Internal Communications Manager
Posted by: Office For Students
Employed By: Office For Students
Job Title: Internal Communications Manager
Location: Bristol
Salary: £56,209 - £58,820 Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension
Contract: Full-time
Application Deadline: Wednesday 4 March at noon
About us
We are the independent regulator of higher education in England. We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.
We’re proud of our people, our culture and the benefits we offer. We care about supporting and developing our staff. At the OfS we want to create a welcoming and engaging working environment which is free from discrimination.
We’re looking for skilled, committed people who care about students and their experience of higher education. Join us and you’ll be part of an energetic, forward-looking organisation with high ambitions and big opportunities for our people.
About the role
We’re seeking an Internal Communications Manager to embed our new strategic attitudes in the day-to-day working of the Office for Students, and to help us to connect our staff with the students we serve, as well as managing a busy internal cycle of news and events and digital content and ensuring our internal communications channels remain relevant and engaging.
Be part of an organisation which serves students and help our colleagues to regulate more effectively through effective and engaging internal communications.
This is an opportunity to join a passionate and committed workforce and drive positive change for students in England.
About you
You’ll have proven experience of working in internal communications and energy and passion for the role, be able to work collaboratively with others and manage different priorities at pace. You’ll be able to tailor information for internal audiences, have excellent writing and influencing skills, and be able to communicate complex issues with sensitivity and accessibility.
Experience of working in internal communications in a public sector body, or for an organisation where staff split across more than one site, is desirable but not essential.
For the purposes of recruitment to the role, we are measuring the following core competencies:
Communicating and influencing
• I actively deploy different methods for influencing others, including making the most of digital resources to respond to different learning styles.
• I act as a role model to others by communicating with clarity, honesty, and enthusiasm to build trust.
• I am open-minded and impartial in discussion so I can adjust my arguments to respect the diverse interests and opinions of others.
• I deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity.
• I can articulate arguments and reasons in a clear and persuasive manner.
Changing and improving
• I identify opportunities for improvement, implement subsequent changes, working as appropriate with colleagues across the OfS.
• I provide constructive challenge and solutions to senior managers on change proposals that will affect my team and other colleagues.
• I actively encourage employees to take initiative and innovate, by supporting them to learn from successes and mistakes.
• I consider the full impact of implementing changes on the OfS’s stakeholders and goals, culture, morale, and the impacts on the diverse range of end users, including accessibility needs
Delivering at pace
• I ensure the delivery of timely, quality outcomes, through providing the right resources for tasks, reviewing and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success.
• I maintain my own level of performance in challenging circumstances and support others to do the same.
• I adjust priorities and focus swiftly, as the OfS’s internal and external context changes, considering how my work impacts other teams across the organisation.
• I translate strategic priorities into clear outcome-focused objectives for managers and teams.
• I quickly re-prioritise and formulate plans accordingly as the environment changes.
Making effective decisions
• I make decisions when they are needed, even if they prove difficult or unpopular.
• I consult with others in good time to ensure the potential impacts of decisions are considered.
• I recognise patterns and trends in evidence, drawing on this to inform decisions.
• I present clear, well-reasoned recommendations in a timely manner, outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks.
• I debate and discuss issues rigorously before making decisions.
• I recognise where there is a need or legal obligation to consult.
• I can assess regulatory risks associated with decisions.
Application process
There are 2 online application questions to complete, alongside providing a copy of your CV.
Reasonable adjustment
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you through the application stage, please contact us at recruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk and we will be happy to help.
Working for us
The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do.
We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Flexibility is important to the OfS, as we recognise that it can enable people to work more effectively. A set of organisation-wide principles shape our approach to flexible and hybrid working, which our teams then use as guidance on how they deliver their business goals. This would usually mean working from the office for two or three days in a typical week.
To attract the widest possible field of qualified applicants, flexible working, for example job share and part time working apply to this role.
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 4 March at noon
Interviews: from week commencing Monday 16 March
For information: the OfS does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence.