Communications Manager

Communications Manager

Worthing Full-Time 45000 - 50000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
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Southern Water

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead creative PR campaigns that showcase our environmental efforts and community impact.
  • Company: Join Southern Water, a company dedicated to providing water for life.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous pension, and flexible working arrangements.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact while shaping our story and connecting with communities.
  • Qualifications: Proven experience in delivering integrated PR campaigns and strong writing skills.
  • Other info: Hybrid working model with excellent career development opportunities.

The predicted salary is between 45000 - 50000 £ per year.

Overview

Closing Date: 2025-10-21

Job Title: Communications Manager
Location: Worthing, Hybrid (2 days in the office)
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 37/week (flexible working arrangements considered)
Salary: £45,000 – £50,000 DOE

Southern Water is on a transformational journey. As we move into our largest delivery programme yet—doubling investment to £7.8bn over the 2025–30 regulatory period—we’re looking for a Communications Manager to help shape and share our story. Our purpose is clear: to provide water for life—to enhance health and wellbeing, protect and improve the environment, and sustain the economy. This role sits at the heart of that mission, supporting our reputation rebuild strategy and helping us connect meaningfully with our customers, stakeholders and communities.

About The Role

Reporting to the Senior Strategic Communications Manager, you’ll be part of our Strategic Communications and Social Media team within the Corporate Affairs Directorate. You’ll lead the creation and delivery of multi-channel PR campaigns that raise awareness, build understanding and drive engagement.

Key Responsibilities

  • Developing creative, insight-led campaigns that showcase our environmental efforts, community impact, innovation and operational excellence
  • Managing proactive and reactive social media plans in collaboration with internal teams
  • Overseeing the production of digital assets including videos, graphics and blogs
  • Using customer and stakeholder insight to shape content and evaluate performance
  • Supporting crisis and issues management, including recovery communications and reactive statements
  • Building strong relationships across internal communications, media, PR, stakeholder engagement and brand teams
  • Ensuring joined-up planning and delivery across all communications channels

About You

You’ll be a proactive and creative communicator with a proven track record of delivering integrated PR campaigns that make an impact. You’ll be comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-profile environment and bring a collaborative, solutions-focused mindset to everything you do.

We’re Looking For Someone Who

  • Aligns PR activity with organisational goals and reputation strategy
  • Has strong writing and editorial skills, with the ability to turn technical information into compelling stories
  • Is experienced in producing content for digital platforms and managing social media channels
  • Can prepare external statements, long and short form communications and social media posts with confidence
  • Thrives under pressure and can make rapid, reliable decisions
  • Brings high personal integrity and handles sensitive information with discretion

Additional Requirements

  • Ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines with resilience and flexibility
  • Comfortable with ambiguity and able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances
  • Strong stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills

Package & Benefits

This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working between our Durrington (Worthing) office and home, 2 days a week, generally on a Monday & Tuesday. You will also be involved with the incident rota for emergency comms, 1 week in 6 (STC).

  • Salary £45,000 – £50,000 per annum dependent on skills and experience
  • Generous pension up to 11% company contribution
  • 25 days annual leave
  • Life assurance equal to 4x salary
  • Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service)
  • Health Cash Plan
  • Full funded eye tests
  • Two paid volunteering days a year
  • Occupational health service
  • Discounts with over 800 popular retailers
  • Digital GP service
  • Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
  • Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options
  • Cycle to work scheme

Privacy & Applicant Information

Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application. All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility and current proof of address as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.

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Communications Manager employer: Southern Water

Southern Water is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Worthing that fosters creativity and collaboration. With a strong commitment to employee growth, generous benefits including a competitive pension scheme, flexible working arrangements, and opportunities for community engagement, we empower our team to make a meaningful impact while supporting our mission to provide water for life.
Southern Water

Contact Detail:

Southern Water Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Communications Manager

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with current employees at Southern Water. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised!

✨Tip Number 2

Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your best PR campaigns and content. When you apply through our website, include links to your work so we can see your creativity in action.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare for the interview by researching Southern Water’s recent projects and initiatives. Bring ideas on how you could enhance their communications strategy—this shows you’re proactive and genuinely interested!

✨Tip Number 4

Follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email reiterating your enthusiasm for the role can leave a lasting impression. It shows you’re keen and professional, which is exactly what we love to see!

We think you need these skills to ace Communications Manager

Creative Communication
Integrated PR Campaigns
Social Media Management
Content Creation for Digital Platforms
Writing and Editorial Skills
Stakeholder Engagement
Crisis Management
Analytical Skills
Collaboration Skills
Adaptability
Decision-Making Under Pressure
Project Management
Insight-Led Campaign Development
Digital Asset Production

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Your Creative Side: As a Communications Manager, creativity is key! Make sure your application reflects your ability to develop engaging and innovative campaigns. Use examples from your past work to showcase how you've turned ideas into impactful stories.

Tailor Your Writing: We want to see that you can adapt your writing style for different audiences. When applying, ensure your application speaks directly to the role and highlights your experience in producing content for various digital platforms. This will show us you understand our mission!

Highlight Your Collaboration Skills: This role involves working closely with various teams, so don’t forget to mention your teamwork experiences. Share specific instances where you’ve successfully collaborated on projects or campaigns, as this will demonstrate your ability to build strong relationships.

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at Southern Water!

How to prepare for a job interview at Southern Water

✨Know Your Audience

Before the interview, take some time to research Southern Water's mission and values. Understand their current projects and challenges, especially around their transformational journey. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in contributing to their goals.

✨Showcase Your Creativity

As a Communications Manager, creativity is key. Prepare examples of past PR campaigns you've led, focusing on how you developed them and the impact they had. Be ready to discuss how you can bring innovative ideas to Southern Water’s communications strategy.

✨Master the Digital Landscape

Since the role involves managing social media and digital content, brush up on the latest trends in digital communications. Be prepared to discuss your experience with various platforms and how you’ve used customer insights to shape content. Highlight any successful campaigns you've run that utilised digital assets.

✨Prepare for Crisis Management

Given the importance of crisis communication in this role, think about scenarios where you've had to manage sensitive information or respond to issues. Be ready to share your approach to handling such situations and how you ensure clear, effective communication under pressure.

Communications Manager
Southern Water
Location: Worthing
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