Communications and Engagement Manager

This is a Gloucester City Council job.

• Job Title: Communications and Engagement Manager
• Job Location: Gloucester City Council
• Salary: £55,653 - £58,829 per annum (pro rata)
• Hours per Week: 30.00
• Contract Type: Fixed Term
• Duration: 3 Years
• Closing Date: 09/03/2025
• Job Requisition Number: 10920
• This post is not open to job share

We are a dynamic local authority providing essential services to the people of Gloucester.

Our main office, based in the Eastgate Centre on Eastgate Street in the heart of the city, is an accessible, modern and light space designed for collaborative working and finding new ways to work. It's all open plan, with a living green wall and other plants without set desks, so you can sit next to someone new every day. We're always looking to improve how we work and we offer flexible and agile working to give our people a great work life balance.

Be the Voice of Change in Our City

Are you a passionate communicator who can bring a vision to life? Do you thrive on engaging communities and driving meaningful conversations? We’re looking for a Communications & Engagement Manager to lead our strategic messaging, connecting our council’s vision to the real, tangible changes happening across our city. From regeneration and carbon reduction to healthy living and culture, this role is about crafting a clear, compelling narrative that helps residents, businesses, and stakeholders understand and engage with the transformation happening around them.

As Communications & Engagement Manager, you’ll take the leading role in shaping the way we communicate with all our stakeholders, residents, businesses and communities. You’ll connect the dots between council strategy and real-world outcomes, ensuring people see, understand, and engage with the positive changes happening in their city.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Include

• Developing and delivering an integrated communications strategy, ensuring our key messages are clear, engaging, and accessible to all.
• Leading public engagement campaigns that inspire participation in regeneration, sustainability, culture, and wellbeing initiatives.
• Turning complex policies into compelling stories, helping residents, businesses, and stakeholders understand the impact of council projects.
• Managing multi-channel communications, including press, digital media, community engagement, and face-to-face interactions.
• Building strong relationships with local media, organisations, and community leaders to maximise reach and impact.
• Providing expert advice to senior leaders on media handling, reputation management, and public perception.
• Monitoring public sentiment and engagement, using insights to continuously improve our approach.

What We Need From You

You are a strategic thinker, a natural communicator, and an engagement expert. You understand how to shape public perception, inspire action, and ensure communities feel connected to the decisions that shape their city.

We’re Looking For Someone Who Has

• Proven experience in communications, PR, or public engagement—ideally within a public sector or local authority setting.
• A track record of delivering high-impact campaigns that drive engagement and behaviour change.
• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills, with the ability to distil complex information into accessible and engaging content.
• Experience managing digital and social media strategies, as well as traditional media and press relations.
• Strong influencing and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences and stakeholders.
• Confidence in advising senior leaders, managing reputation risks, and handling press interactions.
• A passion for community engagement and a deep understanding of how to connect people with change.

What we can do for you

• Flexible, Hybrid, Agile working opportunities
• Generous Annual Leave entitlement 30 days
• An option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year (pro rata for part-time staff)
• 2 days paid leave every year to participate in local volunteering activities
• Excellent Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) & Life Cover of 3 times your salary
• Regular training, career development and qualification opportunities
• Supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone, and in an in-house Occupational Health service
• Enhanced family friendly leave and pay
• Car salary sacrifice scheme (T&C apply)
• Cycle to Work scheme (Salary Sacrifice - T & C apply)
• Employee discount scheme
• Discounted tickets for local events, and reduced rate use of GL1 facilities
• Free Flu-jabs
• Access to employee led networks such as Black Worker's, Prism (LGBT+), Carers, Disability and the Young Employees Network, and opportunities to participate in our Equalities Working Group.

How to apply…

If you feel you have the skills, desire, experience and passion to help deliver our ambitious plans for the city then please submit your application and personal statement today by clicking the “Apply Now” Button.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Iain Stark via email at iain.stark@gloucester.gov.uk.

Additional Information

To access the Job Profile, please follow the link below:

Communications and Engagement Manager - Job Profile

Gloucester City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Equality and Diversity

We recognise the positive value of equality and diversity and pride ourselves on growing a high-performing workforce that is diverse, skilled and talented; that represents the community it serves.

We aim to recruit a diverse pool of talent and will recruit the person who is most suited to the job without regard to their race, colour, religion or belief, age, nationality, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, caring responsibilities or disability.

We are a disability confident employer committed to removing barriers to employment to those with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Reasonable adjustments will be made to the recruitment procedure to ensure that no-one is disadvantaged because of their disability. Please contact the recruitment team if you require support or reasonable adjustments during the application or recruitment process recruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

Further information on our commitment to Equality and Diversity can be found here.

If you wish to apply for this position on a secondment basis, please obtain approval from your current line manager that you may be released on a secondment before submitting an application form.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a 'customer facing role' must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.