Job Description

The Director of Communications & Stakeholder Relations is responsible for providing strategic leadership for all communications, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement activity across Sellafield Ltd.

The role ensures the organisation communicates with clarity, credibility and impact, building trust with internal and external audiences while supporting organisational strategy, operational delivery, transformation and long-term mission outcomes.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this is a senior leadership role shaping narrative, influencing policy and decision-making, and acting as a key adviser to the Executive team.

Principle Accountabilities

Strategy and Leadership
• Develop and deliver a comprehensive communications and stakeholder engagement strategy aligned to Sellafield Ltd’s purpose, enterprise strategy and NDA group priorities.
• Provide strategic communications counsel to the Executive Team on reputation, risk, stakeholder perception and emerging issues.
• Contribute to group-level Corporate Affairs leadership, ensuring alignment with NDA and wider nuclear sector communications approaches.
• Provide regular reporting, insight and performance metrics to the Executive Team and Board.

Organisational Change and Transformation
• Lead communications planning and delivery for major programmes, organisational change and transformation initiatives, ensuring clarity and engagement for a predominantly site-based workforce.
• Support integration activity, business change and functional transformation through clear, accessible and timely communications.
• Bring a modern, digital-first approach to internal engagement, improving reach, inclusion and understanding across diverse audiences.

Internal Communications and Engagement
• Lead internal communications to support employee engagement, inclusion, wellbeing, culture and safety, enabling leaders and managers to communicate effectively with their teams.
• Establish standards for consistent messaging, tone and brand across all internal channels.
• Oversee content creation across multiple platforms including intranet, video, campaigns and leadership communications.

External Communications and Stakeholder Relations
• Oversee all external communications including media relations, digital channels, publications, campaigns and corporate messaging.
• Lead proactive and reactive media engagement, including crisis communications, press strategy and senior leader briefings, acting as spokesperson when required.
• Develop and maintain a strategic approach to stakeholder mapping, insight and engagement, ensuring stakeholder perspectives inform strategy, policy and delivery.
• Build and sustain trusted relationships with key stakeholders including government departments, devolved administrations, MPs, regulators, local authorities, community groups and industry bodies.
• Shape community relations activity across Sellafield and wider stakeholder geographies to support confidence and trust.
• Contribute to the development of communications and engagement on environmental responsibility, long-term stewardship and legacy outcomes

Reputation, Risk and Governance
• Monitor public sentiment, media coverage and external commentary, identifying emerging risks and coordinating effective communications responses.
• Ensure compliance with legislation, standards and governance requirements including accessibility, data protection and public sector communications rules.
• Establish and assure quality, consistency and governance for all communications activity.

People, Resources and Capability
• Lead, develop and inspire a high‑performing Communications & Stakeholder Engagement team, supporting professional development, performance and succession.
• Lead geographically dispersed teams and manage external agencies and suppliers.
• Manage budgets and resources effectively, ensuring value for money.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Graduate or equivalent with significant senior-level experience in communications, corporate affairs or stakeholder engagement within a complex and/or regulated environment.
• Likely to hold a professional qualification (e.g. CIPR, CIM) or equivalent experience.
• Proven ability to operate credibly at Executive, including within matrix and group structures.
• Strong track record in strategic communications, reputation management, media relations and crisis communications.
• Significant experience of stakeholder engagement across government, regulators, communities and industry partners.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams and delivering communications for large, site-based workforces.
• Understanding of public sector or infrastructure communications contexts.
• Experience of sustainability, ESG or social value communications is desirable.
• Ability to bring external perspective, insight and innovation to organisational challenge.

Additional Information

• Open VN
• Number of Vacancies: 1
• Contact/s: Nic Westcott

As part of your application, please include a cover letter detailing how you meet the knowledge and experience required for the role.

Interviews for this position are expected to be on Wednesday 3rd June.

If you choose to apply for this role and your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview. In the interview, you will be assessed against the NDA Leadership Standard.

Sellafield Ltd are recognised as a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3). Disability Confident employers offer an interview to disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. Sellafield Ltd define the minimum criteria as the ‘essential skills’ which are listed on the vacancy notice. Whilst completing your application form, you will be able to indicate if you wish to be considered under the disability confident scheme. If you would prefer to discuss this directly with us, please contact the GBS Recruitment team on recruitment@sellafieldcloud.co.uk

Please ensure that you save a copy of this advert for future reference if you make an application for this role.

The closing date for this vacancy is Wednesday 13th May 2026.