Internal Communications Manager - Office for Students

Job summary

Internal Communications Manager

Salary: £56,209 - £58,820

Location: Bristol

Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension

About us

We are the independent regulator of higher education in England. We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.

We’re proud of our people, our culture and the benefits we offer. We care about supporting and developing our staff. At the OfS we want to create a welcoming and engaging working environment which is free from discrimination.

We’re looking for skilled, committed people who care about students and their experience of higher education. Join us and you’ll be part of an energetic, forward-looking organisation with high ambitions and big opportunities for our people.

Job description

About the role

We’re seeking an Internal Communications Manager to embed our new strategic attitudes in the day-to-day working of the Office for Students, and to help to connect our staff with the students we serve, as well as managing a busy internal cycle of news and events and digital content and ensuring our internal communications channels remain relevant and engaging.

Be part of an organisation which serves students and help our colleagues to regulate more effectively through effective and engaging internal communications.

This is an opportunity to join a passionate and committed workforce and drive positive change for students in England.

Person specification

About you

You’ll have proven experience of working in internal communications and energy and passion for the role, be able to work collaboratively with others and manage different priorities at pace. You’ll be able to tailor information for internal audiences, have excellent writing and influencing skills, and be able to communicate complex issues with sensitivity and accessibility.

Experience of working in internal communications in a public sector body, or for an organisation where staff split across more than one site, is desirable but not essential.

For the purposes of recruitment to the role, we are measuring the following core competencies:

Communicating and influencing

• I actively deploy different methods for influencing others, including making the most of digital resources to respond to different learning styles.

• I act as a role model to others by communicating with clarity, honesty, and enthusiasm to build trust.

• I am open-minded and impartial in discussion so I can adjust my arguments to respect the diverse interests and opinions of others.

• I deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity.

• I can articulate arguments and reasons in a clear and persuasive manner.

Changing and improving

• I identify opportunities for improvement, implement subsequent changes, working as appropriate with colleagues across the OfS.

• I provide constructive challenge and solutions to senior managers on change proposals that will affect my team and other colleagues.

• I actively encourage employees to take initiative and innovate, by supporting them to learn from successes and mistakes.

• I consider the full impact of implementing changes on the OfS’s stakeholders and goals, culture, morale, and the impacts on the diverse range of end users, including accessibility needs

Delivering at pace

• I ensure the delivery of timely, quality outcomes, through providing the right resources for tasks, reviewing and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success.

• I maintain my own level of performance in challenging circumstances and support others to do the same.

• I adjust priorities and focus swiftly, as the OfS’s internal and external context changes, considering how my work impacts other teams across the organisation.

• I translate strategic priorities into clear outcome-focused objectives for managers and teams.

• I quickly re-prioritise and formulate plans accordingly as the environment changes.

Making effective decisions

• I make decisions when they are needed, even if they prove difficult or unpopular.

• I consult with others in good time to ensure the potential impacts of decisions are considered.

• I recognise patterns and trends in evidence, drawing on this to inform decisions.

• I present clear, well-reasoned recommendations in a timely manner, outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks.

• I debate and discuss issues rigorously before making decisions.

• I recognise where there is a need or legal obligation to consult.

• I can assess regulatory risks associated with decisions.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,209, Office for Students contributes £16,283 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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

Application process

There are 2 online application questions to complete, alongside providing a copy of your CV.

Reasonable adjustment

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you through the application stage, please contact us at recruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk and we will be happy to help.

Working for us

The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do.

We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Flexibility is important to the OfS, as we recognise that it can enable people to work more effectively. A set of organisation-wide principles shape our approach to flexible and hybrid working, which our teams then use as guidance on how they deliver their business goals. This would usually mean working from the office for two or three days in a typical week.

To attract the widest possible field of qualified applicants, flexible working, for example job share and part time working apply to this role.

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 4 March at noon

Interviews: from week commencing Monday 16 March

For information: the OfS does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence.

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

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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

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 : Recruitment Team
• Email : RecruitmentTeam@officeforstudents.org.uk
• Telephone : 0117 931 7444

Recruitment team

• Email : RecruitmentTeam@officeforstudents.org.uk

Further information

Careers - Office for Students

Attachments

Why work for the OfS edited Opens in new window (pdf, 425kB)