Your new company 

The National Audit Office is looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and hands on individual to join our 20-strong external relations team, helping the NAO  increase its influence and achieve behaviour change in government. This is an exciting time to join the National Audit Office and our external communications team. We are looking for someone who wants to be part of an organisation which, at its heart, is focused on improving peoples’ lives by driving better public services and making better use of public money.

Your new role 

Sitting within the strategic communications function within our external relations team, and reporting to the head of external communications, the senior communications manager is responsible for planning and executing impactful and integrated external communications on behalf of the National Audit Office and providing expert counsel to colleagues on communications issues.

You will work closely with the rest of external relations to implement our ambitious external communications strategy. You will be responsible for aspects of our work such as advising and supporting NAO colleagues on effective engagement with stakeholders, owning and producing content for channels such as newsletters and blogs, delivering corporate communications activity, exploring behaviour change techniques to help the NAO achieve influence, and evaluating and implementing improvements to our communications approaches.

This is a hands-on communications delivery role that requires a strategic approach, attention to detail and tenacity to ensure that communications plans and activities achieve maximum impact.

This role includes the following main areas of responsibility:

• Advising and supporting NAO client-facing teams with the promotion of their and wider NAO work (such as good practice guides), strategically planning communications using an effective channel mix to achieve influence and behaviour change with target stakeholders.
• Manage delivery of our client feedback research programme, through effective management of the market research agency commissioned to undertake the work and reporting to senior leadership on results and recommendations.
• Own the NAO’s external newsletters and blog, ensuring their effectiveness at reaching and engaging with target audiences (as identified in our current stakeholder engagement project) is maximised. Review these and other channels to determine the NAO’s future channel approach and drive a learning and evaluation culture within the team.
• Manage NAO corporate communications projects such as promotion of the Annual Report, Strategy and other corporate documents or campaigns around strategic themes. This responsibility will be shared with the other senior communications manager.
• Working with the other senior communications manager, counsel our client-facing teams on how to improve engagement with their stakeholders, for example, through facilitating stakeholder engagement planning and advising them how to proactively share NAO insight and increase value for clients.
• Advise and support on communications and engagement with local government and other bodies involved in local services to support of the local services communications’ strategy. This includes managing the local services e: newsletter (c. 3 pa) and partnership events.
• Support the NAO and external relations team with other projects and tasks such as staff engagement and training; and giving presentations on our communications to other Supreme Audit Institutions.

Skills and knowledge required:

• Understanding of how government, Parliament, the NAO and the public sector works.
• Anticipates economic, social, political, environmental and technological developments to keep activity relevant and targeted
• A strong sense of the role, value, and opportunities that communications can play in helping the NAO achieve its business objectives and strategy.
• Uses insight effectively to ensure strategies and plans identify the most effective tools, techniques and channels to engage and influence target stakeholders.
• Develop engaging, targeted content and messages suitable for use across a range of channels. Ensure appropriate content, messaging, tone and consistency in all communication.
• Proactive and ambitious to deliver high performance and achieve successful business outcomes through self and others.
• Fast and responsive to meet demands, can manage multiple demands and be agile. Can think on their feet in demanding situations.
• Strong project management skills, ensuring communications projects are delivered to time and budget and achieve their objectives. Monitor and evaluate performance against objectives, sharing learning to inform future improvement.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal. Writes clearly in plain, simple language, effectively distilling complex information into clear messages.
• Confidently engage with colleagues at all levels, providing robust, credible and deliverable communication advice, and generating commitment to goals.

What you'll get in return 

You will have the opportunity to take your career forward in a high-profile position within the civil service. You will also receive the following benefits:

• A very competitive salary: £46,722 - £57,856 pro rata per annum
• 35 days leave per year (including public holidays) 
• Membership of an excellent civil service pension scheme. 
• The Alpha pension scheme which is a defined benefit, career average scheme 
• Along with work that just means more, you’ll benefit from a sociable, collaborative working culture, working with other highly professional people committed to making a real difference as part of a high performing organisation We provide excellent learning and development opportunities 
• Our annual Learn Fest week combines presentations, workshops and seminars on a whole host of topics (you could also deliver one if you wish). 
• Modern open plan offices, centrally located in London and Newcastle and equipped with a range of excellent on-site facilities 
• Excellent on-site gym at our London Office and subsidised gym membership in Newcastle Access to a wide variety of social activities, from quizzes to sporting events, coordinated by the NAO Sports and Social Association. 
• Free Employee Assistance Program for confidential, wellbeing support and advice

To find out more about this fantastic opportunity, click "Apply online now".

Closing date: 01/07/2019