Senior Engagement and Communities Manager - DSIT - SEO

Manchester Digital; London, Manchester, Bristol; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

A government digital service in London seeks a Senior Engagement and Communities Manager to establish an engagement strategy with local government. The ideal candidate will have community engagement expertise, strong stakeholder management skills, and the ability to organize impactful events. This role involves collaborating with various stakeholders and managing communication strategies. A creative approach to problem-solving is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing relationships with key stakeholders.
• Ability to deliver high-impact communication materials.
• Experience in planning and delivering community engagement activities.

Responsibilities

• Deliver activities within the engagement strategy.
• Support organization of virtual and in-person events.
• Collaborate with government departments to manage priorities.

Skills

Community engagement

Stakeholder management

Event organization

Communication skills

Creative problem solving

Job description

Senior Engagement and Communities Manager - DSIT - SEO

Full-time (Permanent) National: £42,382 - £45,920 London: £46,169 - £50,062
Published on 15 September 2025 Deadline 24 September 2025

Location

Bristol, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

• joining up public sector services
• harnessing the power of AI for the public good
• strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
• elevating leadership and investing in talent
• funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
• committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity.

We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You\'ll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Join the digital heart of government – as a Senior Engagement and Communities Manager to drive our new approach to collaboration with local government. We\'re looking for a dynamic and creative professional to help establish an engagement strategy for the team, lead the establishment of new relationships, networks and communities of practice across local government, support with both external and internal communications about the team’s work, and lead the delivery of innovative events with a range of stakeholders across the sector. If you thrive on innovation, can deliver at pace, and are passionate about solving complex challenges with ingenuity, we want to hear from you.

Person specification

As a Senior Engagement and Communities Manager you’ll:

• Deliver activities set out within engagement strategy, including managing relationships with key stakeholders across GDS and local authorities, supporting the creation and management communities of practice across local government practitioners, and establishing communication channels with a variety of stakeholder groups.
• Work with local authorities practitioners on digital and data projects, supporting the delivery of the vision set out in the blueprint.
• Support with the organisation and promotion of a series of virtual and in-person events and meetings with local government, including as roundtables, workshops and using innovative formats like hackathons.
• Create and deliver high-impact communication materials to support the engagement strategy, from compelling content for newsletters or blogs, to dynamic social media, impactful events, informed by insightful audience analysis. Ensure reporting of delivery against the engagement strategy to senior leaders in GDS.
• Collaborate dynamically with relevant DSIT and local authorities stakeholders, ensuring all activities are underpinned by robust, agile plans aligned with our engagement strategy. You\'ll expertly manage urgent priorities and emerging needs.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across relevant government departments and local government, promoting the team’s priorities, ensuring awareness within the team of other relevant work, and coordinating messaging across GDS for how we support local government.
• Can cope comfortably with ambiguity and thrive on being creative and innovative.
• Bring high levels of energy and enthusiasm to collaboration, inspiring others to deliver results.
• Are experienced professionals with the knowledge and understanding of how to plan and deliver community engagement activities.
• Have high level writing and editing skills with an understanding of different types of content that can be used for different purposes.
• Have knowledge and understanding of planning and delivering engaging virtual and in person events, and can work across all aspects of a large engagement programme.
• Have the ability to be able to grasp a variety of fast moving, often nuanced and complex policies quickly and effectively.
• Have experience of managing a wide range of stakeholders and their competing priorities.
• A background in communications and engagement.
• Have demonstrable experience in delivering and measuring the efficacy of community activity.
• Possess design skills, understand how to use digital events and marketing platforms, and can film and edit footage on a smart phone.

Behaviours

We\'ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: