Internal Communications Manager

Heriot-Watt University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh invites applications for an Internal Communications Manager (Change & HR). You will plan and deliver internal communications to support organisational change and HR initiatives during a busy change period, informing staff about Strategy 2035 and new ways of working.

Reporting to the Global Director of HR, you will advise senior leaders and coordinate cross‑university communications.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or with equivalent professional experience.
• Significant experience in internal communications with focus on organisational change and HR communications.
• Experience handling complex and sensitive communications in a large/complex organisation.
• Proven ability to advise and influence senior leaders with confidence and credibility.
• Excellent written, verbal and digital communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder management in high-change environments.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and delivery of internal communications for change and HR initiatives.
• Support launch and embedding of Strategy 2035 and related changes to ways of working.
• Provide communications advisory to senior leaders and governance alignment.
• Develop materials, messages, FAQs and leadership toolkits for consistent messaging.
• Deliver communications across internal channels with timely, accurate content and brand standards.
• Monitor staff engagement and adapt messaging based on feedback and evaluation.

Skills

Internal communications

Organisational change

HR communications

Stakeholder management

Leadership advisory

Written communication

Verbal communication

Digital communication

Education

Degree or equivalent professional experience

Job description

Role:Internal Communications Manager (Change & HR)

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

FTE and working pattern: 1FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday

Contract: Fixed-term, 9 months (Maternity cover)

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leaveplus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

The Internal Communications Manager (Change and HR) will lead the planning and delivery of internal communications to support organisational change, HRinitiativesand workforce-related activity during a high-change period.

The role will play a key part in supporting staff understanding of, and engagement with, the University’s strategic direction, including the launch and embedding ofStrategy 2035and associated changes to ways of working,structuresand priorities.

Reporting directly to the Global Director of HR, the role will act as a trusted communications adviser to senior leaders, enabling confident,consistentand effective communication with staff. A dotted-line relationship with the Global Director of Marketing and Communications will ensure alignment with corporate messaging, governance requirements, external partnerrelationsand brand standards.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

The Internal Communications Manager (Change and HR) will lead on the planning and delivery of specialist internal communications activity, including:

Change, Strategy and HR Communications

• Develop and deliver internal communications plans to support organisational change programmes, workforceinitiativesand HR priorities.
• Support the launch and embedding of the University’s Strategy 2035, translating strategicobjectivesinto clear,relevantand engaging staff communications.
• Ensure change and HR communications are aligned to the University’s long-term strategic direction and values.
• Translate complex and sensitive information into clear,accessibleand audience-appropriate communications for staff.
• Support the embedding of new ways of working through targeted communications and engagement activity.

Employee Relations and Consultation Communications

• Provide specialist communications support for employee relations and workforce change activity, including formal consultation processes whererequired.
• Develop briefing materials, key messages,FAQsand leadership toolkits to support consistent and confident communication.
• Ensure communications are handled withappropriate discretion,accuracyand professional judgement.

Leadership Advisory and Support

• Act as a trusted communications adviser to senior leaders and HR colleagues during periods of change.
• Prepare high-quality briefings, messaging frameworks and supporting materials linked to strategic and workforce priorities.
• Support leaders to communicate effectively with their teams during uncertainty and transition.

Internal Channels and Content

• Deliver communications across relevant internal channels, working in partnership with the central internal communications team.
• Ensure messaging istimely,accurateand aligned with agreed tone,brandand governance standards.
• Contribute to staff-facing platforms and leadership communications asrequired.

Alignment, Governance and Quality

• Work closely with the Global Director of Marketing and Communications to ensure alignment with corporate communications priorities, including Strategy 2035 messaging.
• Maintainhigh standardsof quality,consistencyand clarity across all internal communications activity.
• Coordinate activity to avoid duplication,overloador misalignment across internal channels.

Insight, Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

• Monitor staff feedback and engagement to assess the effectiveness of change,strategyand HR/ Universitycommunications.
• Use insight and evaluation to adapt messaging and approaches as strategic and organisational priorities evolve.
• Share learning and best practice to strengthen organisational capability in change communications.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential

1. Educated to degree level or with equivalent professional experience.
2. Significant experiencein an internal communications role, with a strong focus on organisational change and HR-related communications.
3. Demonstrable experience handling complex and sensitive communications in a large or complex organisation.
4. Proven ability to advise and influence senior leaders with confidence and credibility.
5. Excellent written,verbaland digital communication skills.
6. Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability tooperateeffectively in high-change environments.
7. Ability to manage competing priorities, work autonomously and meet tight deadlines.

Desirable

1. Experience of supporting the communication of organisational strategy or major transformation programmes.
2. Experience of working closely with HR teams on workforce or organisational change initiatives.
3. Experience of working in, or with, a large-scale or global organisation.
4. Understanding of employee relations and consultation processes.

About the Team

The Human Resources Directorate plays a critical role in supporting the University’s people strategy, organisationaleffectivenessand culture. Working closely with senior leaders and professional services colleagues, HR leads on workforce planning, organisational change, employeerelationsand the development of new ways of working across the University’s global campuses.

This role sits at the intersection of HR and Communications, providing specialist internal communications support during a period of significant organisational change. The postholder will work in close partnership with HR colleagues and the central Marketing and Communications function to ensure staff communications are clear,timely, aligned and professionally governed.

This role complements the existing Internal Communications and Events Manager position, whichretainsresponsibility forUniversity-wide internal engagement channels andcorporate staffevents.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.