Internal Communications Manager

Location: Upper Stratton

12-month Maternity Cover - Fixed Term Contract

At Thames Water, we’re here to deliver life's essential service, so our customers, communities and the environment can thrive.  It’s what drives us. It's the reason we all get out of bed in the morning and come to work at Thames.

Every day, we provide 2.6 billion litres of fresh drinking water through over 20,000 miles of pipes, and take away 4.6 billion litres in wastewater through over 70,000 miles of sewers. This is carried out by a team of more than 8,000 people across the organisation, working 24/7, 365 days a year.

We know, in the current climate, that’s not easy – but we have a plan and a team of driven people who want to make a difference and turn our company around.  It’s an exciting challenge for the whole business. That’s where we need help.  We’re looking for an experienced internal & change communications pro to join the team that’s going to make it happen.

Our Retail team are working with customers each and every day - answering their questions, working with them to save water and money, helping them out when they need it most.  They do that in a variety of ways, including over the phone, emails, web chat, etc.

Retail is one of our biggest functions, and you’ll be working with senior stakeholders to deliver our communications strategy to support the Retail leadership team as we turn around our business.
With a focus on transforming the way we communicate change, you’ll be working closely with our Business Resilience team with a dotted line into the Knowledge & Business Readiness Lead.

You’ll work with leaders and colleagues across the business to build and deliver engaging communications that improve awareness and understanding of ‘the Retail story’, and all the different operational improvements that come from that.  You’ll also be part of the wider internal comms team and support on our ‘business as usual’ communications and the work we’re doing on our main business priorities.

You'll be working on a vast array of exciting projects, so your days are never the same - from an office move, to personas, to our wall of challenge.  There's lots to get your teeth into.  

We’re celebrating when things are going well – as well as keeping people up to date when it’s not.  It’s all about showing we’re making progress on our purpose, priorities and values.

It’s a tough road here at Thames Water, but we’re a purpose-driven team who are making a difference and getting the business back on track.

What you will be doing as Internal Communications Manager

Working with the Retail Leadership team and colleagues across the organisation to build and deliver engaging internal communication plans and content to drive clear understanding of our transformation plan, our new ways of working, how we’re making it happen, our progress, targets and results
Making sure we’re getting the right information to the right people, in the right way and at the right time – including to third-party contractors when appropriate – particularly the way we communicate organisational and operational change
Designing and delivering colleague events, workshops and conferences; large-scale and smaller function-based events
Supporting the development and delivery of our communication channels; making sure they’re fit for purpose and regularly reviewed, as well as looking for opportunities to do things better through digital channels (i.e. intranet, social media, E-newsletters, digital screens, etc.)
Managing relationships with internal stakeholders to build trust and confidence in the business
Working closely with the wider communications team so we’re all delivering the overarching business communication priorities and the overall Communication Strategy for Thames Water.

Base location - Hybrid with 2 days a week split between Reading and Swindon sites.

What should you bring to the role?

A strong previous track record of communications, change and campaign handling is essential – extensive experience in internal communications or communications consultancy experience preferred.
Experience in video creation and editing is preferred.
Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills and an…