Head of External Communications

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 CommissionThe 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.

About the roleAs 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 teamThe 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.

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

How to applyWe 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 applicantsThe 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 datesApplication 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.