Director of Communications

We are looking for a communications leader to help us transform Nesta’s impact, reach and influence. We are an ambitious, award-winning, multidisciplinary team, and we are seeking someone to elevate our work to the next level.

The UK information environment is changing rapidly and our team is undergoing reform and transformation to adapt. We aim to lead in the way we communicate—testing and experimenting with new formats and tactics, iterating our practice in response to an information environment reshaped by AI, changing political communications and new technology.

This role offers the mandate to experiment with a suite of high-impact products ready for growth. You will lead the development of our new podcast, expand data-driven storytelling, and test long-form video to translate deep research into compelling visuals. You will work with micro communities and traditional broadcast tools alike, leading products designed to reach policy audiences. You will also spearhead advocacy and influencing activities to deliver success in our three missions and support BIT and other Nesta Group parts.

You will blend exceptional political acumen with a proven track record of delivering policy and advocacy campaigns that have tangible impact. You will be a trusted advisor, providing strategic counsel across multidisciplinary teams while fostering an empowering, best-in-class culture. Beyond managing projects, you will invest in our people to ensure our team has the support and clarity to perform at their best.

We are looking for a leader who isn’t satisfied with the status quo and is ready to raise our collective impact to the next level. Nesta’s ideas are gaining influence—now we need you to raise our reach and profile to the same level.

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead the design and delivery of integrated campaigns with policy and advocacy objectives, using the right mix of channels, the highest standards of creative execution and effective messaging.
• Support the team to navigate the UK political and news agenda, identifying and securing the most effective moments for our work to exert influence.
• Lead the full range of policy communications across Nesta (working with and beyond the communications team with missions, units, subject specialists and senior leaders to bring coherence to our content and activity).
• Lead on policy-facing products, from blogs to policy briefings, podcasts to newsletters.
• Oversee delivery of broader communications activity, working across the organisation to form project teams, set priorities and tactics.
• Elevate the quality of our external output so all of our communications meet a consistently high bar for excellence.
• Ensure that all of our activity is delivered with the right mix of creativity, professionalism and speed to maximise success.
• Distil complex policy and research into powerful narratives, ensuring our strategic messaging resonates and persuades target audiences and that it is used consistently and coherently across all of our activity.
• Manage our suite of editorial products and ensure our content is sharp, timely, and directly aligned with our advocacy objectives.
• Provide authoritative communications strategic counsel across teams, acting as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on complex communication challenges and reputational issues.
• Provide functional (direct) leadership of our policy communications, media relations and data journalism functions.

You will also work across all of the Communications department to:

• Drive forward new approaches to advocacy and influencing that organisations like Nesta need to adopt in response to the changing information environment.
• Look across all activity being conducted and identify and act on opportunities for new content streams, activities or partnerships that support our strategic communications goals.
• Spot opportunities to do more with our existing channels and campaigns, finding ways to extend their value and impact.
• Troubleshoot and support where a project or campaign is at risk of failure, either because of differing views on execution, changing objectives, or missed deadlines.
• Mentor and evolve a talented communications team, providing the leadership and vision necessary to take our collective impact to the next level.

What we’re looking for:

• Significant leadership experience in external affairs, communications, or press, specifically within an advocacy-focused environment.
• Exceptional strategic skills, with a history of delivering multi-channel campaigns that build genuine profile and influence.
• A deep understanding of the UK political and news agenda and wider information environment, with a demonstrated ability to navigate complex policy landscapes.
• The ability to provide high-level strategic counsel, acting as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on complex communication challenges and reputational issues.
• A genuine love of communications, with experience of exploring new approaches to advocacy and influencing that organisations like Nesta need to adopt in response to the changing information environment.
• The ability to craft and embed strategic messaging that distills complex ideas into clear, authoritative narratives for diverse audiences.
• An accomplished writer who has successfully managed high-level editorial functions and maintained a high bar for content.
• Sharp media instincts and creative flair, with a proven ability to spot and shape stories that capture media interest.
• A grounded leader and people manager who knows how to motivate teams and cultivate a high-performing culture.

As with all members of the Nesta Group communications team, the postholder will also be at their best working in a collaborative, fast-paced environment, have a flexible approach and an appetite for taking on new tasks and challenges. They will also have excellent written and verbal communication skills and a proven ability to write for a range of different audiences.

What we offer:

• Salary: £91,500 plus an array of benefits, including a generous pension scheme, private medical insurance, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, and more.
• Location: This role is based in Blackfriars, London, hybrid working arrangement with a minimum of two days in the office.
• Term: Permanent.
• Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.
• Reports to: Group Executive Director of Communications.

About Nesta: Nesta is a research and innovation foundation that designs, tests and scales solutions for the biggest challenges of our time. Driven by a vision to improve the lives of millions of people, our focus up to 2030 is on three missions: breaking the link between family background and life chances, halving obesity and cutting household carbon emissions.

We work with partners across the public, private and third sectors to develop high-potential solutions and test them as they evolve, drawing on deep expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, data science, behavioural science and design. Once confident in the effectiveness of a solution, we are relentless in the pursuit of scale. We create and make the case for ambitious national policy proposals, develop consumer-facing products and services, spin out and support commercial ventures and harness the power of the arts to shape national narratives.

We extend our impact through two specialised units that help others to solve complex problems and achieve their missions. BIT applies a deep understanding of human behaviour to help clients achieve their goals. Challenge Works designs and runs challenge prizes to spark innovation in science, technology and society.

Together, we are building a powerful ecosystem for innovation that delivers proven solutions to create lasting, positive change. At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results. We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful. We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.