Assistant Director, Strategic Communications, Grade 6, Permanent, Liverpool / London

Job summary

• Are you a senior communicator experienced in engaging audiences and supporting behaviour change?
• Can you bring your marketing skillset to bear to help charities comply with the law and the public to give with confidence?
• Do you know how to use insight strategically to communicate with our external and internal audiences?
• Can you lead teams to deliver creative and engaging digital communications and campaigns?

Job Purpose:

In this role you will lead our strategic communications and marketing function, deploying your significant experience to help us reach and influence charity trustees, members of the public, and our own staff. Using the full range of communications techniques, and in particular digital communications (owned, earned and paid), your teams will help us to promote good charity governance, the benefits of trusteeship, and giving with confidence.

You will support the development of strategic communications as an effective regulatory and engagement tool, leading work including:

• the development and implementation of integrated communication campaigns
• increasing the engagement and reach of our owned digital channels
• being service owner for our digital services that engage charity trustees and the public
• overseeing internal communications that keeps our staff informed and engaged through a significant period of change

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Effectively lead the Campaigns team, Digital Communications & Engagement team, and Internal Communications team (circa 15 staff total), ensuring a positive and high-performance culture
• Work collaboratively working with Directors, Assistant Directors and team Heads to develop integrated communication and marketing campaigns that deliver priority areas of work and improve how the organisation communicates with trustees, the charity sector and the public
• As Service Owner for the ‘Engage’ Service, work with colleagues and stakeholders to develop and deliver a vision for our digital trustee engagement and our public Register of charities
• Work with the Internal Communications Manager and senior leaders to oversee all organisational internal communications and ensure understanding and engagement during a significant time of change for the organisation
• The postholder will sit on the Communications & Policy Directorate’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Commission’s Wider Leadership Team (WLT), contributing to wider management initiatives and supporting the delivery of the annual business plan
• Engaging and influencing stakeholders, partners and suppliers to broaden the reach and effectiveness of our communications
• Providing strategic leadership to our cross-directorate communications planning and evaluation, working in line with Government Communications Service (GCS) best practice
• Oversight and effective deployment of the organisation’s marketing budget, working in line with GCS frameworks and requirements.

Person specification

Ability:

• Proven ability to segment audiences and target them through different channels (both online and traditional)
• Ability to research, investigate and analyse facts and numerical data to inform and support effective decision making
• Ability to plan and prioritise competing demands to ensure performance targets and deadlines are met
• Ability to explain complex information, in a variety of media, and ensure that the information is understood by the recipient
• An understanding of how to inform and engage staff during periods of change
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong project management skills

Experience

• Substantial background in successfully running integrated communication campaigns to transform the customer journey
• Successful track record in leading highly motivated, results driven teams
• Proven ability to effectively communicate complex issues in a compelling way to different audiences
• Proven advisor to senior audiences, building trust and credibility quickly
• Experience of project management including budgets, procurement processes and managing suppliers

Technical

• Educated to degree level or with equivalent relevant professional experience
• Strong understanding of the different approaches to strategic communications and marketing
• Handling data and information sensitively in accordance with legal requirements
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £68,935, Charity Commission contributes £19,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

This is your chance to make a contribution that really matters and to make an impact in an organisation where your voice will be heard and your hard work noticed.

Watch this short video to find out more about us. short video

We operate a flexible hybrid working policy where office attendance is combined with homeworking days dependent on role and corporate requirements.

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly. We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring from all backgrounds and we aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We champion inclusion and wellbeing, aiming to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and has a sense of belonging.

We do not discriminate on the basis of culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

We offer access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme (employer contributions of 28.97%), far more than in the private sector, and a flexible, family-friendly environment. Additionally, you can look forward to other great benefits via our ‘Perkbox’ and ‘Edenred’ schemes. These include everything from an interest-free season ticket loan, tenancy deposit loan scheme and bicycle loan (after two months) to discounts on gym membership, cinema tickets and restaurants. Please see the attached Charity Commission benefits document.

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days per year. You have the opportunity to purchase up to an additional 5 days annual leave (pro rata) per year, requests must be submitted in the February of that year.

The Charity Commission’s operational ambition is to realise the Commission’s values of being an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent, which works in a way that is supportive, collaborative, and innovative to achieve our ambitions. We want to develop our capability to regulate charities to realise this goal and meet our statutory and public duties to ensure that charity in England and Wales can deliver maximum benefit to society in a way that upholds its reputation in the eyes of the public.

Work at the Charity Commission and you’ll make a difference every day to:

• The 170,000 charities of all shapes and sizes that we regulate across England and Wales.
• The trustees we partner with and advise.
• The people and causes that benefit from the £10bn generously donated each year by the public.

Find out more about working for us here.

To note: Any move across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018 may have implications on an employee’s ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 6th July 2026.. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between Midday and 1 p.m. on 21st June and 4 p.m. and Midnight on 28th June 2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

As part of the application process as a minimum you are asked to complete a CV and statement of suitability.

• Comprehensive CV which lists qualifications and skills sets.
• Personal statement of up to 1000 words

At interview we will assess against Experience, Behaviours and Strengths alongside a presentation/task.

Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

Interviews will be taking place Face to Face in our Liverpool and London offices.

The sift is due to take place on 09/07/2026
Interviews will be held:

• Liverpool 17/07/2026
• London 20/07/2026

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.
We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process to manage numbers.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Behaviours

The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework 2018 (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.
You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.
You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills, and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.

When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did, what your thought process was and what was the result.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled persons, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 12-month reserve list as standard.
During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Applying

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly
All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Paul Latham
• Email : Recruitment@charitycommission.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

The Charity Commission’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance hrselfservice@charitycommission.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web page here

Attachments

20260610 Assistant Director Strategic Communications Opens in new window (pdf, 306kB)Benefits Opens in new window (pdf, 169kB)The Role of the Charity Commission Opens in new window (pdf, 110kB)