Internal Communications Manager

Sweco; Ledston; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and hybrid working (Flexworks

Life Assurance

Private Medical Insurance

Discretionary Annual Bonus Scheme

Payment of professional subscriptions

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Cycle2Work Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee discounts via Sweco Benefit

Salary Sacrifice Electric Vehicle

Tree planting for new starters

Job summary

Sweco is seeking an experienced Internal Communications Manager to shape how we engage colleagues across the UK and Ireland. You will advise senior leaders, define messages, and select channels for impactful campaigns, ensuring alignment with Sweco’s strategy and culture.

You will lead on communications planning, change programmes and employee engagement, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on delivery in a hybrid Leeds setting.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in internal communications, employee engagement or strategic communications.
• Strong writing, editing, storytelling and presentation skills.
• Experience developing communication strategies and integrated campaigns.
• Experience managing intranets and other employee communication channels.
• Track record of supporting change, transformation and sensitive communications.
• Ability to translate complex information into clear, audience-focused content.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted strategic communications adviser to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Develop and deliver strategic communications plans and campaigns for major priorities.
• Develop narratives connecting colleagues to Sweco’s strategy and culture.
• Build networks to identify communications needs and opportunities.
• Translate complex business priorities into clear, engaging content.
• Develop briefs, toolkits and talking points for leaders and managers.

Skills

Internal comms

Employee engagement

Strategic communications

Intranet management

Change communications

Stakeholder influencing

Tools

Microsoft 365

SharePoint

Viva Engage

Job description

We are Europe’s leading design, engineering, environment and regulatory consultancy.

We are future planners, city shapers, urban innovators, digital transformers, net zero chasers, community connectors, social enterprisers and lifestyle improvers.

We are #DifferenceMakers.

We are looking for an experienced Internal Communications Manager to help shape how we communicate with and engage colleagues across the UK and Ireland.

Working closely with the Head of Communications & Marketing, you will be a trusted strategic communications adviser to senior leaders and stakeholders, helping them turn business priorities, change and complex issues into clear, engaging and effective communications. You will shape the communications approach from the outset – understanding the audience, defining the messages and recommending the right channels and activity – while remaining actively involved in delivery.

This is an opportunity to make a visible impact by helping to create a more connected, informed and engaged employee community.

This role is based in our city centre Leeds office and can be worked flexibly, with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office and the option of adjusted start and finish times.

What you will do

• Act as a trusted strategic communications adviser to senior leaders and stakeholders, providing strategic advice, insight, advice and constructive challenges to help achieve business and engagement objectives.
• Develop and deliver strategic communications plans and campaigns that define the audience, objectives, key messages, narrative, channels and approach for significant business priorities, campaigns and change programmes.
• Develop clear and compelling narratives that connect colleagues to Sweco’s strategy, priorities, culture and purpose.
• Build strong networks across the business to identify emerging communications needs and opportunities and proactively recommend communications approaches.
• Translate complex business priorities and technical information into clear, engaging and audience-focused communications.
• Develop practical briefings, toolkits and talking points to help leaders and line managers communicate effectively within their teams.
• Experience managing intranets, and other employee communication channels
• Lead the launch, adoption and ongoing governance of Viva Engage – creating opportunities for meaningful two-way communication, enabling colleagues to share ideas, ask questions and provide feedback.
• Establish an effective rhythm of company briefings, town halls and business updates.
• Support, and where appropriate, lead communications for organisational change, transformation and crisis situations as part of the UK&I’s Crisis Management Team.
• Define measures of success for communications activity and use channel analytics, colleague insight and feedback to demonstrate impact and continuously improve effectiveness.

About you

You will be a credible and thoughtful communications professional who can balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery. You will be comfortable getting involved early, understanding the business challenge and audience need and advising on the best communications approach rather than simply responding to a brief. You will be confident influencing senior stakeholders, managing multiple priorities and constructively challenging colleagues to achieve the best outcome.

You will bring:

• Significant experience in internal communications, employee engagement or strategic communications.
• Strong writing, editing, storytelling and presentation skills.
• Experience of developing communication strategies and integrated campaigns.
• Experience managing intranets and other employee communication channels.
• A track record of supporting change, transformation and sensitive communications.
• The ability to translate complex information into clear, audience-focused content.
• Confidence working collaboratively with senior leaders and teams across the entire business.
• Experience using communication data and insight to improve reach and impact.
• Experience within engineering, infrastructure, construction, consultancy, professional services or another complex, multi-site organisation would be advantageous.
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Viva Engage or similar employee platforms would also be beneficial.

You will join a collaborative Communications & Marketing team and have the opportunity to shape the future of our internal communications. Your work will play an important role in helping colleagues understand our strategy, culture and organisational change, including what is happening, why it matters and what they need to do.

Employee Benefits

• Flexible and hybrid working (Flexworks Policy)
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance
• Discretionary Annual Bonus Scheme
• Payment of two relevant professional subscriptions
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days per year)
• Cycle2Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (wellbeing, mental health, financial and work advice)
• Employee discounts via Sweco Benefit Select (Faircare)
• Salary Sacrifice Electric Vehicle Scheme
• We plant a tree for all new starters!

Internal Communications Manager • Leeds, England, United Kingdom