Head of Communications and Engagement in London

• Please make sure you include your cover letter - Applications without cover letters will not be considered.
• LEASE does not currently hold a Home Office sponsor licence and is therefore unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
• Please no recruitment agencies, we have this one covered, thank you.

Please send your application to . We look forward to hearing from you.

Please Note:

First stage interviews (virtual): Monday 23 November 2026

Second stage interviews (in-person): Wednesday 2 December 2026

About LEASE

The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. We provide free, impartial, expert legal information and advice on leasehold, commonhold, park homes, shared ownership and related tenures across England and Wales. With the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 being implemented and commonhold set to become the default tenure, our ambition is to be digital-first, ethically AI-enabled, insight-led, respected by government and trusted by consumers.

Head of Communications and Engagement

Please note that this role is hybrid. Our office is presently at Kings Place, Kings Cross, London, N1

The Head of Communications and Engagement will be a member of the Senior Management Team, leading the organisation’s communications, engagement and external affairs function and acting as the senior adviser to the Chief Executive and Board on significant communications and stakeholder issues.

The postholder will lead the development and delivery of the organisation’s communications and engagement strategy, covering media and PR, digital and direct communications, social media, stakeholder relations, public affairs, events, internal communications and brand.

A key focus of the role will be increasing awareness of and engagement with the service among leaseholders, park home owners, shared owners and, increasingly, commonholders, helping ensure that those who need our advice know how to access it. The postholder will also ensure that the organisation’s data, insight and consumer research are used effectively to bring the experiences of consumers into policy development and wider public debate. The postholder will play a central role in communicating leasehold and commonhold reform to consumers and the sector, and in positioning LEASE for the transition to commonhold.

As the leader of a small, developing function with limited dedicated communications capacity, the postholder will combine strategic leadership with substantial hands-on delivery, setting realistic priorities and making effective use of available resources, working closely with digital, data, legal and commercial colleagues.

Key responsibilities

Strategic leadership

• Contribute as a member of the Senior Management Team to the wider leadership, direction and effective management of the organisation.
• Act as the principal adviser to the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team and Board on communications, engagement and external affairs, attending Board meetings and providing advice and insight as required.
• Develop and lead the organisation’s communications and engagement strategy, translating organisational priorities into clear plans and activity.
• Establish clear objectives and measures for communications and engagement, evaluating reach among priority audiences, awareness of the service, engagement with advice and stakeholder use of the organisation’s evidence, drawing on brand tracking, channel analytics and consumer feedback.
• Provide line management, support and development to the Principal Research and Insights Lead, who leads the organisation’s research and insight programme, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and effective links with communications and engagement activity.
• Manage the function’s resources and budgets effectively, commissioning agencies, freelancers and other suppliers where appropriate, in line with public procurement rules and value-for-money requirements.
• Build strong senior relationships with communications, policy and external affairs colleagues at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other key organisations, including on joint communications about leasehold and commonhold reform, and represent the organisation at senior-level meetings and events.
• Keep abreast of emerging communications practice, trends and opportunities, including the responsible use of AI in communications and the growing role of AI-powered search in how consumers find advice.
• Ensure all communications activity complies with Government Communication Service propriety guidance, pre-election period guidance, Managing Public Money and relevant legal requirements, including accessibility and data protection.
• Provide regular reporting and insight to the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team and Board.

Media and PR

• Lead the organisation’s day-to-day proactive and reactive media relations.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with relevant journalists and media outlets.
• Identify opportunities to use media and PR to increase awareness of the service and highlight the organisation’s expertise, evidence and impact.
• Oversee the development of key messaging, external statements and media releases.
• Oversee responses to incoming media enquiries.
• Prepare and advise the Chief Executive and other senior spokespeople, including legal experts, for interviews and public appearances, and arrange media training where needed.
• Lead communications responses to emerging or sensitive issues, ensuring appropriate escalation and coordination, including with the MHCLG press office.
• Develop the organisation’s approach to identifying and using case studies, testimonials and customer stories to demonstrate impact and bring the organisation’s work to life, with appropriate consent and protection of personal data.
• Monitor media coverage and relevant external commentary and use this insight to inform communications activity.

Digital, direct and social communications

• Set the direction for the organisation’s digital, direct and social media communications.
• Work closely with the Head of Digital and Data so that the website, digital tools (such as the AI chatbot and lease calculators) and consumer content are promoted effectively and optimised for search and AI-powered search.
• Deliver an effective programme of communications across channels, including newsletters and emerging channels such as SMS and messaging apps.
• Ensure appropriate use of organic and paid social and digital media to reach priority audiences and increase awareness and engagement, evaluating performance and value for money.
• Lead the organisation’s approach to customer review and trust platforms, including Trustpilot and Google reviews, in line with platform and consumer protection rules.
• Oversee audience segmentation and targeting to improve the effectiveness of direct communications and support a more personalised experience for consumers, in line with data protection requirements.
• Identify and address gaps in awareness and engagement among priority audiences, using accessible communications and appropriate channels to reach people who face barriers to accessing advice, including digital exclusion, and tailoring outreach for groups such as park home owners, shared owners and consumers in Wales.

Public affairs and stakeholder engagement

• Lead the organisation’s approach to stakeholder engagement and public affairs.
• Oversee relationships with government departments, the Welsh Government, parliamentarians, public bodies, consumer organisations, sector bodies and other key stakeholders.
• Lead the organisation’s parliamentary engagement, building awareness and understanding of the service among MPs, Members of the Senedd and their offices.
• Ensure senior leaders are effectively briefed and supported for stakeholder meetings.
• Identify opportunities for the organisation to contribute evidence, insight and expertise to relevant policy discussions.
• Ensure stakeholder activity supports the organisation’s objectives while maintaining its impartiality, independence and credibility as a non-departmental public body.
• Oversee organisational responses to relevant government and sector consultations, working closely with legal colleagues.

Events and external engagement

• Oversee the organisation’s programme of external events, webinars, stakeholder roundtables and other engagement activity.
• Identify appropriate conferences, panels and external events in which the organisation should participate, in line with the organisation’s events policy.
• Ensure the Chief Executive and other senior colleagues are appropriately briefed for significant external events and engagements.
• Ensure events are planned around clear objectives and support wider communications and stakeholder priorities, and are evaluated for impact.

Brand and corporate communications

• Lead the development and stewardship of the organisation’s brand, ensuring its positioning, identity and tone are clear, consistent and appropriate, including preparing the brand for the transition to commonhold and the organisation’s commercial services.
• Support the marketing of the organisation’s commercial offer to professional and sector audiences, such as training and CPD, in a way that protects its impartiality and independence.
• Oversee brand guidelines and support colleagues and suppliers to apply them effectively.
• Ensure corporate publications, insight reports, presentations, templates and key materials are of a consistently high standard.
• Oversee communications around organisational publications and the annual report and accounts.
• Ensure the organisation communicates in a way that is clear, accessible, authoritative and human.

Internal communications

• Advise the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team on communications with colleagues.
• Oversee the development and effective management of the organisation’s intranet and other internal communications channels.
• Support communications around organisational change and significant internal developments, working closely with HR.
• Ensure colleagues are kept informed about organisational priorities, decisions and developments.

Person specification

• Significant senior-level experience in communications, engagement and/or external affairs, including providing trusted advice to Chief Executives, senior management teams or Boards.
• A strong track record of developing and delivering communications and engagement strategies that have achieved demonstrable impact against organisational objectives.
• Strong experience of proactive and reactive media relations, including handling sensitive or high-profile issues and preparing senior spokespeople.
• Broad experience across digital and direct communications, social media, audience engagement, brand and corporate communications.
• Experience of public affairs and stakeholder engagement, including building effective relationships with government, public bodies, sector organisations or other senior external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex policy, technical or consumer issues clear and accessible to different audiences.
• Confident, hands‑on content skills, with the ability to write, edit and produce high‑quality material directly as well as lead strategy.
• Strong judgement and political awareness, with the confidence to provide clear advice and constructive challenge at senior level.
• Experience of leading and developing a communications or engagement function, setting priorities and managing competing demands.
• Experience of managing budgets, agencies, suppliers or other external resources.
• Understanding of, or the ability to quickly grasp, the requirements of communicating as a public body, including propriety, impartiality, accessibility and data protection.
• Strong relationship‑building and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across an organisation and with a wide range of external stakeholders.
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to communicating with people from all backgrounds, including those who face barriers to accessing advice.
• Experience of working directly with government departments, parliamentarians or policymakers.
• Experience of coordinating consultation responses and policy submissions.
• Experience of communicating consumer research, data and insight to policy and stakeholder audiences.
• Experience of developing case studies, testimonials or customer advocacy programmes.
• Experience of managing customer review or trust platforms.
• Experience of planning and optimising paid social and digital media campaigns.
• Experience of planning and delivering external events and other engagement activity.
• Experience of internal communications, intranet development or organisational change communications.
• Experience of using digital and AI tools responsibly to improve communications, including optimising content for search and AI-powered search.
• Experience of working in or with a government arm’s‑length body, regulator or consumer advice organisation.
• Experience of marketing services to professional or business audiences.
• Knowledge of housing, leasehold, commonhold, park homes, shared ownership, consumer affairs or a related policy area.

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