Head of External Communications
Description
- Job grade: Other
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: TEC - Communications/Marketing
- Type of role: Communications / Marketing
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
Basis: Permanent, full-time, 36 hours per week
Location: London (Hybrid – minimum 2 days in the office)
Benefits: Outstanding benefits including the Civil Service Pension Scheme, flexible working, 28+ days annual leave and more.
About the Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission is the UK's independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do is about ensuring trust, participation and integrity in the democratic process.
The Commission is building on a period of growth, expanding our workforce and modernising how we deliver our services to better support the needs of a changing democracy. As our organisation develops and adapts to meet future challenges, this post will play a vital part in supporting that progress and helping ensure we remain responsive to the democratic needs of voters, campaigners, parties and electoral administrators across the UK.
Job description
About the role
As Head of External Communications, you will lead our external affairs function, overseeing media relations, public affairs and customer services activity. You will play a crucial role in protecting and enhancing the Commission's reputation, shaping external communications strategy and building understanding of our work among voters, parliamentarians, journalists, political parties and elected representatives.
Operating at the highest levels of the organisation, you will advise the Board, Executive Team and senior leaders on strategic communications, media engagement, reputational risk and stakeholder management. You will also lead the Commission's response to complex and sensitive communications challenges in an environment that attracts significant public and political scrutiny.
Key responsibilities include:
- Developing and delivering the Commission's external communications strategy.
- Leading media relations activity and overseeing a responsive, high-performing press office.
- Directing the Commission's public affairs strategy and parliamentary engagement.
- Managing reputational risks and providing strategic communications counsel to senior leaders.
- Leading external engagement programmes that build confidence in the UK's electoral system.
- Overseeing customer services, public information and complaints handling functions.
- Managing budgets, resources and external supplier relationships where required.
- Acting as a spokesperson for the Commission when appropriate.
This is an outstanding opportunity to influence national debate on issues central to UK democracy while leading a talented, multidisciplinary team.
About the team
The External Communications Team sits within the Communications and External Affairs Directorate and brings together media relations, public affairs and customer services functions under a single leadership structure.
The role directly manages:
- Public Affairs Manager
- Press Manager
- Customer Services Manager
You will work closely with the wider communications leadership team, including colleagues responsible for digital communications, internal communications and campaigns, ensuring a consistent and coordinated approach across all channels and audiences.
The team is collaborative, ambitious and committed to maintaining the Commission's reputation for independence, impartiality and professionalism. Despite working in a fast-moving environment, colleagues are supportive, knowledgeable and motivated by the importance of the Commission's mission.
Person specification
Who we're looking for
We're looking for an exceptional communications leader with strong political awareness, excellent judgement and extensive experience operating in complex stakeholder environments.
You will bring significant experience leading external communications, public affairs or corporate affairs functions, alongside the credibility to advise senior decision-makers and represent an organisation operating under public scrutiny.
Successful candidates are likely to demonstrate:
- Significant experience leading external communications, media relations or public affairs functions.
- Experience operating in regulatory, politically sensitive or highly scrutinised environments.
- Strong media handling and reputation management expertise.
- Experience advising senior executives and boards on strategic communications issues.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, including experience engaging with parliamentarians, government officials and journalists.
- Strong leadership and people management capabilities.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
- The ability to remain calm, resilient and effective under pressure.
This role requires exceptional political judgement and a strong commitment to impartiality. Candidates must be able to demonstrate the independence and objectivity required to work within the Electoral Commission's unique constitutional environment.
Benefits
Why work for us?
This is a rare opportunity to lead communications on issues of national importance at the heart of the UK's democratic system.
You will gain exposure to senior political, media and public sector stakeholders while helping shape public understanding of elections, political finance and democratic participation across the UK.
The role offers:
- Significant strategic influence and visibility.
- The opportunity to lead a talented multidisciplinary team.
- Exposure to complex, high-profile issues with real public impact.
- Opportunities to influence organisational strategy and national debate.
- A collaborative and supportive leadership team.
- Ongoing professional development and career growth opportunities.
The office:
Our offices provide welcoming, collaborative spaces where colleagues can connect, share ideas and work together across teams. You will be part of a supportive working environment that balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of hybrid working.
The benefits:
We offer a strong total reward package, including:
- Flexible working and hybrid model for office-based staff, with a minimum of 40% of working time spent in the office.
- Flexi-time scheme, allowing flexible hours with the option to accrue and take flexi leave.
- 28 rising to 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Civil Service Alpha Pension Scheme – a valuable defined benefit pension providing a guaranteed, inflation-adjusted income in retirement, based on your pensionable earnings and years of membership.
- Performance-related pay.
Things you need to know
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Selection process details
How to apply
We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. To help reduce unconscious bias and ensure all applicants are assessed solely on their skills, knowledge and experience, we use an anonymous recruitment process.
When applying, please provide an anonymised CV which omits your protected characteristics and any personally identifiable information.
Do not include:
- Your name, address, phone number, email or other contact details.
- Your date of birth or age.
- Gender, ethnicity, nationality or other personal identifiers.
- A photograph of yourself.
- Educational dates, as these can indicate your age.
- Primary education details, as these are not required.
Do include:
- Your employment history, including employers and dates of employment.
- Explanations for gaps in your employment history.
- Your duties, responsibilities and achievements.
If your CV contains personal details, such as your name or contact information, we will be unable to consider your application. Please double-check your documents before submitting, including the file name you use to save and upload your CV.
Supporting disabled applicants
The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. As part of this commitment, we aim to prioritise interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.
There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants.
If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace.
Key dates
- Application deadline: Monday 23 November 2026 (23:59)
- First-stage interviews: Expected 1 and 2 December 2026
- Second-stage interviews: Expected 9 and 10 December 2026
- Anticipated start date: February/March 2027
Interviews are expected to take place in person at our London office.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Talent Acquisition Team
- Email : [email protected]
Recruitment team
- Email : [email protected]
Further information
At the Electoral Commission, we are committed to delivering fair, inclusive, and transparent recruitment. Our recruitment practices are guided by Civil Service values and comply with the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation.
If you have concerns about the way a recruitment process has been conducted, we encourage you to raise them with us.
How to Make a Complaint
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our recruitment process, you can contact us directly by email:
[email protected]
Please include the following information:
The job title or reference number
A clear explanation of your concern
Any relevant supporting information
Your preferred contact details
We aim to respond to all complaints within two working days.
Our Commitment
All complaints are treated seriously and in confidence. They are handled in line with our Recruitment Policy and the relevant provisions of the Equality Act 2010, Employment Rights Act 1996, and the Data Protection Act 2018.
If you require this information in an alternative format, or need additional support, please contact us at [email protected] or call 020 7271 0500.
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