Head of Internal Communications Content, Channels and Delivery
Salary: Competitive Plus Benefits
Location: London Store Support Centre and Home, London, EC1M 6HA
Contract type: Permanent
Business area: Corporate Affairs
Closing date: 02 April 2026
Requisition ID: 400055045
Why join us
You’ll join Sainsbury’s Corporate Affairs function, a team focused on building trust, driving colleague engagement and strengthening our corporate reputation. Internal Communications plays a critical role in helping colleagues understand our strategy, see how their work connects to our Next Level plan and feel confident about where the business is heading.
Working at the heart of the organisation, the team partners closely with senior leaders and teams across Sainsbury’s to ensure communications are clear, consistent and meaningful — helping colleagues feel informed, connected and proud to be part of the business.
More about the role
We’re looking for an exceptional internal communications leader to shape how over 140,000 colleagues hear from us, connect to our plan, and feel proud to be part of Sainsbury’s. This is a senior role that will own and be accountable for what we say, how we say it, and the experience our colleagues have across every channel.
If you’re someone who brings fresh thinking, can see the big picture, joins the dots, and knows how to influence senior stakeholders to get buy‑in for brilliant communications, this is a role where you can make a real impact.
You’ll lead:
The communications experience for our colleagues
- Lead the end‑to‑end delivery of internal communications, ensuring everything is clear, joined‑up and unmistakably Sainsbury’s.
- Shape, own and evolve our channel strategy - digital, face‑to‑face and everything in between - ensuring every channel has a clear purpose and get buy-in from senior leaders.
- Make sure channels are used for their intended purpose, with content that will spark conversation with our audiences - editing and adapting messaging as required.
- Set and champion the Sainsbury’s tone of voice
Strategic communications planning
- Lead planning for internal communications so we tell a coherent, connected story that supports our Next Level plan.
- Spot opportunities to simplify and reduce noise so colleagues can see the bigger picture.
- Work closely with Corporate Affairs to align Internal Communications into the wider Corporate Affairs narrative.
- Influence senior leaders and key forums with confident, well‑judged recommendations.
Continuous improvement of our communications
- Use insight and evaluation to strengthen how our content and channels land with colleagues.
- Champion intuitive, digital-first and AI‑enhanced colleague experiences.
- Lead our communications approach to business continuity events.
A high‑performing team
- Lead, coach and develop a team of 10, creating clear objectives and championing our Valued Behaviours.
- Foster a collaborative, high‑impact culture where colleagues challenge, innovate and deliver together.
- Ensure workloads and priorities are managed effectively so the team focuses on what matters most.
More about you
You bring demonstrable experience delivering internal communications within a large, complex organisation, with the ability to turn complex information into clear, engaging and inclusive content. You have proven capability in managing communications channels and planning at scale, and you’re comfortable advising and influencing senior leaders with credibility and confidence.
You are a collaborative and inclusive people leader who builds high‑performing teams, creates clarity and accountability, and role‑models Sainsbury’s valued behaviours. You use insight to guide decisions, remain calm in ambiguity and are motivated by improving colleague experience through high‑quality, well‑timed communications that genuinely make a difference.
Essential criteria
- Proven delivery of internal communications within a large, complex organisation, with accountability for end‑to‑end content, channels and delivery outcomes.
- Demonstrable writing and editing capability, evidenced by translating complex or sensitive information into clear, engaging and audience‑appropriate communications.
- Experience designing, managing and evolving communication channels at scale, with clear rationale for channel purpose, governance and impact.
- Evidence of influencing senior leaders, including providing well‑judged recommendations and simplifying complex messages to support decision‑making and engagement.
- Proven people leadership, including setting objectives, developing capability, and leading teams through change, ambiguity or business‑critical events.
