AMS PSR

On behalf of DEFRA we are looking for a Senior Strategic Communications Manager (Inside IR35) for a 6 month contract on a hybrid basis at any of the DEFRA locations – York, Bristol, London and Newcastle main offices sites (2-3 days office attendance expectations)

In the Defra group, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly impact on people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s environment, our countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and have lead responsibility for protection from a wide range of natural threats and hazards. We have developed a set of three strategic objectives covering our policy outcomes and corporate objectives. These objectives help us to deliver our ambitious vision to build our green and healthy future and provide a framework for all the important work we carry out.

Our objectives are:

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (https://www.gov.uk/)

25 Year Environment Plan - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/)

About the role

The Senior Strategic Communications Manager sits at the heart of the Communications Directorate, leading high-profile and strategically important communications activity across Defra and its group bodies, including the Environment Agency, Rural Payments Agency, Natural England and the Animal & Plant Health Agency.

Working closely with Ministerial teams and senior policy leads, the role provides strategic direction for priority announcements and campaigns, ensuring communications activity is integrated, insight-led and aligned to departmental objectives. Operating in a fast-moving and politically sensitive environment, the postholder will shape strategic messaging, coordinate delivery across multiple teams and drive evaluation and continuous improvement.

This is a senior role requiring strong leadership, political awareness and the ability to deliver at pace while maintaining high standards of quality and consistency.

As a Senior Strategic Communications Manager your role responsibilities will be:

• Lead strategic communication planning and delivery for priority announcements and campaigns, ensuring integrated and insight-driven approaches across channels.
• Provide high-level strategic communications advice to Ministers and senior officials, shaping messaging and approach in complex or sensitive contexts.
• Coordinate activity across the Communications Directorate, policy and delivery teams to ensure consistency, alignment and effective contribution to policy development.
• Work collaboratively across government and with external stakeholders to identify opportunities and deliver impactful communications activity.
• Develop long-term, joined-up communication strategies in partnership with policy leads, aligning activity to departmental priorities.
• Ensure communications are effectively evaluated, using insight and performance data to demonstrate impact and drive continuous improvement.
• Monitor the external environment, identifying emerging risks and opportunities and providing situational awareness and issues management advice.
• Line manage direct reports and matrix manage colleagues across the Directorate, setting direction and motivating teams to deliver high-quality outcomes.

Essential criterial

• Significant experience delivering high-profile communications strategies in complex, fast-moving or politically sensitive environments.
• Strong expertise in strategic communication planning, including insight generation, strategy development and evaluation.
• Proven ability to communicate complex policy issues clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Experience advising and influencing senior leaders, including Ministers or executive-level stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience building effective networks across departments and external partners.
• Demonstrated leadership capability, including line or matrix management of teams.
• Political awareness and sound judgement in managing issues and reputational risk.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver to tight and sometimes conflicting deadlines.
• Strong analytical, written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience working within central government or across arm’s length bodies.
• Experience delivering integrated campaigns across digital, media, stakeholder engagement, events and branding.
• Experience contributing to cross-government communications planning.
• Familiarity with evaluation frameworks and impact measurement in government communications.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, Defra guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.