Communications Manager

Scottish Legal Complaints Commission; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

42 days’ paid holiday

Group Personal Pension

Life assurance

Cycle to work scheme

Volunteer days

Wellbeing and Inclusion Group

Job summary

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) is seeking an experienced Communications Manager to lead strategic communications and shape how we tell our story. You will develop and deliver our communications strategy, strengthen our organisational narrative and ensure clear, accessible messaging for diverse audiences.

This role spans advisory work with senior colleagues and hands-on delivery. You’ll lead planning for priorities, manage corporate publications including annual reports, and

Qualifications

• Experience of developing and delivering effective communications strategies.
• Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Sound judgement with reputation and sensitive communications.
• Confidently advise senior colleagues and challenge perspectives.
• Experience of corporate and external communications.
• Understanding of media relations and reputation management.
• Commitment to plain English and accessible communication.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills to manage priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver our communications strategy to support organisational objectives.
• Shape and maintain a clear organisational voice and narrative.
• Provide strategic communications advice to senior colleagues and the Board.
• Lead planning for priorities, projects and campaigns.
• Oversee corporate publications including annual reports and key materials.
• Manage media relations, press statements and responses to enquiries.
• Create engaging content for diverse audiences and channels.
• Ensure website and digital communications are current and user-focused.
• Champion plain English, accessibility and inclusive communications.
• Monitor effectiveness and use insights to improve approach.

Skills

Communications strategy

Strategic communications

Media relations

Plain English

Stakeholder engagement

Reputation management

Editing and proofreading

Content development

Project management

Team collaboration

Job description

Help shape our voice, strengthen our profile and make sure our communications have impact. We are an equal opportunities employer and we’re open on both professional and work experience. We want to build a diverse team, so would positively encourage applications from all candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion, pregnancy or maternity.

Who we are

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) is the independent body responsible for handling complaints about lawyers in Scotland. We play an important role in Scotland’s legal services sector, helping to resolve complaints and driving improvement in how legal services are delivered. Clear, accessible and effective communication is central to that work. We communicate with a wide range of audiences, from consumers and legal professionals to stakeholders, the media and the wider public, and we want our communications to be engaging, inclusive and easy to understand.

The role

We’re looking for an experienced Communications Manager to lead our strategic communications and help shape how we tell our story. This is a varied and influential role, combining strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery. You’ll develop and deliver our communications strategy, strengthen our organisational narrative and ensure our communications are clear, consistent, accessible and focused on the needs of our audiences. You’ll work across the organisation, providing trusted communications advice to senior colleagues and our Board, helping us manage our reputation and ensuring our work, priorities and impact are communicated effectively. This is a role for someone who can see the bigger picture, turn strategy into action and isn’t afraid to get stuck into the delivery too.

What you’ll be doing

develop and deliver our communications strategy, ensuring it supports our wider organisationalobjectivesshape and maintain a clear and consistent organisational voice and narrativeprovide strategic communications advice to senior colleagues and the Boardlead communications planning for key organisational priorities, projects and campaignslead the development of corporate publications, including annual reports and other key publications oversee media relations, including press releases, public statements and responses to media enquiriescreate and oversee clear, engaging content for a range of audiences and channelshelp ensure our website and digital communications are current, accessible and user-focusedchampion plain English, accessibility and inclusive communicationssupport effective communication with stakeholders and wider audiencesmanage relationships with external communications, design and digital suppliersmonitor the effectiveness of our communications and use insight to continually improve our approach.

What we’re looking for

• experience of developing and delivering effective communications strategies
• excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills
• sound judgement when dealing with reputation, messaging and sensitive communications
• confidence in advising and constructively challenging senior colleagues
• experience of corporate and external communications
• an understanding of media relations and reputation management
• a strong commitment to plain English and accessible communication
• excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• strong relationship-building and influencing skills
• a creative and proactive approach, with a willingness to challenge how things have always been done and look for better ways of communicating

Most importantly, you’ll understand that good communication isn’t simply about getting information out. It’s about understanding your audience and making sure what we say is clear, useful and has impact.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping how the SLCC communicates. You’ll have the scope to bring ideas, influence our approach and help us build a strong, consistent and trusted organisational voice. You’ll also be close enough to the work to bring that strategy to life and see the difference effective communication can make. If you enjoy combining strategy, creativity and practical delivery, we’d love to hear from you.

Where and how you’ll work

We support hybrid and flexible working, giving you flexibility while making sure you have plenty of opportunity to connect and collaborate with colleagues. You’ll spend at least one-third of your working time each quarter in our Edinburgh office, which for a full-time colleague will usually work out at around two days a week. There may also be occasional meetings or events where you’ll need to attend in person. We know starting a new job is easier when you have the right support around you, so you’ll spend more time in the office during your induction while you get to know the SLCC, your colleagues and your new role. This is a full-time role of 35 hours over five days, with flexibility to consider 28 hours over 4 days. We also offer a flexitime scheme. When working from home, you can work between 6am and 10pm, and on office days between 7am and 7pm, giving you flexibility around how you structure your working day.

What we offer

• 42 days’ paid holiday, including public holidays
• Group Self-Invested Personal Pension
• company sick pay
• life assurance
• cycle to work and travel loan schemes
• volunteer days
• confidential employee assistance programme
• opportunities for learning and development
• staff charity and social activities
• a staff-led Wellbeing and Inclusion Group

We pride ourselves on providing a supportive and enjoyable place to work. In our most recent staff survey, 97% of colleagues said they have a good working relationship with their colleagues.