Senior Internal Communications and Change Officer - Portsmouth

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented internal communications and change professional to lead the planning and delivery of internal communications and change activity for allocated services, programmes and transformation projects, during a period of significant change as the council prepares for Local Government Reorganisation. You will help ensure staff and stakeholders are informed, engaged and supported through complex and sensitive change.

The post holder will be part of the Corporate Services directorate, working closely with the centralised marketing and corporate communications function that also includes research and engagement, working with stakeholders across directorates, as well as with partner local authorities. The post holder will report to and work under the direction of the Internal Communications and Change Manager.

You will lead internal communications and change activity that supports council priorities, brings our values to life, helps staff understand and respond to change, supports benefit realisation and minimises disruption to business-as-usual operations. You will develop communications and change strategies for allocated services, programmes and transformation projects, ensuring activity is aligned with corporate priorities, agreed standards and the councils wider internal communications and change strategy. You will use change management principles, insight and stakeholder engagement to understand risks, impacts and opportunities, and turn these into practical plans and activity. You will create clear communications across a range of channels and use consultation, insight and evaluation to improve engagement and demonstrate impact. You will use professional judgement to advise on sensitive, complex or high-profile issues, working within agreed corporate frameworks and approval processes.

The ideal candidate will be a confident self-starter who can build effective working relationships with colleagues, senior leaders, managers, frontline staff and partners, and provide professional advice on internal communications and change. You will:

• Hold a degree or be able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience.
• A recognised change management or communications qualification, such as APMG Change Management Practitioner or an equivalent qualification, would be advantageous.
• Have significant experience delivering internal communications and change initiatives within a large or complex organisation, alongside experience developing communications strategies, campaigns and plans that support organisational priorities and transformation programmes.
• Have practical experience of applying change management approaches, including stakeholder engagement, change impact assessments and benefits realisation, and be confident supporting complex organisational change initiatives.
• Be an excellent communicator who can translate complex information into clear, accessible and engaging messages using plain English, audience insight and storytelling.
• Have strong digital skills and be keen to embrace new technologies, including tools such as Microsoft Copilot, to improve the quality, efficiency and impact of communications and change activity.
• Creativity, resilience and enthusiasm are essential, along with the ability to bring organisational priorities, values and change programmes to life in ways that feel meaningful and relevant to employees.
• Be confident and credible when working with people at all levels, building effective relationships with senior leaders, managers, frontline staff and external partners.

Hybrid working arrangements: You will work on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of two days a week spent at the Civic Offices in the heart of Portsmouth city centre, and to attend in-person meetings to meet the needs of the business.

Interviews will be held on 27th & 28th August 2026.

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act. We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.

As part of Local Government Reorganisation, current plans will see Portsmouth City Council combine with the district and borough councils of Fareham, Gosport and Havant and parts of East Hampshire and Winchester district councils to form a new, larger unitary authority for south east Hampshire. We are working towards an implementation date of 1st April 2028, known as vesting day, subject to Parliamentary approval. Until then, we remain focused on maintaining continuity, supporting our workforce, and continuing to deliver excellent services to our residents throughout the transition to the new unitary authority. This is an exciting time to join us, offering the opportunity to contribute to organisational transformation, develop your career, and help shape future services for our communities.

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. We strongly encourage candidates to add all Career and Education History to their application; CVs are not reviewed as part of the shortlisting process. As part of your application, we ask that you complete a personal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal. We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under our corporate commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however, for roles that receive a large number of applications, we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria.

If applying as a secondment you will need permission from your current line manager releasing you for this secondment. Please state you have this on your Personal statement. You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.