Deputy Director Employee Engagement and Change Communications

Job summary

Ofgem is going through a period of significant change. This is a pivotal senior leadership role, central to delivering Ofgem’s organisational change programme and shaping how we regulate for a changing energy sector.

As Deputy Director: Employee Engagement and Change Communications, you will lead the strategy, design and delivery of employee engagement and internal communications for Future Ofgema significant organisational change programme redefining how Ofgem collaborates, operates and delivers impact for consumers.

We are the UK’s independent energy regulator, working to protect the interests of consumers now and in the future. We promote value for money, support progress towards Net Zero, and ensure the energy system is resilient and fit for the challenges ahead. As the energy landscape transforms at pace, the way we regulate must continue to evolve supporting innovation, strengthening resilience and enabling a fair transition to cleaner energy.

People sit at the heart of this mission. We are proud of Ofgem’s inclusive culture and are committed to ensuring every colleague feels valued, supported and able to thrive. This role comes at a significant moment, as the government reviews Ofgem’s duties, remit and powers, and as we modernise how we work to become a more connected, high‑performing organisation.

As Deputy Director, you will be the strategic voice helping more than 2,000 colleagues understand, navigate and feel confident about this change. You will craft compelling narratives, design and deliver multi‑channel engagement campaigns, and create the conditions for clarity, trust and accountability across the organisation. Your work will help shape culture, strengthen engagement and enable leaders and teams to deliver change well.

This is a role for someone who wants real influence with direct access to senior leaders, the mandate to elevate culture, and the opportunity to design modern, impactful internal communications. If you want to shape how an essential public sector regulator communicates, collaborates and leads through change, this is the role for you.

Job description

As a senior, experienced and strategic change communications leader, you will oversee the design, strategy and delivery of employee engagement and internal communications for the Future Ofgem change programme. You will shape how we engage with our people, strengthen organisational culture, and evolve internal communications to empower teams across Ofgem. This role is offered on an initial 24‑month fixed‑term contract.

You will bring deep expertise in change communications and employee engagement, with a strong track record of partnering with senior leaders. You will lead internal communications teams, mentor colleagues, and manage a complex, multi‑channel change communications programme. You will plan, oversee and deliver a significant programme of work on time, within budget and to a high standard, using effective matrix management and collaboration across multiple teams.

You will demonstrate exceptional inclusive people leadership, strong enterprise leadership capability, a commitment to continuous professional development, and clear alignment with Ofgem’s values.

The role reports to the Executive Director of Communications and Engagement, with a dotted‑line reporting relationship to the Director for Business Change. The role requires ongoing and sustained working from Ofgem’s London office.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic employee and Internal communication and planning​.
• Employee engagement and change management communications​.
• Relationship-building and influencing across leadership teams​.
• Applying business acumen and cross-functional awareness.​
• Driving innovation and creativity in messaging​.
• Upholding governance, transparency, and ethical communication​ standards.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Development and delivery of Executive messaging and organisational storytelling
• Responsive issues management ​through internal communications
• Analysis and measurement of communication effectiveness.
• Project management and campaign planning​.
• Be an active part of Ofgem’s leadership community, supporting organisational success and representing Ofgem’s values consistently.

Key Corporate Responsibilities

• Contributing to the development of Directorate and Ofgem wide strategic programmes, partnering with senior leadership to prioritise work and resources effectively.
• Setting the strategic direction of the Future Ofgem programme and providing intellectual leadership.
• Providing mentoring, development, effective performance management, leadership and guidance across the profession.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience at a Senior level in leading change or large-scale transformation communications. (Lead)
• Ability to provide strategic internal communication advice to senior executives in complex or matrixed organisations. (Lead)
  
• Ability to lead an internal communications professionals and matrix manage other change professionals, with a solid understanding of channels and audiences.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience working effectively with senior leaders to enhance employee engagement.
• Capability to combine strategic thinking with hands-on delivery to produce impactful communications that is measurable and drives outcomes.
• Evidence of evaluating the effectiveness of internal communication campaigns, supported by excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong project management experience.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in Data led impact and a solid understanding of data and AI landscape in a Change and Internal engagement environment.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £81,000, OFGEM contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; SCS1 holiday entitlement; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working, flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus, lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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, Ability and Experience.

A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.

A Statement of Suitability (up to 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience evidence your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Failure to submit both documents (CV and Statement of Suitability) will mean the panel has only limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

Should you encounter any issues with submitting your application, please get in touch with Michael Page (elizabethwoodforde@michaelpage.co.uk).

Timeline for the process is:

Longlist meeting w/c 20th April 2026
Shortlist meeting w/c 27th April 2026
Assessments w/c 27th April 2026 – w/c 4th May 2026
Interviews w/c 11th May 2026 onwards

Please refer to Civil Service candidate advice on the acceptable use of Artificial intelligence within the recruitment and selection process - Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

Please see candidate pack for full details of selection requirements and process

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 2 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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.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 : elizabethwoodforde@michaelpage.co.uk
• Email : elizabethwoodforde@michaelpage.co.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : elizabethwoodforde@michaelpage.co.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact Jon Townley, Head of Talent Acquisition (jon.townley@Ofgem.gov.uk) in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission – Civil Service Commission (independent.gov.uk)

Attachments

Deputy Director Employee Engagement Change Communications Candidate Pack 455310 Opens in new window (pdf, 847kB)