Head of Communications and Community Engagement - UKIFS

For more information on UKIFS, visit: https://careers.ukaea.uk/wp-content/uploads/download/UKIFS_CandidateRecruitmentPack.pdf 

Employees of UKIFS is based at either of our sites; West Burton, Nottinghamshire.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) , including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

The salary for this role is £83,421 and onsite working is expected for 3-4 days a week. 

The Role  

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference on a global scale? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy as Head of Communications and Community Engagement is a senior leadership role that is at the heart of the UKIFS organisation. This role brings with it substantial influence and presence, across all levels of the organisation, to develop and deploy strategies and approaches that build and strengthen UKIFS and the STEP programme’s reputation to effectively manage and deliver this significant endeavour on behalf of the government.  

We operate in an energising, complex, and mission driven environment, where you will be leading the development and continuance of excellent stakeholder relationships including, (but not exclusive to) across Government including our parent Department (DESNZ) and Cabinet Office, our integrated delivery team alliance comprised of industry partners including UKAEA as our Fusion Partner, the wider fusion community in the UK and internationally, and our local communities and development organisations. 

Additional Responsibilities:

• Lead the creation and delivery of internal and external communications strategies for UKIFS and STEP, adapting to evolving program needs.
• Design, plan, and execute external engagements, coordinating closely with UKAEA group communications to ensure alignment.
• Identify new communication and engagement channels, leveraging digital media to boost brand visibility and public perception.
• Manage strategic oversight of social media presence and act as spokesperson, enhancing media coverage and community relations.
• Oversee branding consistency across all touchpoints, manage a ~£1m budget, and mentor a communications team to achieve high performance.
• Champion organisational culture and values, fostering a positive, inclusive team environment, and making decisions aligned with ethical standards.

Essential Requirements: 

• Extensive experience in communications, stakeholder engagement and community relations.
• A bachelor’s degree in communications or an equivalent qualification in a related field
• Extensive experience of leading, mentoring, and coaching teams to achieve high quality delivery
• Demonstrable experience of working in complex, matrixed, programmatic environment
• Demonstrable understanding of government structures and the role national, regional, and local government play in a project like STEP
• Experience of fiscal management and reporting
• Proven relationship builder with stakeholders at all levels 
• Demonstrable experience as trusted advisor at CEO, Director, and executive team level
• Proficiency in producing board-level papers and proposals
• Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal
• Ability to act as an ambassador for the programme
•  Strategic, creative and innovative thinker

Beneficial Requirements: 

• CIPR qualified
• Previous experience of working on significant infrastructure project 

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/  

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and women. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success. 

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications. 

For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the following link for information on criminal records checks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.