (Inside IR35) for a contract until March 2027 based hybrid in either London, Leeds, Birmingham, Swansea or Hastings. Office attendance is 3 days a week.

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Role Profile:

To provide critical communications and engagement support during a significant period of people-related organisational transformation.

Working closely with HR, Internal Communications and the Transformation Directorate, you will lead employee engagement activity across a range of change initiatives, ensuring colleagues, managers and senior leaders are informed, aligned and engaged throughout the transformation journey. This role will play a key part in reducing delivery risk, supporting stakeholder alignment and embedding successful organisational change.

As an Internal Communications and Engagement Manager, your main responsibilities will be to:
* Lead internal communications and employee engagement activities across HR and people transformation programmes.
* Develop and deliver engagement strategies informed by employee insight, feedback and data.
* Act as the key link between HR, Internal Communications and Transformation teams.
* Ensure communications are aligned, timely and support organisational decision-making.
* Support the delivery of major change initiatives, leadership programmes and culture transformation activities.
* Create and maintain effective engagement channels, networks and feedback forums.
* Measure and evaluate communication effectiveness, using insights to drive continuous improvement.
* Partner with senior leaders to support alignment on people, culture and transformation priorities.
* Develop stakeholder engagement plans that support programme delivery and governance requirements.
* Identify, manage and mitigate communication and engagement risks.
* Produce executive briefings, key messages and communications materials for senior stakeholders.
* Enable leaders to communicate complex organisational change clearly and effectively.
* Build strong relationships across HR, communications, transformation and business teams.
* Contribute to governance papers and programme documentation where people and engagement impacts are significant.
* Provide flexible support across priority projects and periods of high organisational change.

Essential:
* Significant experience leading internal communications and employee engagement activity within large, complex organisations.
* Strong experience supporting organisational change, transformation or culture change programmes.
* Proven ability to develop and deliver strategic communication and engagement plans.
* Experience influencing and engaging senior stakeholders, including executive leadership teams.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex messages for varied audiences.
* Experience identifying communication risks and developing mitigation strategies.
* Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
* Ability to use employee insight, feedback and evaluation data to inform engagement activity.
* Experience working across multiple projects and managing competing priorities.

Desirable:
* Previous experience working within UK Government, Civil Service or wider Public Sector organisations.
* Experience supporting HR transformation, workforce change, organisational design or culture programmes.
* Knowledge of change management methodologies and employee engagement best practice.
* Experience working with governance forums, executive committees or board-level stakeholders.
* Professional communications qualification (CIPR or equivalent).
* Experience using employee engagement, survey or communications analytics tools.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident As a Disability Confident employer, DfT encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent candidates. Applications from candidates who identify as having a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

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