Internal Communications Manager - Construction/Infrastructure

About us At National Grid, we keep people connected and society moving. National Grid supplies us with the environment to make it happen. As we generate momentum in the energy transition for all, we don't plan on leaving any of our customers in the dark. This role is located in our Warwick, UK office, with travel to Birmingham once or twice a week and ad hoc travel to project team meetings across the UK.

Job purpose The Strategic Infrastructure (SI) business unit was established to deliver major new infrastructure projects across the UK - projects critical to achieving net zero and supporting the government's ambition to deliver 50GW of renewable energy by 2030. To enable the delivery of the large-scale onshore construction programmes, SI has formed long-term partnerships with key organisations through the Great Grid Partnership (GGP). This new enterprise model brings us together as one integrated team for the next decade and beyond, jointly delivering The Great Grid Upgrade.

Acting as a strategic communication business partner to the National Grid Onshore Director and the GGP Director and Executive team, this role is responsible for developing and delivering colleague communication and engagement strategies that bring The Great Grid Upgrade to life for National Grid colleagues and those working across the construction projects. The role sits within the wider NGET Colleague Communication and Engagement team, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the GGP Director.

• Own the development, delivery and evaluation of the GGP colleague communication and engagement strategy, shaped around the realities of major, multi-year infrastructure and construction programmes, and designed to unite multiple partner organisations behind the delivery of The Great Grid Upgrade.
• Act as a trusted communication partner to the GGP Executive Team, National Grid Onshore Director and senior project leaders, building understanding, credibility and trust across new commercial models, joint delivery arrangements and complex programme structures.
• Translate complex infrastructure programmes, construction phasing, delivery milestones, and technical change into clear, compelling colleague communications, ensuring people understand what is being built, why it matters, and their role in delivering it.
• Lead the creation and governance of clear, consistent messaging across large onshore construction programmes, ensuring alignment between National Grid and partner organisations while respecting different organisational cultures, contractual arrangements and delivery responsibilities.
• Partner with the People function to deliver clear, engaging communications that enhance the colleague experience, including supporting induction, the recognition scheme, and driving awareness and participation in engagement surveys.
• Develop and manage communication channels, events and technology suited to infrastructure delivery, ensuring effective reach to office-based, site-based and field colleagues, and enabling two-way dialogue with programme and construction leaders.
• Bring major infrastructure delivery to life for colleagues, using engaging, insightful, and practical content that reflects on-the-ground realities such as safety, construction progress, stakeholder impact, environmental delivery and programme milestones.
• Track and measure the effectiveness of communication across channels and programmes, using insight to continuously improve engagement and support delivery outcomes.
• Provide clear, pragmatic communication counsel to GGP and Onshore leaders, supporting decision-making during periods of change, programme acceleration, construction challenges and organisational transition.
• Work in close partnership with the SI Colleague Communication and Engagement Manager, ensuring consistency of narrative, tone and timing across strategic infrastructure campaigns, programme announcements and enterprise-wide initiatives.
• Act as a vital conduit between GGP, SI and National Grid.
• Collaborate with the SI Corporate Affairs team to align colleague communications with external, stakeholder and media messaging, particularly around major construction milestones, community impact, safety and programme progress.
• Take part in the crisis communications out of hours on call procedures when required providing strategic and tactical colleague communication advice.
• Provide timely insight into colleague sentiment, helping senior leaders understand engagement levels, risks and opportunities, and adapt communication strategies to support safe and successful delivery.
• Coordinate closely with communications leads across GGP partner organisations, building shared plans that reflect programme priorities, construction timelines and delivery pressures, and applying lessons learned across projects.
• Plan and deliver a programme of engagement events, from local site-based briefings and partner forums to large-scale programme and leadership conferences.
• Share best practice across GGP communication leads to drive continuous improvement in how complex programmes are explained, celebrated and delivered through people.

Experience and knowledge requirements:

• Proven leadership experience working in internal communications with the ability to develop and implement colleague communications and engagement strategies across the full internal communication mix e.g. content, plans, campaigns, events - essential.
• Experience of supporting and advising senior leaders - essential.
• Ability to work in a matrix environment and with partner organisations - essential.
• Experience of working in an internal communications role specifically on major infrastructure programmes or projects - highly desirable.

Capability Requirements:

• Excellent writing and editing skills. Ability to produce high quality content within tight timescales and under pressure.
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to be consistent and used to a process of checking and double checking.
• Creative and innovative and demonstrates the ability to adapt the content and style of communication messages to appeal to specific audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills (including negotiation and influencing skills) and demonstrable high standards of literacy.
• Self-starter, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. Proactivity is key in this role, and requires someone who will actively search for gaps in the communications and propose innovative solutions.
• Ability to manage and prioritise competing communications challenges and issues maintaining high standards with minimum guidance.
• Highly articulate and persuasive communicator.
• Results orientated, consistently managing timely delivery in a challenging environment while dealing with rapid change and ambiguity.
• Able to listen and understand the business themes, trends, or consequences of a situation, develop and implement appropriate employee communications content through effective channels.
• Actively build and maintain a network of relationships within a variety of business areas.
• Proven levels of working and influencing at senior levels within a large, global organisation with a multi-stakeholder environment.

A competitive salary up to £74k per annum- dependent on capability. 28 days holiday, plus eight statutory days, an option to buy extra holiday days, and the option to holiday swap up to 3 bank holiday days. An annual performance incentive of up to 30% of your eligible earnings in a performance year. A generous pension scheme, double-matched up to 6% of your salary each month. For every £1 you contribute we'll put in another £2, so if you put in 6%, we'll add 12%, giving a total of 18% to your pension pot. Life insurance at 10 times basic salary. Employer funding towards a portion of your Private Medical Insurance.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates - we make appointments purely on merit, assessed against objective selection criteria. We support flexible working and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process should you have any physical or mental impairment which may affect your ability to participate in the process. Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points-based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.