Deputy Head of Internal Communications and

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 325793**Salary**:

- £49,403 - £61,392- National: £49,403 - £55,823. London: £54,328 - £61,392. For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%**Job grade**:

- Grade 7**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- DEFRA - Strategy - Communications**Type of role**:

- Communications / Marketing**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed Hours**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, South East England, South West England, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the HumberAbout the job

**Job summary**:
Would you like to work on exciting issues that really make a difference to people’s lives?

As the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy, Defra plays a pivotal role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, the water we drink, to the air we breathe.

Within the Communications Directorate you will be welcomed into a supportive network and enabled to build a fulfilling and impactful career. We provide a communications service to the department and other Defra group bodies, such as the Environment Agency, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Natural England and the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA).

Defra group is dedicated to having a diverse workforce which represents people in our communities and an inclusive culture. We want everyone to be able to contribute to the success of our organisation, regardless of your background

As Deputy Head of Internal Communications and Engagement, you will be responsible for delivering the Environment Agency’s internal communications, leading a small team. You will be a visible leader, an excellent communicator and people manager, who can support and develop your team, and build credibility across the Environment Agency, Defra group and the wider Government Communication Service.

You will need to have strong stakeholder relationship skills and be confident in advising senior leaders, helping to maintain effective leadership engagement with staff across the organisation.

Working within the Defra Communications Directorate, reporting to the Head of Internal Communications, you will be a senior member of Defra group’s Internal Communications and Engagement team.

**Job description**:

- Provide strategic advice to senior leaders and to teams across the Environment Agency, using your influencing skills, and ability to challenge, to achieve greater outcomes for our communications and audience engagement.
- Work effectively with Strategic Communications and Environment Agency colleagues to ensure effective alignment of our communications plans with business and external priorities, as well as planned engagement activities.
- Oversee the creation, design, implementation and evaluation of compelling internal communication campaigns and engagement events.
- Develop best practice creative content that engages our audience across a range of internal channels and events, delivering high quality communication in a timely, appropriate and consistent manner.
- Evaluate the success of communications activity - you will constantly seek new ways to draw people in through knowledge of emerging trends in internal communication.
- Lead and develop the team, ensuring your direct reports have the guidance and autonomy needed for them to deliver their responsibilities effectively.
- Work collaboratively with Defra group Internal Communications colleagues to share best practice and drive improvements on ways of working across Internal Communications.

**Person specification**:
We are looking for an experienced communications professional who is:

- highly effective at influencing and relationship-building at all levels
- takes a highly-collaborative, team-playing approach
- able to understand the ‘bigger picture’, taking a government wide perspective to ensure alignment of activity.

**Behaviours**:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture

**Technical skills**:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

- Insight
- Implementation

**Benefits**:

- Alongside your salary of £49,403, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £13,338 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encour