Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Lead - SC Clearance - 6 months - £550pd

Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Lead - Active SC Clearance - 6 months - London, Bristol or Manchester - £550.00

A major public sector organisation is seeking an experienced Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Lead to join a high-profile transformation programme delivering significant change across government. Working within a fast-paced and evolving team environment, you will lead the development and delivery of strategic communications and stakeholder engagement activities, ensuring key audiences remain informed, engaged and aligned throughout the programme life cycle. This role requires an experienced communications professional who can operate confidently at senior levels, engaging with directors, senior leaders and ministerial stakeholders while managing both internal and external communications. You will be responsible for shaping communications strategies, developing compelling messaging, supporting programme leadership and ensuring effective engagement across a wide range of stakeholders. The successful candidate will bring a strong track record of leading communications activity within large-scale transformation programmes, ideally within government or the wider public sector. They will be comfortable working in ambiguous environments, managing competing priorities and delivering high-quality communications at pace. Please note, active SC Clearance is required for this role and candidates without active SC Clearance will not be considered.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver strategic communications and stakeholder engagement plans aligned to programme objectives
• Lead both internal and external communications activity across a complex transformation programme
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders, including Directors, SROs and ministerial teams
• Create clear, engaging and impactful communications materials for a range of audiences
• Provide communications advice and support to programme leadership and senior decision-makers
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement activities, meetings, workshops and programme communications events
• Support the management of programme reputation, messaging and communication risks
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure consistent communications across all workstreams
• Manage competing priorities and respond effectively to changing programme requirements
• Drive communications best practice and contribute to continuous improvement across the programme

Ideal Candidate:

• Proven experience leading communications and stakeholder engagement activities within large-scale transformation programmes
• Strong track record delivering both internal and external communications strategies
• Experience engaging and influencing senior leaders, directors and ministerial stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences
• Demonstrable experience operating effectively in fast-paced and ambiguous environments
• Experience leading projects or communications workstreams with minimal supervision
• Strong stakeholder management skills with a collaborative and relationship-focused approach
• Experience supporting digital, technology, commercial or procurement transformation programmes would be advantageous
• Knowledge of government communications, commercial terminology or public sector operating environments would be beneficial
• A positive, proactive team player who is willing to support wider programme activities when required

Additional Requirements:

• Active SC Clearance is required due to the sensitive nature of programme documentation
• Candidates should have a minimum of 5 years' experience operating at a Communications Lead or equivalent level
• Experience within Government, Civil Service or wider public sector environments is highly desirable
• Hybrid working with attendance expected 2 days per week in London, Bristol or Manchester
• Candidates based outside London will be expected to attend London-based programme meetings approximately once every two weeks
• Must be comfortable working within a growing programme team in a dynamic and evolving environment

TL;DR
Job Title: Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Lead
Contract Length: 6 months
Location: London, Bristol or Manchester (Hybrid)
Rate: £550
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
Clearance: Active SC Clearance Required
Start Date: ASAP