Internal Communications Manager

Yorkshire Water; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private health care (Self and partner)

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Wellness days

25 days annual leave + 2 wellness days

Retail savings scheme

Online GP service

Cycle to work scheme

Gym membership discounts

Job summary

Yorkshire Water is seeking an experienced Internal Communications Manager to lead, shape and transform our internal comms. You will influence how we connect with colleagues, strengthen leadership communication and bring our strategy to life, ensuring every colleague understands their role in delivering for customers and the environment.

The role requires advising senior leaders, driving transformation and using data to measure impact.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading and transforming internal communications, engagement or employee experience functions within large, complex organisations.
• Proven track record of transforming, repositioning or modernising internal communications functions and demonstrating impact on business performance.
• Strong experience advising Executive and senior leaders, influencing decision-making in fast-paced environments.
• Deep understanding of organisational change and employee experience with translating strategy into action.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead Yorkshire Water's internal communications strategy to position it as a trusted strategic partner.
• Advise Executive and senior leaders on communications and strengthen leadership visibility.
• Translate strategy into meaningful communications that connect colleagues to customers and the environment.
• Modernise the function with agile channels, data-driven insights and technology to improve performance.

Skills

Internal communications

Change management

Executive advisory

Audience insight & data

Job description

• We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience from £70,000 up to £85,000
• A company car lease/allowance scheme (£600 per month/£7,200 per year, based on full‑time employment on joining the company). You can opt to sign up to the EV Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme 6 months after joining the company.
• Annual incentive related bonus (up to 20% of annual salary).
• Private health care (Self and partner, if applicable)
• Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution)
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays – plus 2 extra wellness days!
• A great benefits package – choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
• Retail savings scheme
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: Leeds Valley Park in September - Hybrid Working (1-3 days in office or operational locations across Yorkshire a week dependant on business need)

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Internal Communications Manager to join our team, leading shaping and transforming internal communications at Yorkshire Water. Working at the heart of the business, you'll have the opportunity to influence how we connect with colleagues, strengthen leadership communication and bring our strategy and story to life, helping every colleague understand the role they play in delivering for our customers, communities and the environment. If you're looking for your next challenge, this could be the role for you. We'd love to hear from you.

What we do:

Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year, can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this.

We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. The Internal Communications Team is a critical team that helps our colleagues understand their role in driving forward our exciting plans.

The role will lead and continuously improve Yorkshire Water's internal communications function, transforming how we engage colleagues with our strategy, priorities and ambitions. They will shape impactful leadership communication, drive understanding and engagement around major business change, establish a more data‑driven and insight‑led approach, and ensure communications activity delivers measurable value. Through innovation, digital channels, automation and AI, they will build a modern, high‑performing function that strengthens organisational performance and helps colleagues connect their work to better outcomes for customers, communities and the environment.

Where you fit in:

As our Internal Communications Manager you will

• Define and lead Yorkshire Water's internal communications strategy helping position internal communications as a trusted strategic partner that supports organisational performance, business transformation and the people strategy.
• Act as the senior strategic adviser on internal communications to Executive and senior leaders, shaping communication approaches, strengthening leadership visibility and connection with colleagues, providing constructive challenge and influencing decision‑making.
• Translate Yorkshire Water’s purpose, strategy and transformation agenda into clear, meaningful communications that help colleagues understand their contribution to customers, communities and the environment.
• Shape the communication approach to major transformation, cultural change and organisational programmes, ensuring colleague insight, meaningful participation and effective leadership communication are embedded to support successful implementation and sustainable change.
• Ensure colleague insight, workforce perspectives and audience needs influence communication priorities, leadership decisions, business planning and organisational transformation.
• Modernise the internal communications function by improving channels, content, governance, technology, data and ways of working to create a more agile, audience‑led and measurable service.
• Lead, develop and inspire a high‑performing internal communications team while strengthening communication capability, confidence and effectiveness across the wider organisation.
• Ensure Yorkshire Water is equipped to communicate effectively during incidents and organisational change, maintaining colleague confidence and organisational resilience.
• Establish clear measures of success for internal communications, using insight, evidence and performance data to evaluate impact, demonstrate value and drive continuous improvement.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Significant experience leading and transforming internal communications, engagement or employee experience functions within large, complex organisations.
• Proven track record of transforming, repositioning or modernising internal communications functions and demonstrating the impact communication can have on business performance, organisational change and cultural transformation.
• Strong experience advising Executive and senior leaders, influencing decision‑making and constructively challenging thinking in complex, fast‑paced and ambiguous environments.
• Deep understanding of organisational change, leadership communication, colleague engagement and employee experience, with the ability to translate strategy into meaningful action.
• Experienced in using audience insight, data and evidence to shape communications, measure impact, challenge assumptions and drive continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high‑performing teams, build strong relationships across all levels of an organisation and embrace innovation, including AI, automation and emerging technologies.
• Strong prioritisation and decision‑making skills, balancing organisational need, risk and opportunity.

You will also benefit from having:

• Experience within highly regulated, operational or customer‑facing organisations.
• Experience in sectors such as utilities, infrastructure, transport, logistics, health, manufacturing, engineering or retail.
• Experience leading communications for large‑scale organisational transformation programmes.
• Experience embedding digital‑first and insight‑led approaches across communications functions.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre‑employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third‑Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance.

All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.