G5 Communications and Engagement Business Partner - 31973

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 environmental challenges as outlined in EA2030. This is a new way of working, as the Internal Communications and Engagement (ICE) team builds cohesion across directorates. Each role will oversee a portfolio of work but collaborate to share insight and provide resilience. The roles involve planning and coordinating activity right across STA, ensuring our people receive the right information, in the right format, at the right time.

Responsibilities

• Work across portfolio themes, acting as a vital link between the directorate and the wider ICE team.
• Interact widely and develop effective relationships with stakeholders and customers across the organisation.
• Plan strategy, share and drive best practice, set editorial standards, executional consistency, and ensure adherence to organisational priorities and brand.
• Align communications and engagement with the central narrative and assure corporate discipline to improve message consistency.
• Champion high standards and help people engage with the things that truly matter.
• Influence teams and departments to maximise the effectiveness of the 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. We plan and deliver integrated activities, continually improving how we engage with our people.

Experience/skills Required

• Ability to persuade, influence and reason with others is vital.
• Experience and understanding of planning and delivering excellent communications and engagement activities to drive operational improvements.
• Ability to balance broad understanding of EA challenges with prioritisation of individual projects and programmes.
• Comfortable building and maintaining relationships at all levels of the EA and Defra, and able to work as part of a dispersed team.
• Comfortable challenging constructively and driving high standards for all communications and engagement activities.

Contact and additional information

This is a hybrid role with flexible working from home and an Environment Agency office. Occasional travel may be required. We are committed to an inclusive workforce and flexible working patterns for all vacancies, including job share. You will be required to have an incident role and may be paid extra for incident response. Training and workplace adjustments are available to support this role. Interviews are expected toward the end of October. For more information, contact sam.elfer@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Competencies

• Communicates Effectively – Listens and explains clearly and persuasively in speech and writing.
• Engages others – Plans and evaluates effective engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
• Influences and Persuades – Presents a convincing case to win people over and follow plans.
• Builds and Sustains Relationships – Develops and maintains effective working relationships.

Note: If applying from the Civil Service, Environment Agency is not part of HM Civil Service and would not be Crown Servant. Flexible working patterns and a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability are in place. The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by Defra.

Seniority level: Associate

Employment type: Full-time

Job function: Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing/Editing