Internal Communications Manager

Do you want to work on one or the most exciting transformation projects in the public sector?

The Defence Housing Service (DHS) is being created through the Armed Forces Bill to deliver a step-change in housing for the UK’s Armed Forces and their families following the publication of the Defence Housing Strategy on 3 November 2025, which marked the most significant change to Armed Forces housing in over 50 years. DHS will bring a dedicated focus to improving the homes, communities and lived experience of Service personnel, placing families firmly at the heart of everything it does.

This is one of the most ambitious housing transformation programmes in the UK today. Backed by a £9.2 billion investment, DHS will modernise tens of thousands of homes, introduce a more proactive and customer-focused approach to maintenance, and unlock new opportunities to develop housing on Defence land. DHS will have the focus and agility to deliver change at pace, combining public service values with greater flexibility to build the skills, systems and partnerships needed for the future.

This is a rare opportunity to be part of shaping its culture, influencing how it works, and helping deliver lasting improvements for Service families across the UK.

The Defence Housing team is currently part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), who respond to the evolving needs of our military personnel, and the ways in which they live, work, train and deploy. We are proud to be the expert partner Defence needs for all their infrastructure requirements. From large scale infrastructure projects such as runways for the F35 fighter jets to net carbon-zero accommodation for our Service families, our activities focus relentlessly on our customers, and our outputs are unique in the UK and across the globe!

DIO , What we deliver every day.

The future delivery model for this team is currently under review and may change as part of potential organisational developments. This could include the team or function transferring to a different employer or organisational structure in the future. Should activities transfer out of the Ministry of Defence existing employees transferring with those activities will maintain the same, or substantially the same, terms and conditions of employment.

Are you an experienced communications leader who can establish and develop an effective internal communications function in a dynamic and evolving organisation?

We are looking for a Head of Internal Communications to lead a small team and shape how we communicate, engage and connect with colleagues across DHS. As part of a newly forming organisation, you will play a pivotal role in establishing channels, building engagement, and creating a culture where staff feel informed, valued and connected to our mission and values.

Working closely with senior leaders, you will develop and deliver an internal communications strategy that supports organisational priorities and major transformation activity. You will lead communications for the DHS transition programme, ensuring colleagues receive clear, consistent and timely information throughout a period of significant change.

You will establish and manage effective communication channels for a geographically dispersed workforce, using audience insight and feedback to shape engaging content and improve the employee experience. From compelling stories and leadership communications to organisation-wide campaigns, you will ensure communications are inclusive, impactful and aligned to DHS's voice and values.

As a trusted adviser to senior leaders, you will provide expert guidance on staff engagement, change communications and organisational listening. You will also use data, insight and evaluation to measure success, identify opportunities for improvement and demonstrate the impact of communications activity.

This is an exciting opportunity to create and lead an internal communications function from the outset, helping to shape the culture, identity and future of DHS.

What you’ll be doing

Leadership and Team Management

• Lead, manage and develop a small internal communications team, setting clear objectives, maintaining high standards, and supporting professional development.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture aligned with DHS values.
• Manage team workload and priorities across competing demands.
• Drive innovation by identifying and implementing new approaches to internal communications.

Internal Communications Strategy and Planning

• Develop and deliver a comprehensive internal communications strategy aligned with organisational objectives and change programme milestones.
• Establish and maintain internal communications channels, governance arrangements and planning frameworks for the new organisation.
• Identify and capitalise on emerging communications opportunities, channels and trends.
• Develop and oversee an annual internal communications plan with clear objectives and evaluation measures.
• Provide strategic communications advice to senior leaders on staff engagement, organisational listening and change communications.
• Champion staff engagement, maximising dialogue between DIO’s leaders and staff and improving DIO’s organisational listening

Channel Development and Management

• Research, establish and manage effective internal communications channels for a geographically dispersed workforce.
• Use audience insight to shape channel selection, content and messaging.
• Ensure channels are accessible and inclusive for both desk-based and operational staff.
• Monitor and evaluate channel effectiveness, adapting approaches based on evidence and feedback.

Change Communications

• Lead internal communications for the DHS transition programme, delivering clear and consistent messaging throughout organisational change.
• Work closely with HR, programme and leadership teams to align communications with key decisions and programme milestones.
• Develop and maintain a compelling change narrative that helps staff understand the purpose and impact of DHS.
• Identify and manage communications risks, including information gaps and inconsistent messaging.

Content and Storytelling

• Commission and produce high-quality content across a range of formats, including written, video, digital and face-to-face communications.
• Work with corporate and delivery teams to identify and share stories that inform, engage and celebrate achievement across the organisation.
• Develop and maintain a consistent organisational voice and tone.
• Act as a trusted communications adviser to senior leaders, providing support on proactive and reactive issues, including briefings, scripts and all-staff messages.

Insight and Evaluation

• Establish mechanisms to gather staff insight and feedback on communications effectiveness, engagement and sentiment.
• Use data, evaluation and feedback to continuously improve internal communications activity.
• Report on communications performance and staff engagement to senior leaders.
• Apply the GCS Evaluation Cycle to measure the outputs, outtakes and outcomes of communications activity.

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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

At sift stage, applicants will be required to provide:

• A CV in the Job History section, ensuring it clearly demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. We encourage you to use specific evidence from your experience to illustrate your suitability for the role.
• A personal statement (no more than 500 words) providing specific examples of how you meet the two most critical criteria for the role. Further guidance is given within the Personal Statement section of the application.

Applications will be assessed against the essential criteria, with each criterion scored on a scale of 1 to 7. An overall score will then be calculated using the average of all criterion scores. To progress beyond the sift stage, applicants must achieve a minimum score of 4 on every essential criterion. This means that even if your overall average score is 4 or higher, you will not progress if you score below 4 on any individual essential criterion.

Please note that, in the event of a high volume of applications, the selection panel reserves the right to increase the overall pass mark.

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

Behaviour 1: Communicating and Influencing

Behaviour 2: Leadership

Behaviour 3: Developing self and others

Behaviour 4: Making Effective Decisions

You will be asked questions related to your technical knowledge and/or experience for this role.

In the event of a tied score at interview, the order of merit will be distinguished based on the ranking of the assessed Behaviours in the order listed above.

Interviews will be held via MS Teams.

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for interviews or assessments.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.