Communications & Engagement Consultant (Defence)

Flexible working - We operate in a hybrid working environment where we come into a client site or office, at least two days per week.  

Location: Bristol, and client sites in the Southwest (M4 corridor)

Do you feel the desire to join a highly motivated team that aims to create positive and lasting changes in the world?

Our Major Programme Services (MPS) team are looking for an exceptional Communications and Engagement specialist with significant experience working on digital transformation programmes within the Defence sector. MPS is in high demand and experiencing repeated successes in delivering value and excellence for our clients who are within daily commuting range from home. Due to this success, we are expanding further across the UK. 

MPS are client-facing consultants who are part of PA’s core Programme Transformation and Delivery capability Team, PA’s Centre of Excellence for all project, programme, and portfolio capability. We work across Defence, major projects & infrastructure, transport, and public sector taking on client-facing roles on long-term assignments.  

As a Communications and Engagement Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in developing, delivering, and implementing effective communication and engagement strategies that support goals, programmes, and change initiatives within complex digital transformation programmes. The role will ensure clear, consistent messaging and proactive stakeholder engagement to enable successful organisational change. Your collaborative, human-centric, and value-driven mindset will be crucial in delivering successful outcomes for our clients.  

This role offers an exciting opportunity to work in a collaborative and innovative environment, shaping projects that drive meaningful impact. 

You will have opportunity to:

• Design and deliver clear and compelling communication strategies to support digital programme communications, policies, and organisational change initiatives for Defence organisations.
• Work closely with the assignment manager to ensure programme communications are aligned with wider strategic communications across Defence.
• Identify, map, and proactively engage with a range of stakeholders including internal personnel, external partners, government agencies, and the wider Defence community, build trust and drive adoption.
• Create multi-channel communication plans and produce clear, compelling, and accurate content, tailored to diverse audiences.
• Foster behaviour change through messaging, storytelling, and engagement activities.
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and with stakeholders to prepare the organisation for change and ensure alignment of messaging across all programme activities.
• Facilitate workshops and events to inspire individuals and teams as well as deliver usable outputs
• Establish mechanisms to capture feedback and sentiment, using insights to refine communications and measure impact.
• Foster strong long-term client relationships by maintaining regular communication and managing expectations.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to junior team members and undertake knowledge transfer activities.
• Work with clients who are within daily commuting range from home.

• Significant experience in delivering communications and engagement within digital transformation programmes– large scale transformation experience is desirable
• Understanding of measurement tools for communication effectiveness and feedback analysis.
• Ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships across government and Defence environments.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information to clients and stakeholders in a clear and concise manner. 
• Collaborative mindset and ability to work with a diverse range of stakeholders
• Analytical mindset with the ability to identify and solve problems, make informed decisions, and manage risks effectively. 
• Knowledge of government and/or Defence communications protocols.
• Must be able to work at pace, to a high standard and usually to very tight deadlines.
• Understanding of a human-centric approach to communication and engagement
• Prior experience working within Defence or similar complex and operationally focused organisations, is desirable but not essential.
• Experience working in a consulting environment and/or consortium/blended teams is desirable but not essential. 
• Communications or public relations qualification (e.g., CIPR, IoIC, PRINCE2 for communications) is desirable but not essential.

We know the skill-gap and ‘somewhat need to tick every box’ can get in the way of meeting brilliant candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply – we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today by completing our online application

Please be aware that some of our UK roles at PA Consulting require a UK security clearance.

All PA people are required to undergo background checks and to achieve the Baseline Personnel Security Standard however, some UK roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting, where applicants must have at least 5 years of continuous residency in the UK.

We therefore ask that you only apply if you meet the residency requirements (i.e. you are a British citizen or have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years), as this is the prerequisite for a security clearance. If you're unsure about your eligibility, we encourage you to review the UK Government’s guidance on security vetting before applying.

Life At PA encompasses our peoples' experience at PA. It's about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work. 

Our purpose guides how we work with our clients and our teams, and support our communities, to deliver insight and impact, solving the world’s most complex challenges. We're focused on building a workplace that values human difference and diverse mindsets, and a culture of inclusion and equality that unlocks the potential in our people so everyone can be their best self. 

Find out more about Life at PA here. 

We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits: 

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days 
• Generous company pension scheme 
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives 
• Annual performance-based bonus 
• PA share ownership 
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn) 

We’re committed to advancing equality. We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief, veteran status, or any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups. 

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us.

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