Head of Colleague Communications, Field Services

Job Description

Centrica is going through a fascinating period of change. We’re evolving to become a truly purpose-led organisation, helping millions of customers to live more sustainably, simply, and affordably. We truly believe that we have a huge role to play in helping the nation to cut carbon emissions and prepare for a net zero future, and it’s a role we are immensely proud of.

We are recruiting for Head of Colleague Communications for British Gas Field Services. This role will lead the British Gas Field Colleague Communications team who play a vital part in engaging and enthusing our 7,000 strong engineering team in our strategy, purpose and progress as part of the broader Centrica group. British Gas is the UK’s leading energy supply and in-home servicing provider, having looked after the homes of Britain for over 200 years, serving over 10 million homes across the country.

You will partner directly with the Field Services Director, the Planning and Dispatch Director and their leadership teams to strengthen communications and engagement with all colleagues within the business. This will include the development of a compelling and meaningful internal narrative and creative, impactful colleague and change communications for Field employees that supports the business objectives, creates a positive and inclusive culture, and aligns to the overarching Centrica strategy and purpose.

Working closely with colleagues from across the broader British Gas Services and Solutions (BG S&S) business and Centrica as a whole, the role holder will lead multiple engagement and communication projects, initiatives, and campaigns to increase colleague engagement and performance. They will lead specialised and creative work directly and through effective leadership of their team of direct reports to ensure that we deliver the intended outcomes for colleague engagement. This will require the role holder to manage multiple projects and stakeholders at any one time to ensure delivery of outcomes. This vital leadership role will require a strong strategic thinker who will lead and develop a team of two communications professionals to build our skills and capabilities, drive improved impact and engagement, and bring the objectives and progress of British Gas Services and Solutions to life for all colleagues with a forward looking and long-term communications strategy. They will also support the development and delivery of Centrica Group-wide engagement and communication initiatives as required in support of the overall Centrica strategy.

You will bring in best practice and thinking from outside Centrica to foster an environment of continuous improvement, helping to drive greater creativity and increased engagement and understanding. This includes proven experience of delivering communications to a field based workforce, including implementing a channel strategy to help target activity to our people. You will also be adept at producing high impact content utilising a multi-channel approach and making use of the latest creative concepts in areas such as video, audio, photography and design, working with specialists to produce content as appropriate.

• Location: UK Flexible with regular travel as required

• ​Salary: Competitive + car allowance + bonus + private healthcare + generous company benefit

About The Role...

Partner with the Field Services Director and Planning and Dispatch Director, their leadership teams, and other stakeholders to proactively strengthen colleague engagement and communication in support of business objectives. They will:

• Develop the long-term colleague communications strategy for British Gas Field Services & Planning & Dispatch and contribute to the wider BG S&S communications strategy

• Lead the development of a meaningful communication and engagement narrative and channels for Field Services and Planning & Dispatch, ensuring alignment to both BG S&S and Group strategy, purpose and objectives

• Plan, co-ordinate and deliver effective communications activity to Field colleagues & Planning & Dispatch, ensuring targeted and impactful communications

• Lead the generation of communications campaigns and content while also ensuring the effective delivery of operational communications and designated campaigns such as People or Marketing initiatives

• Bring in best practice to refine our channel strategy to help further target communications to colleagues

• Effectively lead and coach a team of Colleague Communications professionals (2) to increase their impact, skills and capabilities and continuously improve what we do

• Lead delivery of colleague communication events throughout the year

• Advise on the development and delivery of communications for critical change programmes for Field colleagues

• Use insight from colleague listening to drive improvements in all aspects of colleague communications and higher engagement levels

• Act a trusted advisor to the Field Services Director, Planning and Dispatch Director, the People Partner, and Field Services Leadership Team, providing coaching and support to help improve the effectiveness of their communications to colleagues

• Collaborate closely with the wider Colleague Communications community across Centrica to help develop and drive Group-wide solutions and engagement where appropriate

About You...

• Proven experience in being an effective and trusted advisor to business leadership teams

• Able to demonstrate exceptionally strong stakeholder management skills and an ability to build effective and collaborative relationships at all levels that drive improvements in colleague communications, culture and engagement

• Strong strategic thinker with the ability to generate effective strategies and influence senior leaders to generate buy-in and support to achieve strategic objectives

• Extensive experience of leading the generation and effective delivery of impactful internal communications

• Experience in delivering complex change and implementing solutions that are ‘colleague first’

• Experience in delivering communications to remote and Field based colleagues.

• Ability to use data and insight to effectively influence and drive decision making

• Able to identify the tone and narrative relevant to the audience and execute simple and purposeful communication strategies

• Strategic planner with an ability to define the outcome, aligned to the organisation’s priorities, and develop a set of milestones and goals that are needed to achieve that outcome

• A positive disruptor able to act with boldness to influence stakeholders to deliver a better outcome for our colleagues and ensure we continuously improve our impact

• Strong track record of collaborating across a complex organisation to help develop, deliver and drive solutions that work across boundaries and support overarching business goals at Group level

• Design thinking; ability to take a colleague-focused, iterative approach to solve problems and come up with colleague first solutions.

• Communication; able to identify the tone and narrative relevant to the audience and execute simple and purposeful communication strategies

• Strategic Planning; ability to define the outcome, aligned to the organisation’s priorities, and develop a set of milestones and goals that are needed to achieve that outcome

• Positive Disruption; able to act with boldness to influence stakeholders to deliver a better outcome for our colleagues

We are proud to be recognised as a disability-confident employer. Our customers come from a variety of different backgrounds, and so do we. We hire great people from all walks of life, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. We will continue championing inclusivity while investing in our local communities to create a better, more sustainable world for everyone. We are incredibly proud to have been recognised by The Times for being one of the Top 50 Employers for Women.

Our people are the beating heart of our business. We are incredibly proud of our commitment to being FlexFirst. From childcare to furry friends, we listened to our people and understood that they work best when they are comfortable and have a flexible working model that suits their individual needs.

At Centrica we embrace diversity and actively seek to attract individuals with unique backgrounds and perspectives. To build a more sustainable future, we need the best team – a team with a diverse mix of people and skills, where everyone feels welcome and able to succeed. We are dedicated in helping to close the diversity gap and would love to see more females, people of colour and LGBTQ+ employees, as well as those from a variety of cultures and ethnicity to veterans and the differently abled. Supporting diversity and inclusion is a big part of who we are, we are not looking for people to fit into our culture but to add to it!

PLEASE APPLY ONLINE by hitting the 'Apply' button.

Applications will ONLY be accepted via the ‘Apply’ button.

This role is being handled by the Centrica recruitment team and NO agency contact is required.