Job Description
Salary: Base salary: £54,878 to £64,562 pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer a flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top of base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits – check them out in the Benefits section on our website.
This is a Fixed Term Contract opportunity to cover Maternity Leave until 30th June 2027.
HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.
About The Role
As a Senior Strategic Communications Manager you will provide strategic advice on how best to achieve HS2’s goals through effective strategic communications projects for multiple audiences and across a range of channels.
* Actively promote and embed Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work, and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.
* Lead an agile, multi-disciplinary Strategic Communications team, including setting the vision and direction for the function and line‑managing the individual team members.
* Establish and manage a programme of strategic communications projects that promote the benefits of the railway to B2B and B2C audiences, including future rail‑users, businesses and investors.
* Develop and manage a programme of specialist research into HS2’s operational rail‑user benefits and long‑term economic benefits, and systematically horizon‑scan strategic communications opportunities in support of HS2’s external affairs strategy.
* Use insight to understand the beliefs and feelings of key audiences and help shape the overall External Affairs Directorate Plan and HS2 narrative.
* Apply creativity and audience insight to assess and develop the future strategic direction of marketing communications.
* Develop and lead the management of strategic communications partnerships with industry and consumer‑facing stakeholders, ranging from museums and local attractions to train operating companies and inward investment agencies.
* Provide strategic advice on how best to achieve HS2’s goals through effective strategic communications projects for multiple audiences and across a range of channels.
* Develop the narrative and key messages for the strategic communications projects, translating them into required materials across digital and print channels.
* Advise contributors across the organisation who will be utilised for strategic communications projects, including drafting articles, speeches and presentations where required.
* Work collaboratively across the External Affairs Directorate, including strategy, events, creative, media, digital and public affairs teams to ensure the collaborative delivery of strategic communications plans and projects.
* Manage internal stakeholder relationships across the organisation and wider supply chain to support the effective identification and delivery of strategic communications projects.
* Develop and manage a programme of innovation and creative idea‑generation alongside colleagues in the Strategic Communications team.
* Manage the effective evaluation and continuous improvement of strategic communications activities.
* Lead the procurement and management of any external agencies required to deliver the strategic communications projects.
Skills
* Drafting and research skills, including the ability to create thought leadership content for a variety of audiences with a journalistic understanding of storytelling.
* Speechwriting skills, including the ability to work successfully with executives at the highest levels of an organisation.
* Leadership and people management skills.
* Analytical skills and attention to detail – supporting specialist research and horizon‑scanning activity.
* Programme management ability – balancing competing demands across multiple projects.
* Strategic advisory skills on strategic communications opportunities and approaches.
* Budget management.
* Evaluation and continuous improvement.
* Strategic communications partnership development.
* Agency procurement & management.
* Collaborative skills, including the ability to work across all communications disciplines.
* Innovation and creative idea generation.
Knowledge
* Understanding and knowledge of best practice strategic communication.
* Political understanding with awareness of wider current affairs context.
* Understanding of the construction, infrastructure, transport and economic development sectors.
* Understanding of how print, digital and social media channels should tell a coherent and consistent story, appropriately tailored for different audiences.
* Knowledge of how to effectively plan, deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of strategic communications projects across all channels.
Experience
* Experience of drafting content for consumer and business audiences on complex and sensitive topics.
* Experience of supporting senior management in communications.
* Experience of managing and developing others.
* Experience of managing complex research and insight projects.
* Experience of developing strategic communications partnerships with external stakeholders.
* Experience of procuring and managing external suppliers.
The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect. They are expected to actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all their work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.
We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process – YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/...)
Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
About Us
High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.
HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff – living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.
In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.
HS2 Ltd is also a safety‑critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.
HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.
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