About the role

At National Grid, we keep people connected and society moving. But it’s so much more than that. National Grid supplies us with the environment to make it happen. As we generate momentum in the energy transition for all, we don’t plan on leaving any of our customers in the dark. So, join us as a Strategic Content and Planning Manager, and find your superpower.

National Grid is hiring a Strategic Content and Planning Manager to join the Colleague Communication and Engagement team (CC&E) to define, lead and execute colleague comms and engagement activities for National Grid.

The team drive strategic alignment in messaging, create opportunities for dialogue-based communication and manage the underpinning communications channels and colleague listening approach.

The Strategic Content and Planning Manager is a new exciting role within the team and will be responsible for leading the development and delivery of the CC&E content strategy, ensuring alignment with business priorities. Within the role you will set standards for content creation, that support simplified, aligned messaging across all channels, and enable and empower the wider team (and other colleagues) to create engaging content.

This role is a hybrid role so you can enjoy working from home as well as from our office in either Warwick or London depending on your location.

What you'll do

• Create, drive and enable others to deliver the CC&E content strategy
• Use best practice to devise a content strategy for colleague communications that engages colleagues and supports the objective of simplified and aligned core messaging through all layers of the organisation.
• Create clear content pillars for all content to align to: using business priorities and alignment with Corporate Affairs campaigns and themes.
• Own the delivery of the content strategy through the wider CC&E team, placing an emphasis on enabling user generated content and creating pull to our channels. This is likely to involve development of a focused suite of core content vehicles/series which would be deployed locally by Business Units and Functions, with minimal content at the central level.
• Create a small core of global content across our internal channels – while the main focus will be on delivery through others there will be some requirement for this where content does not sit naturally with BU/F teams.
• Design and drive strategic planning process and reporting for CC&E
• Accountability for designing and delivering an effective strategic and operational planning approach with supporting processes.
• Lead on and develop a strategic content plan with inputs made by all areas of CC&E, that looks 12-18 months ahead and considers resource allocation to key projects and prioritization of activities.
• Be key point of contact to join up planning between internal and external communications – identifying opportunities to communicate in both directions and align messaging.
• Manage the editorial calendar to ensure message alignment and prioritisation at key moments in the calendar. As part of this, oversee news prioritisation for global carousel on Grid:home and Grid:news
• Establish and deliver a strategic measurement approach.
• Create a best practice and consistent approach to measurement that represents the work of the whole CC&E team on a periodic basis, which allows us to evaluate activity, gather insight resulting in actionable outcomes and continuous improvement.
• Produce periodic strategic level CC&E reporting and recommendations that demonstrate delivery of the CC&E strategy and objectives as set out in the People performance contract.
• Work with the team on a framework and templates for them to use for local measurement of activity and tools to create consistent standards.
• Work with external agencies on any additional measurement research required.
• Brand and internal voice guardian for CC&E
• Work with relevant stakeholders to create clear guidance on the internal application of the Brand guidelines, style and tone of voice.
• Establish a process for reviewing content created by the CC&E team and identify people who need additional support and provide bespoke training.
• Work with relevant team members on brand related projects in CC&E.
• Facilitate skills building specifically on content creation, planning, measurement and reporting. Enable the wider team to create and deliver content.
• Lead the effort but not all of the delivery – lean on subject matter experts across the team and externally to the team to deliver resources and training.

What you'll need

• Significant experience in strategic content planning, internal communications, and team enablement.
• Proven ability to design and deliver content strategies, measurement frameworks, and operational planning processes.
• Proven track record of delivering high quality communication within a demanding environment. Writing, video and visual content creation skills across a variety of content types including news, social content, script writing, reports and presentations.
• Experience in strategic planning, working with multiple stakeholders and distilling information into a usable format for stakeholder conversations and communications team briefings.
• Experience with analytics tools, reporting, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills, including cross-functional and external agency engagement. Communicating verbally and in writing to inform and persuade up to Executive level.
• Expertise in brand management, tone of voice, and content quality assurance.
• Ability to lead change, drive team standards, and manage complex projects in a dynamic environment.
• Strong organisational, people and resource management skills required to bring projects to a successful result.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent copy and video editing skills (both print and digital channels)
• Ability to turn complex, technical information into compelling communications
• Highly creative with a flair for bringing new ideas and approaches to our content.
• Digitally savvy and ready to learn about and apply new technologies.
• A high level of curiosity and interest in external trends, bringing the outside in for National Grid.
• Ability to influence senior leaders, gain credibility quickly, and inspire trust and confidence in delivery
• A collaborative person able to quickly build effective partnerships with others around the business, working within a matrixed organisation
• Strategic thinking combined with excellence in tactical implementation, highly motivated and organised with a high level of attention to detail
• Results orientated, consistently managing timely delivery in a challenging environment while dealing with rapid change and ambiguity
• Able to manage and prioritise complex, competing communication issues while maintaining high standards

What you'll get

A competitive salary between £64,000 - £80,000 per annum– dependent on capability.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

About us

National Grid is pioneering ways to decarbonise the energy system; from building interconnectors to allow the UK to share clean energy with our neighbours in Europe, to investing in renewable energy generation in the United States.

As one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world, National Grid is at the centre of a clean, fair and affordable energy future, where tackling climate change and reaching net zero is a key priority.

More Information

This role closes on 20th January at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

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