Strategic Engagement Lead: Up to £66,039, 27.9% pension contributions, hybrid working and flexible working hours.

DWP's Digital Engagement Team is an award-winning group of engagement, communication and marketing experts. We communicate with external and internal audiences about the work of DWP's Digital Group.

We need a Strategic Engagement Lead, to guide strategic relationships and engagement strategies, using intelligence and political acumen to make informed decisions.

You will build relationships and credibility with a range of high-level internal and external stakeholders, working across many teams, ensuring business-wide communications meet our objectives and deliver outcomes.

We help people in DWP and outside understand the vision and purpose of our Digital teams, as we transform how government works. You will work directly with our Digital Engagement Lead, who will support you in achieving the best results for colleagues and customers.

What you'll do:

Building effective and proactive relationships with key organisations to support the department's objectives.

Developing stakeholder handling and engagement strategies for high-profile and often controversial issues.

Anticipate and spot breaking news stories and drive the team to issue swift, robust, and appropriate responses.

Contributing to media handling advice on sensitive, complex, and sometimes high-profile issues.

Providing strategic advice to senior leaders on engagement and handling, and develop a programme of high-quality engagement events to support this.

Line management responsibilities: setting clear direction and objectives, supporting reports to perform and develop, providing regular feedback and building communications and engagement expertise.

Your essential skills, knowledge and experience:

Membership of either: the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, or the Institute of Digital Marketing, or the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

A strong track record in an External Affairs role and/or government relations.

Proven experience of working in communications and engagement roles, and the confidence to work alongside Ministers and Senior Officials and their team(s).

Strong influencing skills and the ability to prioritise and manage competing demands.

Demonstrable experience of identifying stakeholders and finding mutual beneficial outcomes across a range of relationships.

Demonstrable experience of working in a high-profile media environment with and the ability to take a proactive approach to anticipating possible criticism and risk and preparing in advance.

Excellent written communication skills as well as the ability to present information in a way that engages a range of audiences.

Details. Wages. Perks.

You'll join us in your choice of our brilliant digital hubs in Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield.

We also have all the tools and tech we need to enable our people to work flexibly. We work a hybrid model with a mix of home working and sometime in the office.

In return for your skills, we offer competitive pay from £54,516 - £66,039.

You'll be eligible for a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions of 27.9%, worth over £15,000 a year.

You'll get a generous leave package starting at 26 days, rising to 31 days over time, plus all the usual bank holidays, and the option to take extra days off on flexi leave.

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

Flexible working, flexi hours and flexi days

Hybrid working: some time in a hub with the team, some time at home

Family-friendly policies

Time off volunteering and charitable giving

Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'

Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more

Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket

Sports and social activities

Working in an award-winning environment and culture

Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.

Click 'Apply' for more information and to s