At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and shape global colleague communications strategy for a top FTSE 100 company.
- Company: Join Sage, a dynamic and innovative leader in the tech industry.
- Benefits: Hybrid work model, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborate with senior leaders and build a high-performing communications team.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by engaging colleagues and driving organisational change.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in corporate communications and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 80000 £ per year.
The Colleague Communications Director is a senior leader responsible for shaping and delivering Sage’s colleague communications strategy across a complex, global FTSE 100 organisation. Working in close partnership with the CEO, Executive Leadership Team and EVP Corporate Affairs, this role ensures clarity, alignment and engagement across Sage — enabling strategy execution, organisational performance and cultural cohesion. The role plays a critical part in supporting periods of transformation, change and growth, translating enterprise strategy into compelling, trusted narratives that resonate from the top of the organisation to the frontline.
This leader sets the direction for colleague communications globally, builds deep organisational insight, and ensures Sage’s colleagues are informed, engaged and aligned behind the company’s priorities, values and ambition. This is a hybrid role 3 days per week for our Newcastle or London office.
Key ResponsibilitiesThis is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and delivering Sage’s global colleague communications strategy across a complex, international FTSE 100 environment. Working closely with the CEO, Executive Leadership Team and Corporate Affairs leadership, you’ll play a key role in ensuring colleagues are informed, engaged and aligned behind Sage’s strategy, culture and business priorities. The role is central to supporting organisational change, transformation and growth, helping translate enterprise strategy into clear, compelling and trusted communication that resonates across all levels of the business.
What I will be doingYou’ll define and lead the global colleague communications strategy, ensuring messaging is clear, consistent and aligned across regions, functions and leadership teams. Acting as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, you’ll provide guidance on colleague engagement, organisational sentiment, communication risks and alignment during key business moments. You’ll shape the enterprise narrative across strategy, performance, culture and transformation initiatives, leading communications around major organisational changes such as restructures, acquisitions, leadership transitions and operating model shifts. A key focus of the role will be ensuring colleagues understand the company’s direction, why it matters and how they contribute to Sage’s success.
You’ll also establish governance, standards and communication channels across the organisation, using insight, data and feedback to continuously improve engagement and effectiveness. Alongside this, you’ll lead and develop a high‑performing communications team and work closely with teams across People, Finance, Strategy, Product, Brand and regional leadership to ensure integrated and aligned messaging globally.
What we are looking forWe’re looking for an experienced communications leader with a strong background in enterprise‑wide colleague or corporate communications within a large, complex organisation. You should be confident operating at executive level, with the credibility and judgement to advise senior leaders on sensitive communications, engagement and organisational change. You’ll be a strategic thinker with excellent storytelling and stakeholder management skills, able to translate complex business priorities into compelling, human communication. Strong leadership capability is essential, alongside experience building high‑performing teams and driving communication strategies that support culture, transformation and business performance. Experience working within a global, matrixed or listed business environment would be highly valuable.
Director Colleague Communications employer: Sage
Sage is an exceptional employer that prioritises colleague engagement and communication, fostering a culture of transparency and alignment across its global operations. With a strong commitment to employee growth, Sage offers unique opportunities for professional development within a dynamic FTSE 100 environment, particularly in its vibrant Newcastle and London offices. The hybrid work model promotes flexibility while ensuring that employees are integral to the company's strategic direction and transformation initiatives.
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We think this is how you could land Director Colleague Communications
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We think you need these skills to ace Director Colleague Communications
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Get Your Story Straight:In public relations, storytelling is everything! Make sure your CV highlights your experience in crafting compelling narratives and managing media relations. Share specific examples of campaigns you've worked on, and don’t forget to include any press coverage you've generated—it's impressive proof of your skills!
Show Off Your Communication Skills:Since PR is all about communication, we want to see your best writing samples. Include pieces like press releases, blog posts, or social media content that you've created. This gives us a taste of your voice and your ability to convey messages clearly and effectively, which is crucial for a role in this field.
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter should be more than just a recap of your CV; it’s your chance to shine! Emphasise why PR excites you and how your background fits with the mission of Sage. Show us that you’ve done your homework and speak to why you’re passionate about the work we do.
Connect the Dots:When you’re writing your application, think about how your past experiences link to the responsibilities of the role. Mention any internships, volunteer work, or projects that involved public speaking, event planning, or strategic communication. This will help us see how you can seamlessly bring your skills into a full-time position at Sage.
How to prepare for a job interview at Sage
✨Master the Art of Storytelling
In public relations, storytelling is key. We should prepare compelling narratives about past campaigns or projects we’ve worked on. Think about how we can illustrate our impact and creativity in those stories—be ready to discuss specific examples that showcase our skills in managing media relationships and crafting messages.
✨Know Your PR Tools Inside Out
Familiarity with PR tools like Cision or Meltwater is crucial. We need to be able to discuss how we’ve used these tools in past roles or projects. If we've worked on media lists, press releases, or analytics reports, let’s have those experiences ready to share along with metrics we’ve achieved to back up our claims.
✨Stay Current with Industry Trends
We’ve got to stay sharp on the latest trends and events impacting the public relations field. Having a few insights ready about recent campaigns or shifts in media landscapes can show that we’re engaged and knowledgeable. This will also help us make connections between our experiences and the current state of the industry.
✨Showcase Our Versatility
As full-time PR professionals, we need to demonstrate our adaptability. Be ready to talk about how we've handled challenging situations, managed crises, or adapted strategies on the fly. Employers will appreciate our ability to pivot and find solutions under pressure, so let’s have those scenarios at our fingertips to discuss.