Strategic Employee Engagement & Communications Manager

Job Introduction

About Us

At Oxfordshire County Council, we are proud to be a forward-thinking organisation committed to delivering outstanding services to our residents. Our HR & Cultural Change service plays a vital role in shaping a workplace where people thrive, feel valued, and are empowered to make a difference. We are on a journey of transformation through our “Delivering the Future Together” programme, which underpins our ambition to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice. Our values – always learning, being kind and caring, taking responsibility, daring to do it differently, and upholding equality and integrity – are at the heart of everything we do.

About the Role

This is a senior leadership position within our HR & Cultural Change service, responsible for driving strategic employee engagement and internal communications across the organisation. The post holder will lead a talented team to deliver innovative and inclusive engagement strategies that support our “Our People and Culture” vision, ensuring our workforce feels connected, inspired, and empowered.

You will be instrumental in shaping and evolving our employee experience, wellbeing strategy, internal communications, and equalities, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Your work will directly influence how we retain talent, foster high-performing teams, and create a culture where everyone can thrive. 

As a key member of the HR&CC Senior Management Team, you will collaborate with senior leaders, stakeholders, and partners to embed a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and trust. You will also manage key contracts such as Occupational Health and lead the delivery of the Inclusive Workforce pillar of our Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion strategy.

This role offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the organisation, championing a workplace where people are heard, supported, and motivated to deliver excellence for the people of Oxfordshire.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• As a key member of the HR&CC Senior Management team, you will make significant contribution to the effective leadership of the service and its strategy development which will support the Council to be an employer, partner and place shaper of choice. 
• To work with and influence senior stakeholders to lead, promote and shape Our People and Culture strategy and initiatives that position OCC as an employer of choice, driving positive employee engagement and creating healthy high performing teams. 
•    To provide strong, professional and managerial leadership across the Strategic Employee Engagement & Communications team being responsible for:

- Promoting and supporting the effectiveness of the individual performance framework 
- Employee experience and recognition framework
- Internal communications
- Wellbeing strategy
- Equalities, diversity & Inclusion in the workplace
- Managing the network of and impact of the Delivering the Future Together champions
- Occupational Health contract management 

Please refer to the job description attached for a full list.

About You
You are a strategic thinker and experienced leader with a strong grasp of employee engagement, internal communications, and organisational culture. With extensive experience in complex and diverse environments, ideally within the public sector, you have a proven track record of delivering transformational change.

As an exceptional communicator, you can craft compelling messages for diverse audiences and influence at all levels. Your inclusive and empowering leadership style fosters a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can perform at their best. Confident in navigating complex challenges, managing budgets, and using data and digital tools for decision-making, you excel at building strong relationships, constructively challenging, and leading with integrity.

You are comfortable working in a hybrid environment, with the flexibility to travel across the county and work from various locations as needed.

Following our service redesign, the new HR & Cultural Change operating model ensures everyone has clarity on their role and remit, while reinforcing a ‘one team’ ethos. This is an exciting time to join us, as we take the next steps in our service together.  If you are someone who believes in the power of communication to drive change and are excited about the opportunity to make a real impact, we would love to hear from you!

Rewards and benefits
You can look forward to:

• Culture of flexible working
• Technology to support agile working
• 30 days’ holiday p.a. plus bank holidays
• Option to ‘buy’ additional holiday
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk