Internal Communications Specialist

USS Investment Management Limited; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Health and wellbeing services

Development opportunities

Volunteer days

Cycle to work

Job summary

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is seeking an Internal Communications Specialist to help deliver a new strategy across its London and Liverpool offices. You will work with the Head of Internal Communications to prioritise activity, craft messages and coordinate channels to strengthen colleague connection and understanding of the scheme’s objectives in a hybrid working environment.

You will develop content for newsletters, intranet, leadership messages and events, support measurement

Qualifications

• Experience supporting the implementation of internal communications strategies.
• Strong ability to use digital communication platforms (SharePoint, Teams, Viva Engage, intranet systems).
• Experience developing content for newsletters, leadership messaging, video content and presentations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with good project management and planning capability.
• Experience producing reporting and evaluation documents for internal communications activity.

Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of the internal communications strategy across USS, coordinating day-to-day activity across channels.
• Work with Investment Management team in London to support internal positioning and communication around business strategy and future planning.
• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, providing practical internal communications advice on messaging and channels.
• Collaborate with HR to communicate leadership and culture programmes.
• Plan and coordinate internal events (town halls, briefings).
• Create content for newsletters, intranet articles and leadership messages.
• Support measurement against KPIs and reporting for Group Executive Team.
• Gather colleague feedback to shape the internal communications programme.

Skills

SharePoint

Microsoft Teams

Viva Engage

Intranet systems

Content development

Written communication

Verbal communication

Project management

Canva

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

When you join USS, the size and scale of our pension scheme means you will have numerous opportunities to learn and develop your career. Given our size you'll have real autonomy and influence as you collaborate closely with a wide-ranging team of experts.

Our office is a vibrant place to work, and we offer flexibility of office/homeworking due to our hybrid model.

About the role

In your role as Internal Communications Specialist you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset. This role will provide a great opportunity to support colleagues to understand and contribute to the delivery of the scheme’s long-term objectives of USS. As we develop a new Internal Communications strategy and embed new ways of working, this role will work closely with the Head of Internal Communications to help prioritise and coordinate activity that supports business strategy, future planning, leadership and culture activity, and wider organisational priorities. They will play an important part in ensuring communications are clear, timely, engaging and aligned across channels, supporting stronger colleague connection, understanding and engagement across both the London and Liverpool offices.

What you will be doing

As a trusted part of the Corporate Affairs team you will be responsible for:

• Support the implementation of the internal communications strategy across USS, coordinating day-to-day activity across channels and ensuring it is aligned with stakeholder needs.
• Work closely with our Investment Management team (USSIM) in London to support the function with internal positioning and communication, particularly around business strategy and future planning.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders across USS, providing practical internal communications advice on messaging, audiences, channels and timing.
• Work with HR colleagues to communicate and build engagement for leadership and culture programmes.
• Be an advocate for and build awareness among colleagues of the purpose of internal communications in both our London and Liverpool offices, actively educating on the strategy and long-term objectives of the function.
• Plan and coordinate internal events, such as town halls and employee briefings.
• Create engaging content for a variety of internal channels, including newsletters, email bulletins, intranet articles, leadership messages, and scripts for events or video content.
• Support measurement and evaluation activity against agreed KPIs, using insight to improve communications effectiveness and contribute to regular reporting for the Group Executive Team.
• Support opportunities to gather colleague feedback, ensuring insight actively shapes the internal communications programme.
• Stay up to date with internal communications trends and best practice, bringing fresh ideas to the team.

About you

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box, if you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, then please apply, regardless of whether you meet all the requirements outlined in this profile.

To be successful in the role you will have:

• Experience supporting the implementation of internal communications strategies.
• Strong ability to use digital communication platforms, such as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Viva Engage and intranet systems, alongside the Microsoft Office suite.
• Experience developing content for a range of formats, including newsletters, leadership messaging, video content and presentations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with good project management and planning capability.
• Experience producing reporting and evaluation documents for internal communications activity, including channel analytics, colleague understanding measures and campaign evaluation.
• Experience supporting the planning and delivery of internal events.
• Experience working in a large organisation or matrix environment, balancing multiple stakeholder priorities in a fast-paced setting.
• Ability to create and edit visual content using tools such as Canva.
• Ability to manage multiple communications initiatives simultaneously, often under tight deadlines.

Why join us?

How we will reward you

• Great starting salary
• Generous annual leave package
• Access to a high quality pension scheme provided through Universities Superannuation Scheme
• Supportive people policies (including enhanced occupational sickness pay and family friendly pay)
• Financial contributions towards your personal development to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing services i.e., private healthcare, discounted gym membership
• Learning and development opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent
• Employee Volunteer Day’s to support the communities where you work and live
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Our culture

Our people are what makes us different. We work together to create a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves. We are active members of:

• Social Mobility Pledge
• Menopause Workplace Pledge
• Actively support Women in Tech
• Annual Intern programme supporting individuals to gain work experience.

About us

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) was established in 1974 as the principal pension scheme for universities and higher education institutions in the UK. We work with around 330 employers to help build a secure financial future for more than 500,000 members and their families. We are one of the largest pension schemes in the UK, with total assets of around £90.8bn (at 31 March 2022). To find out more, please visit https://www.uss.co.uk

USSL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to ensure our recruitment process is as flexible and inclusive as possible so we can attract diverse candidates and recruit the best talent. We want all candidates to perform at their best during the recruitment process, so if you need any reasonable adjustments or if there is anything we can do to help support you through your recruitment journey please let us know by contacting [e-mail].