JOB DETAILS

The Head of Internal Communications & Engagement is a senior enterprise role responsible for how Ibec communicates, engages and aligns its people behind the organisation’s strategy, priorities and change agenda.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, the role leads Ibec’s internal communications and engagement strategy and provides senior counsel to the Chief Executive, Executive Director Team and other leaders on leadership communication, organisational change, employee engagement and sensitive internal issues.

The role has a central part to play in major organisational transformation. It ensures colleagues understand why change is happening, what it means for them and how they can contribute to its success. Working closely with People & Culture, Strategy & Transformation and leaders across Ibec, it brings communication and engagement into transformation from the outset rather than treating it as a final-stage communications activity.

The role works across the Corporate Affairs division as a shared strategic capability, partnering with External Affairs, Marketing & Brand and Digital Strategy & Platforms to ensure internal communication and engagement are built into major priorities, campaigns, organisational initiatives and issues from the outset.

It also strengthens internal alignment around Ibec’s external positioning and priorities, helping colleagues understand the organisation’s direction and equipping them to represent Ibec confidently and consistently as informed ambassadors.

This is a senior strategic and delivery role requiring strong judgement, extensive change communications experience and the ability to influence at the highest levels of the organisation while remaining closely connected to how employees experience change and communication in practice.

The closing date for applications will be 3pm on 27th November

ABOUT THE ROLE

Internal Communications Strategy & Leadership Communications

• Develop and lead Ibec’s enterprise internal communications and engagement strategy, aligned to organisational strategy and priorities.
• Provide senior communications counsel to the Chief Executive, Executive Director Team and other leaders on major organisational priorities, change and sensitive issues.
• Lead the development of clear and effective leadership communications, including major organisational updates, leadership briefings, town halls and employee communications.
• Translate complex strategic, business and organisational issues into clear communications that help colleagues understand what matters, why it matters and what is expected of them.
• Establish a clear internal narrative around Ibec’s strategy, priorities and organisational direction.
• Ensure leadership communications are coordinated, credible and consistent across divisions, offices and sector associations.
• Strengthen the capability of leaders and managers to communicate effectively with their teams.
• Equip managers with the information, messages and practical tools needed to communicate organisational priorities and change with clarity and confidence.
• Advise leaders on the timing, sequencing and approach to communication where issues are complex, sensitive or likely to generate concern.

• Lead communications and engagement for significant organisational transformation, operating model changes and major strategic initiatives.
• Work with transformation, People & Culture and business leaders from the outset to shape communication and engagement approaches that support successful change.
• Develop change communication strategies based on clear understanding of affected audiences, likely concerns, dependencies and the outcomes required.
• Ensure employees understand the case for change, how decisions affect them and what will happen next.
• Design appropriate engagement and feedback approaches during periods of significant change.
• Identify communication risks, gaps in understanding and potential resistance early and advise leaders on how these should be addressed.
• Support leaders and managers to communicate change effectively and confidently with their teams.
• Build structured feedback loops into major change programmes and use employee insight to adapt messaging, timing and engagement approaches.
• Use feedback, engagement data and other evidence to assess understanding and adjust approaches where required.
• Bring lessons from major change programmes into future organisational communications and transformation activity.

• Strengthen employee understanding of Ibec’s strategy, priorities, role and value.
• Develop approaches that move internal communications beyond information-sharing towards stronger understanding, participation and engagement.
• Help colleagues understand how their work connects to wider organisational priorities and outcomes.
• Build employee ambassador capability so colleagues are better equipped to explain Ibec’s role, priorities and value consistently and confidently.
• Work with leaders and teams across Ibec to support internal mobilisation behind major organisational priorities and initiatives.
• Ensure internal communications reflect the needs and perspectives of colleagues across different divisions, sector associations, locations and roles.
• Establish effective feedback mechanisms that provide insight into employee understanding, sentiment and engagement.
• Use employee insight to advise the Executive Director, Corporate Affairs and senior leadership on emerging communication or engagement issues.
• Ensure internal communications and engagement are effective across Ibec’s national, regional and international activity while maintaining a coherent organisational narrative.

• Work across the Corporate Affairs division to ensure internal communications and engagement are integrated into major campaigns, strategic initiatives, organisational priorities and change programmes.
• Partner with External Affairs to align internal understanding with Ibec’s external positioning, reputation priorities and significant issues.
• Work with Marketing & Brand to ensure colleagues understand major member, brand and commercial priorities and can represent Ibec’s value consistently.
• Work with Digital Strategy & Platforms to strengthen internal channels, digital engagement and the use of data and insight.
• Advise Corporate Affairs colleagues on the internal implications of major external initiatives, campaigns and sensitive issues.
• Help ensure significant Corporate Affairs activity is planned with both external and internal audiences in mind where appropriate.
• Contribute to division-wide planning, measurement and ways of working so that Internal Communications & Engagement operates as an integrated capability rather than a standalone function.

• Lead the internal communications response to significant organisational issues, sensitive developments and periods of uncertainty.
• Act as the senior internal communications lead on issues and crises with an employee dimension, working closely with External Affairs, People & Culture and relevant leaders.
• Anticipate the employee implications of emerging organisational and reputational issues and advise on communication requirements.
• Develop communication approaches for confidential or sensitive organisational changes, including structural changes and other significant employee matters.
• Ensure employees receive clear, timely and credible information during periods of uncertainty.
• Support crisis preparedness by ensuring internal audiences, channels and leadership communications are incorporated into relevant plans and response arrangements.
• Exercise high levels of judgement and discretion when handling confidential, sensitive or potentially reputational matters.

• Lead the strategic development and effective use of Ibec’s internal communication channels.
• Review and improve the way internal communication is structured, sequenced and delivered across the organisation.
• Ensure channels are accessible, purposeful and appropriate for different audiences and types of communication.
• Work with Digital Strategy & Platforms to strengthen internal digital communication and engagement capability.
• Establish meaningful measures of communication effectiveness, employee understanding and engagement.
• Use qualitative and quantitative insight to identify where communication is working and where different approaches are required.
• Avoid unnecessary volume and duplication by improving prioritisation and discipline across internal communications.

ABOUT YOU

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, business, or a related discipline (or equivalent professional experience). 
• Extensive senior-level experience in internal communications, employee engagement, change communications or a closely related discipline within a complex organisation.
• Demonstrated experience leading communications and engagement through significant organisational transformation, including operating model, structural, cultural or strategic change.
• Strong track record of advising Chief Executives, executive teams and senior leaders on complex communications, organisational change and sensitive issues.
• Proven experience developing and leading enterprise-wide internal communications and engagement strategies.
• Demonstrated understanding of how communications and engagement contribute to successful organisational change rather than simply communicate decisions after they have been made.
• Strong experience of leadership and executive communications.
• Experience developing employee engagement approaches that strengthen understanding, participation and organisational alignment.
• Experience handling sensitive, confidential or high-risk organisational communications with sound judgement and discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to influence across organisational boundaries and work effectively with senior leaders, People & Culture, transformation teams and other specialist functions.
• Demonstrated experience working across communications, marketing, digital, change and business teams to integrate internal communications and engagement into wider organisational priorities.
• Experience using employee insight, feedback and engagement measures to shape communications strategy and advise leadership.
• Experience leading teams, directing work and building communications capability.
• A relevant third-level qualification in communications, business, organisational change or a related discipline is desirable, or equivalent professional experience.

• Strategic Internal Communications: Ability to develop a clear enterprise communications and engagement strategy and translate it into effective delivery.
• Change & Transformation Communications: Deep understanding of organisational change and demonstrated ability to lead communication and engagement through major transformation.
• Executive Counsel: Confidence and judgement to advise, challenge and support senior leaders on complex and sensitive communications.
• Leadership Communications: Strong ability to help leaders communicate strategy, change and organisational priorities clearly and credibly.
• Employee Engagement: Ability to create communication and engagement approaches that strengthen understanding, participation and alignment.
• Manager Communications: Ability to equip leaders and managers with clear messages, tools and guidance to communicate effectively with their teams.
• Issues & Sensitive Communications: Strong judgement in handling confidential, contentious or reputationally sensitive matters.
• Writing & Editorial Judgement: Exceptional writing, editing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex issues clear without oversimplifying them.
• Influence & Stakeholder Management: Ability to build trusted relationships and influence across a complex, matrixed organisation.
• Cross-functional Integration: Ability to work across communications, marketing, digital, organisational change and business functions and connect internal engagement with wider corporate priorities.
• Insight & Measurement: Ability to use employee feedback, sentiment, channel data and other evidence to assess effectiveness and improve communication.
• Leadership & Delivery: Ability to set direction, prioritise effectively, lead teams and coordinate work across multiple contributors and priorities.
• Business Acumen: Strong understanding of organisational strategy and the ability to connect communications and engagement to business outcomes.

• Personal Characteristics
• Senior, credible and confident, with the judgement to operate effectively with the Chief Executive, EDT and other senior leaders.
• Calm and assured in periods of organisational change, uncertainty or heightened sensitivity.
• Highly perceptive, with a strong understanding of how employees are likely to experience and respond to organisational decisions.
• Able to challenge constructively and give clear advice even when the message may be uncomfortable.
• Collaborative and low-ego, with the ability to build trust across functions and organisational levels.
• Strategic while remaining close enough to delivery to understand what is working in practice.
• Clear, direct and thoughtful communicator.
• Discreet and trusted with confidential information.
• Curious and willing to test assumptions using evidence and employee insight.
• Strong sense of accountability and high professional standards.
• Enterprise-minded, with a commitment to helping Ibec operate and communicate as one organisation.

Why us?

Ibec Core Competencies
 
Bias toward action: 

• Dynamic 
• Collaborative  
• Decisive  

• Agile and Adaptive  
• Creative and Innovative 
• Curious and Critical Thinking 

• Ambitious  
• Accountable  
• Continuous Improvement  

• Navigate Ambiguity 
• Strategic Growth Mindset 
• Integrity and Trust 
• Business Acumen