Location: Flexible, the role will be contracted to our Wilmslow office. Our priority is to enable all our people to work productively and effectively from any location. Through hybrid working we offer great home and office-based working opportunities and more general flexibility over where you work to be productive. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.  

Salary: £37,964 to £43,001 per annum, with potential for further progression,  plus pension and excellent benefits 

About us 

The work of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) affects every person in the UK. Our regulatory role impacts how healthcare can innovate to help you live longer, how social media firms select the content you see and how police can use technology to reduce crime. We oversee how you can access information about how your taxes are spent, or about how a company is using your data. 

In July 2022 we launch our new strategic plan, ICO25. Our work is interesting, immensely rewarding and increasingly in the public eye. As a result, more people than ever before are turning to us for help. We’re growing and looking to add to our teams in many areas! 

About the role 

The Senior Communications Officer for Strategic Comms plays a key role in planning and delivering communications that support our most important strategic aims. The focus is on objectives, audiences and communicating for impact – helping us tell compelling stories that consistently demonstrate the value of the ICO’s work. 

You will work closely with our Communications Business Partners to ensure effective collaboration and coordination between Corporate Communications and the wider organisation, providing high-quality communications advice, challenge and support. 

The postholder will develop communications strategies, plans and campaigns that enhance the delivery of business objectives over the longer term, and work with colleagues to deliver our communications activities across a range of channels.  

About you 

You’ll have experience in a range of communications disciplines and a record of delivering impactful, high-quality communications in a fast-moving environment.  

You will have a strong news sense and good understanding of the ICO’s operating environment, enabling you to identify opportunities and risks and inform decision-making.  

You’ll be able to demonstrate the excellent written communications skills needed to turn complex subject matter into engaging content, and an understanding of how to choose and apply different communication tools and channels.  

You will also have excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, including with media organisations and other public and private sector partners. 

Why work for the Information Commissioner's Office? 

We are proud to provide our people with a premium benefits package. We are continually improving the rewards we offer, these include flexible working hours, including flexi leave, Civil Service Pension arrangements and a generous leave allowance.

We welcome and encourage applicants from all members of the community regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief, marital status, pregnancy or any other personal circumstances. 

To demonstrate our commitment to equality of opportunity in employment in Northern Ireland, we monitor the community background of our applicants and employees, as required by the Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion

The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. Read more about our commitment on our website. 

We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks.

If you are disabled and have difficulty using our online application system please email the HR team at [email protected] who can arrange for you to submit an application via an alternative method. 

Closing Date 

Submit our online application form prior to the closing date of 23:59, 21 August 2022. 

Please note if you are appointed to work with the ICO you will be required to complete security clearance processes (identity and qualification checks plus Basic Disclosure level check of unspent criminal convictions).