Senior Internal Communication Manager - Government Communication Service

Job summary

The Cabinet Office is looking for a talented Senior Internal Communication Manager to join our high-performing team. This role is central to delivering our mission to be known for achieving excellence in delivering government priorities, harnessing new technologies to do things quicker and better, and building the pride that comes from high performance.

You will own the strategic relationships with senior stakeholders – including the Permanent Secretary’s office, Executive Committee members, and Business Unit leads – to ensure our internal communication drives real-world outcomes. You will lead on high-stakes narratives, from the People Plan and technical transformation to leadership visibility and departmental identity.

This role puts you at the heart of government, operating in its headquarters. You will build relationships across the major cross-government functions hosted here – including the Future Civil Service Group, HR, Digital, Property, and Commercial – giving you an unmatched view of Civil Service delivery. Working here means moving fast and working flexibly to translate our Theory of Change into daily reality, ensuring our work clears clutter and shows a direct line of sight to the Cabinet Secretary’s impact themes: ‘Make it happen. Make it better. Make it count.’

We are forging a collaborative team culture where we prioritise outcomes over administrative noise, trusting our people to own their briefs and work closely with business unit contacts and senior private offices. If you want a role with deep strategic variety, real-world delivery impact, and the professional space to shape how our department connects, we want to hear from you.

Job description

As a Senior Internal Communication Manager, you will:

• Own the Strategy: developing long-term communication strategies that align with our Theory of Change that directly support the organisation’s ultimate goals of delivery, innovation, and pride through high performance.
• Manage Strategic Relationships: Build and maintain high-level relationships with senior stakeholders, including the Future Civil Service Group, HR, Digital, and the Permanent Secretary’s office, providing expert advice on complex communication challenges.
• Lead End-to-End Campaigns: Oversee major internal campaigns from initial concept and stakeholder negotiation through to execution and evaluation.
• Drive the Narrative: Ensure our commitment to excellence, innovation, and pride is embedded in all departmental storytelling, focusing on how we deliver for the government and the public.
• Develop the Team: Manage and mentor HEO leads, ensuring they have the support to deliver end-to-end projects while stretching their skills for senior-facing work.
• Evaluate and Improve: Use data and staff insights (such as pulse survey results) to measure the impact of our work and drive continuous improvement in our channels and messaging.

Person specification

We are looking for an experienced communicator who can demonstrate:

• Strategic Influence: Experience in designing and delivering effective internal communication strategies that influence organisational culture and behaviour.
• Senior Stakeholder Management: The ability to quickly build trust and provide robust advice to senior leaders in high-pressure environments.
• Excellent Communication: A master of plain English with the ability to translate complex technical or policy information into clear, engaging narratives.
• Project Leadership: A proven track record of managing multiple high-profile priorities and delivering high-quality work to tight deadlines.
• Collaboration: A commitment to working across team boundaries to ensure communications are joined up and focused on departmental goals.
• Analytical Thinking: Experience in using insights and evaluation to inform strategic decisions and prove the value of communication activities.

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

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

• At the interview, we would like the candidates to do a 30-minute technical task, details of which will be sent to candidates should they be selected for the interview. Which will demonstrate the following: insight, ideas, and implementation.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,760, Cabinet Office contributes £12,677 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).

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

For your application, you will need to provide a CV outlining your work history and experience, alongside a personal statement of up to 750 words. Your statement should demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the requirements set out in the person specification.

If we receive a large volume of applications, we will conduct an initial sift based solely on your personal statement and how it is related to the job discription.

Candidates who pass this initial threshold will progress to a full sift of their entire application before we determine the final interview shortlist.

Selection process

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

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

Technical Skills ( https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/competency-framework/)

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

• Insight: Use data to understand staff needs and inform channel selection and messaging.
• Ideas: Design tailored content that meets organisational requirements and engages diverse internal audiences.
• Implementation: Demonstrate strong writing skills and the ability to deliver effective products across a range of internal channels.

At the interview, we would like the candidates to do a 30-minute technical task, details of which will be sent to you should you be selected for interview.

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face in 1 Horse Guards Road or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – TBC
Expected interview date/s – TBC
Interview location - In-person in or Virtual you will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, 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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

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 security check (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.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

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 : John Gannon
• Email : john.gannon@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/.

Attachments

Cabinet-Office-Employee-Offer Opens in new window (docx, 762kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)