Digital Engagement Lead

We are MHCLG

At the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to peoples lives. We have over 3,500 staff who are based in 20 offices across the UK. Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of local councils, or the communities were all part of, our work is central to the political agenda. With ambitious and far-reaching goals this year, theres never been a more exciting time to join us.

The Elections Directorate within MHCLG is responsible for a challenging and dynamic portfolio spanning electoral policy and legislation, research and analysis, electoral security, electoral administration, and digital. The Elections Digital team is responsible for a suite of public- and sector-facing digital services, including Register to Vote and an ambitious programme of work to deliver the governments manifesto commitments on elections.

Were looking for a highly experienced Digital Engagement Lead to join the Elections Digital team, providing strategic co-ordination and oversight of cross-government engagement activities.

This is an exciting opportunity to help enable the successful delivery of a high-profile and ambitious programme of work to transform electoral registration. Successful delivery depends on close collaboration across government, with multiple departments and partner organisations working together to develop new digital solutions, data sharing arrangements and legislative change. The Digital Engagement Lead will work across professions, project teams and government departments to ensure organisational dependencies, governance pathways and stakeholder relationships are understood, managed and escalated appropriately. Youll be working in a fast-paced, high-profile, agile environment, helping to create the conditions for successful cross-government delivery.

Your work will directly benefit millions of people who use our services each year to participate in elections in the UK. Learn more about our direction and priorities in our strategy for elections (Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections - GOV.UK). You can find the elections blog here: Elections MHCLG Digital

Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

As a Digital Engagement Lead, you'll:

• Lead the cross-government strategic engagement, communications and stakeholder management activities for the digital work being delivered under the Electoral Resilience and Democratic Engagement Programme
• Build and maintain strong relationships across other government departments and MHCLG teams to support successful programme outcomes
• Support realistic delivery planning by providing visibility of external dependencies, organisational constraints and stakeholder readiness
• Establish structured engagement assessments to understand stakeholder requirements, organisational priorities, governance arrangements and decision-making pathways
• Create and maintain a comprehensive view of cross-government dependencies, identifying risks, constraints and opportunities that may impact delivery outcomes and timelines
• Monitor and report on stakeholder engagement effectiveness, delivery confidence, dependency status and emerging risks, escalating issues where intervention is required
• Identify and remove barriers to collaboration, fostering joined-up working across organisations, services and government functions to deliver better electoral outcomes

As a Digital Engagement Lead, you'll have:

• Significant experience leading complex stakeholder engagement across multiple organisations within government, public sector or similarly complex delivery environments
• Strong understanding of how organisational structures, governance processes and decision-making arrangements influence digital programme and project delivery
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted and productive relationships with senior stakeholders, including officials from other government departments and partner organisations
• Excellent communication, facilitation and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge constructively, negotiate priorities and achieve consensus across organisational boundaries
• Proven ability to identify, assess and manage strategic dependencies and delivery risks that sit outside direct programme control
• Experience designing and delivering engagement and communications plans that support large-scale and complex digital delivery
• Ability to work autonomously and deliver at pace in complex, high-profile and politically sensitive environments, balancing competing priorities and adapting to changing circumstances
• Experience of working within digital, data and technology environments, with a strong understanding of agile ways of working