Head of Engagement and Communications, Better Futures Fund


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£54,582 - £67,940
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	SW1A 2BQ
Job type:	Temporary
Posting date:	19 Aug 2026
Closing date:	2 Sept 2026

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Summary

The role we are recruiting for sits within the Impact Economy Team in the Civil Society and Youth directorate. The team has a responsibility for mobilising innovative sources of philanthropic and private capital alongside government spending. This has primarily been in support of encouraging a financially sustainable Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector.

The team is driven by a commitment to improving outcomes for communities, increasing the impact of the sector through innovation and championing what works, improving civil society access to funding, and unlocking and growing non-government sources of finance. It is home to a diverse set of innovative and dynamic policy areas seeking to tackle to some of society's toughest challenges.

We are firmly committed to our people, and this is reflected in our values. We work hard to build an environment that is diverse and inclusive, as well as warm, friendly and collaborative; where each member of staff can flourish, feel comfortable being themselves at work, develop their skills and move their career forward.

This is an exciting and stretching role, offering a unique opportunity to lead the engagement and communications strategy for the landmark £500 million Better Futures Fund (BFF). Over the next decade, this flagship initiative aims to leverage up to £1bn in total funding to tackle the root causes of child poverty across England, improving life chances for up to 200,000 children and families through innovative Social Outcomes Partnerships. Due to its scale, the programme holds significant visibility across Whitehall and generates wide external interest.

This role suits a collaborative and innovative individual who is keen to work on a new complex programme that is not the usual way government does business. As the Engagement and Communications Lead, you will own the cross-government narrative and external communications strategy, working alongside our core policy and delivery teams. This will involve working with internal DCMS teams on government comms moments and identifying external opportunities to promote the programme. You will coordinate all briefings and commissions relating to BFF and lead on all ministerial and parliamentary engagement. You will also be responsible for supporting cross-government engagement, managing key stakeholder relationships and co-ordinating inputs to support the design and delivery of funding rounds. You will manage one Senior Policy Advisor (SEO) to support the delivery of these objectives. The successful candidate will also need to be flexible to evolving needs of the programme as it transitions through the project life cycle and be willing to adapt roles and responsibilities as required.

Success in this post means establishing trusted relationships with Ministers, departments and senior stakeholders and translating complex policy milestones into clear briefings and compelling comms moments. This position provides significant exposure to senior HMG leadership and the opportunity to shape a major government programme from its early stages, making it an excellent platform for career progression within the civil service.

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