Reports to
Head of HR
Direct reports
None
Accountabilities
As the organisation’s internal communications lead, you will own and shape the internal communications strategy. Acting as the subject matter expert, you will influence senior leadership, drive cultural transformation, and ensure that all internal communications align with organisational priorities and values.
This role is pivotal in creating a unified voice across GS1 UK, fostering engagement, and embedding change through compelling, data-driven communication strategies that are connected to our core values and guiding principles.
Key responsibilities
Strategic leadership
- Develop and own the organisation-wide internal communications and engagement strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and cultural priorities
- Serve as the principal advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team on internal communications, providing counsel on tone, messaging, and impact
Executive partnering
- Act as a trusted strategic partner to the CEO and senior leaders, shaping leadership visibility and narrative through high-impact messaging, presentations, and engagement campaigns
- Influence and challenge senior stakeholders to adopt best practices in communication and engagement that support GS1 UK’s strategy, enhance employee engagement and reflect our value
Enterprise-wide engagement
- Lead the design and delivery of initiatives that strengthen employee engagement and drive cultural transformation
- Partner with HR and senior leadership to embed engagement principles into organisational processes and change programmes
Channel & platform ownership
- Oversee all of the internal communications channels, ensuring they are innovative, fit for purpose and evolve these channels in line with metrics and feedback
- Introduce new technologies and approaches to enhance reach and effectiveness
Event leadership
- Take full ownership of flagship internal events (away days, business updates, town halls, recognition programmes), ensuring they deliver strategic impact and reinforce organisational values. This will include event development, facilitation, management and communications
Content strategy
- Set the tone and standards for all internal communications content, ensuring clarity, consistency, and creativity
- Lead the editorial calendar and oversee high-quality storytelling that connects employees to organisational goals
- Content creation: a natural storyteller able to manage, edit and create engaging and compelling content for internal communications channels, including intranet articles, email announcements, organisational events and presentations
Change management
- Design and lead communication strategies for organisational changes, ensuring transparency, alignment, and employee confidence
Measurement & Insights
- Use insights to continuously refine strategies and demonstrate ROI to leadership
- Establish and manage robust analytics frameworks to measure the effectiveness of communications and engagement initiatives
Person specification
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience leading internal communications at a strategic level within a complex organisation
- Expertise in influencing senior leadership and shaping organisational culture through communication
- Strong understanding of change management and its integration with communications strategies
- Exceptional stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, with the ability to challenge and advise at c-suite board level, and to build relationships and collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation
- Advanced knowledge of internal communications best practices, tools, and emerging trend
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives for diverse audiences
- Data-driven approach with experience in using metrics to inform decision-making
- Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Strong experience in business partnering leaders and leadership teams, supporting them to identify, develop and deploy engagement and communication campaigns
- The skills to project manage communications campaigns and work at both strategic and tactical levels
- High level of professionalism, discretion and integrity
- A track-record of leveraging Microsoft Office to enhance internal communications and engagement, such as Teams channels and events, SharePoint building and site management
Essential personal skills and style
- A collaborative mindset, able to work with a diverse audience
- Able to provide counsel and challenge where appropriate to champion best practice
- Calm under pressure, with the ability to manage conflicting demands
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Understanding of best practice in communications and employee engagement
- An active learner who manages and drives their own development
Desirable
- Video and multimedia content development expertise
- Advanced project management skills and familiarity with digital engagement platforms
- Experience working across both internal and external marketing communications, with the ability to integrate messaging for consistency and brand alignment
Why join us?
As a colleague at GS1 UK you will enjoy a supportive working environment along with a generous amount of benefits available to you.
- A healthy work life balance (hybrid working with flexibility on start and finish times)
- 25 days annual leave (excluding bank holidays) with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days every year
- Join our social and charity team events
- Generous pension scheme with employer contributions up to 12%
- Life assurance policy (5x annual salary) to give you a peace of mind
- Full range of benefits available (PMI, dental, travel, gym membership and many more)