Internal Communications Manager

Job Description:

The role can be based in Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9SY or in Alice Holt, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4LH with blended working which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from the workplace. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Job Summary

Want to work at the cutting edge of environmental science? Passionate about making a difference and playing your part in tackling the climate and nature crisis? Forest Research (FR) is all about giving top quality evidence and advice to policymakers and practitioners to make a positive impact on the ground. Internationally recognised, we need people who have the skills and passion to work on excellent science and provide practical solutions for nature.

We’re small enough that your voice is heard, yet large enough, as part of the Forestry Commission, that we have everything on hand to get the job done, as well as a variety of career pathways. Our staff are dedicated to their work and sharing it with others to bring positive change for our planet. You will find us a flexible and inclusive employer, so you can have a work life balance that is tailor-made to your circumstances. So, whether it’s climate or carbon, pests or pathogens, behaviour or biodiversity that interests you, you can be assured of a warm welcome to the team. To find out more, visit www.forestresearch.gov.uk

The Internal Communications Manager role focuses on the delivery of the Corporate Communications strategy to internal audiences. The organisation’s internal communications seek to communicate the senior management team’s vision and priorities, motivate staff to reach their potential, reduce duplication of effort, create opportunities for collaboration, share knowledge and experience and provide staff with the information they need to do their job.

Job Description

The Communications team is the trusted voice of Forest Research. The team leads on:

Identifying and understanding our internal and external audiences
Building trust and loyalty amongst external audiences through consistent and transparent branded communications, creating influence and opportunity
Motivating staff through effective delivery of the senior leadership team’s vision and communication priorities via internal communications channels
Optimising the effectiveness of the range of analogue and digital communications channels that Forest Research uses to reach its internal and external audiences
Delivering a cost-effective publishing programme of corporate documents, reports and research
Delivering a corporate presence at key stakeholder and other events each year
Acting as first point-of-contact for all print, online and broadcast media enquiries
Coordinating responses to national and trade media enquiries via the Defra Newsdesk and supporting senior management engagement with media and stakeholders.

Corporate Communications Supports The Priorities Of Forest Research By

Enhancing research impact through communications insight, strategy, delivery and evaluation
Managing our brand and tone-of-voice, in all communications internal and external
Developing, maintaining and evaluating a communications network across partners, stakeholders and funders
Providing communications advice and support to the FR Knowledge Exchange team and science groups
Aiding the generation of commercial income by providing Forest Research teams with effective marketing support
Helping attract the very best employment candidates for the organisation through effective profile and reputation management
Supporting Forest Research staff attending external events.

Key Work Areas

Working with the Head of Communications, the role involves:

Providing expert advice to the Head of Communications and senior leadership team on best practice internal communications
Utilising and extending insight into internal audience groups and their disparate needs to optimise the effectiveness of internal communication
Maintaining editorial oversight of content on digital and analogue internal communications channels, contributing to the content planning process
Creating a range of different content types and formats that articulate the vision and priorities of the senior management team across multiple channels, including text-based, video and audio
Building networks internally to gather and disseminate information from different parts of the business to increase collaboration and joined-up planning and reduce duplication of effort
Supporting the HR team in delivering key policy and process updates to staff
Supporting HR in the creation of a communications channel exclusively for line managers and their development
Editorial oversight of the corporate intranet, working with Digital Manager and IT, to develop the intranet homepage and manage a calendar of proactive and reactive content
Developing and maintaining mechanisms to foster two-way engagement to encourage a constructive conversation between staff and the senior management team
Supporting the dissemination of the internal messaging components of larger communications projects, working with colleagues in the communications team and wider business
Provide internal communication support for wider Forestry Commission communications, coordinating project-specific internal communication activity as required
Advising the senior leadership team and wider business on network-wide internal communications developments and programmes and, where necessary, analysing and modifying them for implementation within Forest Research
Creating a programme of skills improvement and capacity building for those individuals across the business with delegated responsibility for updating departmental sections of the intranet
Working with Digital Manager to apply and develop the Forest Research brand to the intranet, in order to maintain and improve effective communication
Planning and delivering a number of internal events for all staff each year.

The Communications team is the trusted voice of Forest Research. The team leads on:

Identifying and understanding our internal and external audiences
Building trust and loyalty amongst external audiences through consistent and transparent branded communications, creating influence and opportunity
Motivating staff through effective delivery of the senior leadership team’s vision and communication priorities via internal communications channels
Optimising the effectiveness of the range of analogue and digital communications channels that Forest Research uses to reach its internal and external audiences
Delivering a cost-effective publishing programme of corporate documents, reports and research
Delivering a corporate presence at key stakeholder and other events each year
Acting as first point-of-contact for all print, online and broadcast media enquiries
Coordinating responses to national and trade media enquiries via the Defra Newsdesk and supporting senior management engagement with media and stakeholders.

Working With The Head Of Communications, The Role Involves

Providing expert advice to the Head of Communications and senior leadership team on best practice internal communications
Utilising and extending insight into internal audience groups and their disparate needs to optimise the effectiveness of internal communication
Maintaining editorial oversight of content on digital and analogue internal communications channels, contributing to the content planning process
Creating a range of different content types and formats that articulate the vision and priorities of the senior management team across multiple channels, including text-based, video and audio
Building networks internally to gather and disseminate information from different parts of the business to increase collaboration and joined-up planning and reduce duplication of effort
Supporting the HR team in delivering key policy and process updates to staff
Supporting HR in the creation of a communications channel exclusively for line managers and their development
Editorial oversight of the corporate intranet, working with Digital Manager and IT, to develop the intranet homepage and manage a calendar of proactive and reactive content
Developing and maintaining mechanisms to foster two-way engagement to encourage a constructive conversation between staff and the senior management team
Supporting the dissemination of the internal messaging components of larger communications projects, working with colleagues in the communications team and wider business
Provide internal communication support for wider Forestry Commission communications, coordinating project-specific internal communication activity as required
Advising the senior leadership team and wider business on network-wide internal communications developments and programmes and, where necessary, analysing and modifying them for implementation within Forest Research
Creating a programme of skills improvement and capacity building for those individuals across the business with delegated responsibility for updating departmental sections of the intranet
Working with Digital Manager to apply and develop the Forest Research brand to the intranet, in order to maintain and improve effective communication
Planning and delivering a number of internal events for all staff each year.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Demonstrable knowledge, experience and expertise in internal communications best practice in order to deliver the right internal messages in the right place at the right time
Excellent communication and influencing skills, including written and verbal, with the ability to write appropriately for different audiences
The ability to persuade and influence senior leaders in terms of internal communications best practice
Journalistic instincts for identifying and creating news content that will engage staff and deliver the priorities outlined in the strategic plan, corporate communications and internal communications strategies
The ability to gather, analyse and summarise detailed information, including scientific information, and then provide recommendations on the best way to disseminate to staff
Technical ability including computer literacy, editing, basic photographic skills
Experience of using an intranet content management system to organise, present and update internal messages
Analytical and evaluation skills, providing regular reporting on internal communication outputs and outcomes
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues within the Communications team and more widely within Forest Research
Ability to prioritise workload and work at pace.

Desirable Criteria

Filming and video editing skills
Experience of utilising Sharepoint 19
Experience of content creation using Adobe Creative Studio or similar

Behaviours

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

Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service

Alongside your salary of £39,135, Forestry Commission – Forest Research contributes £11,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Your career

Excellent professional development opportunities which are tailored to your role, with paid professional membership subscriptions, mentoring, and Civil Service Learning available to all
access to world class laboratory facilities, as well as state of the art buildings within forest or science park settings

Your work/life balance

flexible working options such as: up to two days flexi leave per month, blended working, part-time working, paid special leave, career breaks, and unpaid leave. Parents and carers will be supported to enable you to manage work and family responsibilities
A generous annual leave allowance of 25 days on entry increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 30 days (pro-rata for part-timers). Plus 2.5 days of additional leave and 8 days’ paid bank/public holidays

Your wellbeing

A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment
A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
We want you to feel part of something bigger and we encourage a community feel in our workplaces, with everything from cookery competitions to Pilates and fell running, plus topical talks at Wellbeing Wednesdays and Feelgood Fridays
Paid volunteering leave of 3 days per year so you can give back to your community and charitable causes by sharing your skills and time

Your Benefits

a highly competitive Civil Service Pension of 28.97% your salary
an employee benefits scheme offering discounts on groceries, gym memberships, holidays, days out, online retailers and high street shops
Cycle to Work scheme and Interest free loans
Free parking is offered on-site, alongside electric car charging ports
With maternity, adoption, and/or shared parental leave there’s the flexibility to have up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid leave. Paternity leave of up to two weeks is available with full pay.

Any move to Forest Research 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Selection process details

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

Please apply at Civil Service Jobs – GOV.UK, you will be asked to supply:

A CV – setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role
A Personal Statement – (limited to 500 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.

We will use this information to assess your application against the essential criteria in the person specification.

Shortlist

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the Essential Criteria set out in the Person Specification. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Sift will take place on 30 May 2025

Interviews will take place via MS Teams 9 – 12 June 2025

If we receive a large volume of applications, then we will sift on CV and the lead behaviour, Communicating & Influencing. Candidates will be expected to answer questions on all behaviours listed at the interview stage.

Candidates invited to attend for interview will be required to prepare a 5 minute presentation on ‘The Principles of Internal Communications’

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Forest Research which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

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.

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 interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Visa Sponsorship

Role

FR holds a licence to sponsor Skilled Workers under the Home Office points-based immigration system. Candidates wishing to apply should note that the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship would depend on an assessment of this role against defined criteria, which include:

Whether the Job role has been identified as being a Critical Role in FR, which has been identified in the Workforce Plan, and / or
Whether the Job role is a known Capability gap, which has been identified in the Workforce Plan for the relevant Centre, and
Evidence of significant recruitment challenges in filling the Job role previously

Skilled Worker sponsorship may be available, subject to an application and assessment process and the Home Office points-based system.

For further details, please refer to the Sponsorship for Skilled Workers – guidance for applicants and managers on our website.

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

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

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.

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.

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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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 : [email protected]
Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

Email : [email protected]

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FR HR Services by email: [email protected] you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Lejitjob

Internal Communications Manager