Internal Communications Officer, HEO, FTC 31/03/2028, Liverpool

Job summary

• Do you have a passion for communications and storytelling?
• Are you keen to build your experience in internal communications and employee engagement?
• This is an exciting opportunity to work with colleagues across the Charity Commission to deliver creative, engaging communications that support our purpose and priorities.

As Internal Communications Officer for the Charity Commission you will work with the team to inspire and engage colleagues, helping to build a strong and high performing organisation. You’ll work collaboratively with key colleagues across the Commission to produce and deliver compelling plans and content to engage circa 500 colleagues with our purpose and priorities, across a range of channels.

You will be an organised, self-starter with excellent communications skills. You’ll draw on a range of sources to develop clear and engaging content, delivered across a variety of channels. You’ll look for new and creative ways of engaging employees with corporate messaging, using insights to determine their impact.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Communicate complex content in an engaging and easy to understand way to key internal audiences, using a range of internal communications channels
• Develop and deliver compelling internal communications plans – to include a variety of engagement projects and events. Draw on audience insight to determine most appropriate channel mix, ensuring content is both topical and timely.
• Create digital content for internal social media, and champion engagement with our channels to colleagues across the Charity Commission.
• Build effective relationships across the Commission, acting as a champion for internal communications. Be a visible advocate for the Commission’s use of internal communications channels and the range of media we offer, educating colleagues on the value of effective internal communications and promoting increased engagement within the organisation.
• Use analytics and data to shape high-quality, creative content that engages our internal audiences and look for ways to measure impact.
• Monitor and measure the effectiveness of internal communication, making recommendations for future improvements.
• Liaise with colleagues and teams from across the organisation, providing advice and support on the best way of sharing messages and engaging employees. This will include supporting organisational change projects.
• Thrive in a busy team in a fast-paced environment but also have the confidence and skills to operate on your own, proactively influencing and upskilling colleagues.

Person specification

Essential criteria

Ability:

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, with excellent attention to detail to ensure accuracy and consistency in both written and visual digital communications.
• Ability to create and deliver engaging digital content, with a demonstrable understanding how different content works on different channels.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret and learn from digital performance data and evaluation.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines to achieve effective and timely content outcomes.
• A passion for, and deep knowledge of, modern communications methods, including internal social media, specifically Teams and SharePoint, as well as video editing.
• A collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively across teams and stakeholders, influencing and upskilling colleagues.

Experience:

• Proven track record of creating and curating engaging internal communications content. Demonstrable experience of producing high-quality written and visual content across a range of channels, including video editing/production skills.
• Excellent influencing and negotiating skills and the proven ability to build trust quickly; particularly building effective relationships with key internal stakeholders.
• Ability to quickly understand complex issues and develop clear, engaging messaging and content for internal audiences.
• Experience of working with a busy team in a fast-paced environment to deliver consistently high-quality content outputs.
• Experience of using insights and data to analyse the impact of your work and act on the results.
• Experience of publishing content on Teams and intranet sites (ideally SharePoint based).

Technical:

• A strong understanding of audience needs and how to tailor communications plans to address them, use this knowledge to ensure the tone, language and format of content is easily accessible to and read by a range of staff groups.
• Draw on audience insight to develop innovative internal communication plans, selecting the most appropriate channel mix and ensuring content is both topical and timely.
• Establish and make the most of two-way and face-to-face communication channels where possible to build employee engagement. Reinforce these channels during organisational change.
• Manage and co-ordinate a wide range of activity in internal communication plans.
• Provide support to managers to ensure they are confident in delivering key messages and to strengthen the internal communication cascade.
• Monitor and measure the effectiveness of internal communication. Act on staff feedback to ensure communication is timely, relevant and meets the needs of the business and internal audiences.
• Use employee engagement data to understand the broader context, identify challenges and barriers and suggest actions for improvement.
• Ability to use appropriate software to design and edit high-quality visual content, including video.
• Application of risk management principles during the management of work and when making decisions.
• Handling data and information sensitively in accordance with the business procedures and/or law.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,384, Charity Commission contributes £10,250 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.

We operate a flexible hybrid working policy where office attendance is combined with at least 3 days homeworking per week dependent on role 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 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.

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.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we are currently unable to offer Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

This is a fixed-term appointment as a HEO in the Internal Communications Team. Your responsibilities are listed in the Job Description for this post. This post will therefore begin from the date of your appointment and end on 31/03/2028.

Permanent civil servants joining the Charity Commission on a Fixed-term Appointment:

If you accept a Fixed-term Appointment with the Charity Commission it must be a transfer from your home department on a loan basis to ensure you can return to your home department at the end of the Fixed-term Appointment.

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 and Experience.

To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following:

• A blind CV setting out your Job History/Full Qualifications/Previous skill and experiences.
• A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for the role outlined on the Job Description.

We will assess your CV and Personal Statement against the Essential criteria for the role.

At interview and we will assess you against Strengths the following Behaviours at interview:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Interview Arrangements

Interviews will be taking place face to face in our Liverpool Bootle office

The sift is due to take place on the 06/11/2026

Interviews will be taking place on 18/11/2026

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.

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.

This post is full time however those applicants who do or wish to work an alternative working pattern are welcome to apply. The preferred working pattern may or may not be available. You should discuss this with the vacancy holder.

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.

Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.

Concerns/Complaints:

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 https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact/.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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.

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 : Becky Kelly
• 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 https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact/.

Attachments

Job description HEO Internal Communications Officer Opens in new window (pdf, 199kB)Benefits Opens in new window (pdf, 169kB)