Senior Communications Manager

Wickes; Watford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive bonus

Save-as-you-earn scheme

Private Medical and Life Assurance

Enhanced contributory pension scheme

Colleague discount

Discount platform with savings andCash

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Wickes is seeking a Senior Communications Manager to lead the Corporate & Internal Communications team. You will guide internal messaging, support corporate communications, and counsel senior stakeholders to align priorities and drive engagement across Wickes, including change initiatives and employer brand collaboration.

You will craft content across written, digital and visual formats, build strong relationships with leaders, and manage a busy comms calendar to ensure timely delivery and

Qualifications

• Significant experience in internal communications.
• Excellent stakeholder management and ability to influence senior leaders.
• Strong writing, editing and storytelling skills.
• Understanding of corporate communications and executive messaging.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and delivery of internal communications across Wickes.
• Support external and corporate communications activities with senior stakeholders.
• Build relationships with senior leaders to align messaging.
• Develop comms plans for change programmes to keep colleagues informed.
• Provide communications counsel to employer brand and events teams.
• Create high quality content across formats for diverse audiences.
• Maintain an integrated comms calendar for coordinated activity.
• Lead and coach the Internal Communications team.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Writing & storytelling

Planning & organisation

People management

Strategic thinking

Job description

We’re looking for a Senior Communications Manager to join our Corporate & Internal Communications team, leading the internal communications team and activity across Wickes and making sure colleagues stay informed, engaged and aligned to business priorities. You'll work closely with the Director of Corporate & Internal Communications, and as part of the team, leading communication planning and delivery across key business initiatives, supporting corporate communications activity, and providing strategic communications counsel to senior stakeholders. You'll also help ensure communications are clear and coordinated across change programmes, and work with our employer brand and events teams to help deliver engaging colleague and brand experiences.

What you'll be doing:

• Leading Internal Communications: You'll lead the planning and delivery of internal communications across Wickes, keeping messaging clear, consistent and aligned to business priorities and colleague needs.
• Supporting Corporate Communications: Working with the Director of Corporate & Internal Communications on external and corporate communications activity, including leadership messaging, announcements and reputational communications.
• Building Stakeholder Relationships: Building and maintaining strong relationships with senior leaders, ensuring alignment of messaging and effective communication planning across the business.
• Driving Change Communications: Developing and delivering communications plans for business change programmes, ensuring colleagues are informed, engaged and supported through change.
• Partnering on Employer Brand & Events: Working closely with the employer brand and events teams to provide communications counsel, content development and messaging support for key colleague and brand initiatives.
• Creating Content: Producing high quality, engaging content across written, digital and visual formats, tailored to different audiences.
• Managing the Comms Calendar: Maintaining an integrated communications calendar so activity is coordinated, timely and aligned across the organisation.
• Leading the Team: Providing day to day leadership and coaching to an Internal Communications team, supporting them to prioritise workload and ensure high-quality delivery.

What we're looking for:

• Significant experience in internal communications, with some exposure to corporate communications and executive messaging.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills and confidence in influencing senior leaders, along with strong planning and organisational skills in a fast‑paced environment.
• A strong writer, editor and storyteller.
• Commercially aware, with a good understanding of business priorities.
• Comfortable working both strategically and hands‑on.
• Experience in supporting or managing team members within a communications function.
• Ideally, experience in retail, multi‑site or customer‑facing organisations, and exposure to employer brand or employee engagement campaigns.

What Can we Offer you?

• Competitive bonus
• Save‑as‑you‑earn scheme
• Private Medical and Life Assurance
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Colleague discount
• Discount platform including savings and cash back at numerous retailers, savings on gym membership, cycle to work scheme

Our widely recognised wellbeing strategy is something we’re proud of at Wickes. As part of this, we offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits and support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, financial education & loans, and access to parental, menopause and fertility support.

About Us

Wickes is a multi‑channel retailer operating in the home improvement market. With 40 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of £1.6Bn across 230 stores delivered by 8,000+ colleagues. But it is the Wickes’ culture that is considered its best kept secret; it’s a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home.

We aim to create an inclusive workplace with colleagues’ wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. We’re a Disability Confident Employer and committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from disabled people and are committed to providing an accessible recruitment process and workplace for everyone. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments, please let us know here.