Overview

This is an opportunity to help tell the story of the Environment Agency. The Internal Communications and Engagement Business Partner roles support the Strategy, Transformation and Assurance (STA) Directorate across several high-profile areas, as the organisation evolves to respond to the environmental challenges of the future, set out in our corporate strategy, EA2030. This is a new way of working, as the Internal Communications and Engagement (ICE) team builds cohesion across directorates. Each will oversee a portfolio of work but collaborate to share insight and provide resilience. The roles involve planning and coordinating activity across STA, ensuring our people receive the right information, in the right format, at the right time.

Transformation: includes working with the Director for Service Transformation to understand the totality of change programmes across the EA, and help describe the narrative for change.

People: includes working with the People and Inclusion directorate to understand themes such as our People Plan and Health, Safety and Wellbeing.

Strategy: working across the organisation to help colleagues understand their role in delivering our corporate strategy, business plan, and the STA Leadership Team’s role in leading the organisation.

Responsibilities

• Work across a portfolio of themes, acting as a vital link between the directorate and the wider ICE team.
• Interact widely and be responsible for developing effective relationships with stakeholders and customers across the organisation.
• Plan strategy, share and drive best practice, set editorial standards, ensure executional consistency, adherence to organisational priorities and our brand.
• Align communications and engagement with the central narrative and assure corporate discipline to improve message consistency.
• Champion the highest standards and help our people engage with the things that truly matter.
• Influence the teams and departments you work with to maximise the effectiveness of our work.

The team

The business partner team is a small cross-functional group of communication and engagement experts. We are part of the Internal Communications and Engagement team within the Strategy, Transformation and Assurance Directorate. We collaborate with Defra Group Communications and other colleagues to:

• ENABLE effective communications and engagement by ensuring we have the right tools, skills and ways of working.
• PLAN AND DELIVER integrated activities, continually improving how we engage with our people.

Experience/skills Required

• Your ability to persuade, influence and reason with others will be vital in this role.
• Experience and understanding of planning and delivering excellent communications and engagement activities that drive operational improvements.
• Ability to balance broad understanding of EA challenges in delivering EA2030 with prioritisation of individual projects and programmes.
• Comfort in creating and maintaining relationships at all levels of the EA and Defra. Ability to work as part of a dispersed team.
• Comfort in challenging constructively and driving high standards for all communications and engagement activities.

Contact and additional information

This is a hybrid working role with flexible arrangements (home and nearest Environment Agency office), with occasional travel. We are committed to diversity and equal opportunities and welcome flexible working patterns, including job share. Responding to incidents is a central part of our work; you may have an incident role and be required to respond or provide support during incidents (this may attract additional payment). Training and workplace adjustments are available to support you with your incident role. Interviews will take place towards the end of October. Please contact sam.elfer@environment-agency.gov.uk for further information.

Competencies

• Communicates Effectively – Description: Listens and asks questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing. Question: Describe a situation where you had to explain a piece of work to someone with little technical knowledge.
• Engages others – Description: Plans, carries out and evaluates effective engagement with internal and external stakeholders following the ‘Working with others’ approach. Question: Describe a time you engaged stakeholders to input on a complex project.
• Influences and Persuades Others – Description: Presenting a case in a convincing way that encourages others to follow plans. Question: Describe a time you found a way to achieve an outcome with a group whose approach differed from yours.
• Builds and Sustains Relationships – Description: Develops and maintains effective working relationships. Question: How would you build relationships with a range of stakeholders not aligned with each other?

Note: If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. This is an inclusive employer and flexible working patterns are welcomed, including job share. We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment.

Senioriry level

• Associate

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing/Editing

We are posting notices to help candidates get notified about new Communications Specialist roles in Wadebridge, England, United Kingdom.