Head of External Communications

About the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity.

We are responsible for ensuring that political parties and campaigners in the UK comply with the laws in place to ensure transparency and free and fair elections.

About the role

We are recruiting for the Head of External Communications, a senior leadership position in our Communications, Policy and Research directorate. The External Communications Team is made up of 11 communications specialists working across press, public affairs and customer services. The team plays a vital role in maintaining political and public confidence in the Commission, and coordinating consistent and engaging external messaging.

The Head of External Communications leads the strategic and operational delivery of the Commission's:

• Engagement with parliamentarians and government
• Proactive and reactive media engagement programme
• Customer services function, providing accurate and timely information to voters.

The team is responsible for ensuring stakeholders understand the Commission's work and value. It is engaged in communicating the Commission's recommendations for improvement to the electoral system and in advocating for everyone who participates in elections, including voters, parties, campaigners, candidates and electoral administrators. The Head of External Communications will lead and inspire the team in this work. The post-holder will also be part of a directorate and Commission-wide senior leadership team, with influence over the strategic direction of the Commission's work.

What we're looking for

We are looking for an experienced senior leader with a background in communications, media engagement and public affairs.

You will be a committed individual who appreciates political sensitivities and has substantial experience of working with and influencing senior colleagues and external stakeholders.

You will be adept at building strong relationships and navigating complex stakeholder networks, and will work to ensure a wide range of stakeholders understand and value the work of the Electoral Commission. You will bring creativity and well-honed communications skills to our influencing and engagement work. You will have excellent knowledge of the UK media landscape and good contacts within the media.

You will be able to plan, organise and manage people, time and resources, and manage projects to budget and on time.

Why work for us

The Electoral Commission offers excellent terms and conditions, including flexible working hours and the opportunity to join the Civil Service pension arrangements (dependent on scheme rules) which include a valuable range of benefits.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people who are passionate about democracy. The more diverse our workforce, the better we can adapt to and reflect the needs of society. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and as a staff member you will become part of an inclusive culture, where you will have the opportunity to achieve your full potential and enhance your career through learning and development.

How to apply

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. To reduce unconscious bias and ensure all applicants are assessed solely on their skills, knowledge and experience, we use an anonymous recruitment process.

Please submit:

An anonymised CV, which must not include:

• Your name, address, contact details, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, or any other personal identifiers
• Names of educational institutions or dates of education
• Employment history older than 10 years (unless directly relevant and explicitly required in the person specification)

An anonymised supporting statement, clearly outlining how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.

If a specific qualification is required (e.g. a chartered status), you may include its title (e.g. "CIPFA-qualified accountant") but not the awarding body or dates.

If the role only asks for general education (e.g. "educated to degree level or equivalent"), simply state this-no further detail is needed.

Failure to comply with these anonymisation instructions may result in your application being withdrawn.

Supporting Disabled Applicants

The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. As part of our commitment, we offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants. If you have a disability and meet the minimum essential criteria listed in the job description, you will be offered an interview.

To be considered under this scheme, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in the workplace.

Key dates

• Application deadline: 31st August 2025 (23:59)
• Interviews (1st stage): Mid September
• Interviews (2nd stage): Late September
• Anticipated start date: January 2026

Applicants applying for a London-based role should expect to attend interviews in person. For applicants in devolved nations, interviews may be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams.