Internal Communications Manager

Joining the Hakim Group means becoming part of a close-knit family of independent optical practices across the UK and Ireland. A career here is one where empowerment, innovation, and unwavering support create a truly fulfilling experience—a career that’s not just fulfilling but a bit like joining a secret club of the happiest eye-care professionals. We are seeking an Internal Communications Manager to help bring our transformation journey and Value Creation Plan (VCP) to life across the business.

We offer a competitive remuneration package alongside a long-term incentive scheme recognising your contribution to our transformation journey. This is a hybrid role with flexibility to balance focused work with collaboration at our HQ in Darwen (BB3 1AE).

You’ll be part of a vibrant culture, with team events, wellbeing support, and access to a rewards portal filled with exclusive benefits. Most importantly, you’ll work in an environment where your creativity, expertise, and impact are valued, and you can thrive within our award-winning Hakim Group culture.

This role is the strategic and operational heartbeat of our internal communications, ensuring clarity, consistency, and engagement across the organisation. You’ll be pivotal in enabling change, aligning colleagues with our business ambitions, and fostering a culture of transparency, pride, and trust.

A key focus will be embedding our Value Creation Plan (VCP) into internal communications—translating strategic priorities into compelling narratives that drive understanding, alignment, and action. By integrating communications into the rhythm of the business and embracing modern, digital-first techniques, you will directly contribute to the success of our transformation journey and long-term value creation.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

• Strategic Alignment: Partner with senior leaders to shape and deliver a clear internal communications strategy that embeds the VCP at every level.
• Change Enablement: Act as a key enabler of change programmes, ensuring communications are timely, targeted, and effective in driving understanding, adoption, and engagement.
• Operational Excellence: Own the internal communications calendar, channels, and cadence—balancing strategic campaigns with the regular business rhythm. Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality content that supports the VCP and broader business priorities.
• Narrative & Creative Development: Translate complex strategies into clear, compelling messaging that resonates across diverse audiences. Use storytelling, visuals, video, podcasts, and interactive formats to make messages engaging and memorable.
• Leadership & Crisis Communications: Support the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) with messaging, presentations, and content that inspires, informs, and reinforces the VCP narrative. Act as a trusted partner in sensitive or urgent communications.
• Engagement & Employee Voice: Create two-way communication channels to capture feedback, amplify colleague and partner stories, and celebrate achievements. Ensure employee voice shapes decision-making.
• Measurement & Insight: Develop and track KPIs to measure effectiveness and reach, using analytics to continuously improve content, format, and channel use. Segment messaging for higher impact.
• Governance & Consistency: Implement frameworks and guidelines to ensure messaging is aligned, inclusive, accessible, and reflective of our values. Act as guardian of brand and narrative consistency.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong relationships across functions so communications are embedded into project planning and delivery, not added on at the end.

The Ideal Candidate
We’re looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with creative storytelling and operational delivery:

• Experience: Proven track record in internal communications within complex, fast-paced environments—ideally with exposure to transformation, change programmes, and value creation initiatives.
• Change Communications Expertise: Deep understanding of change management principles and communicating effectively through transformation programmes.
• Digital Channels: Skilled in intranet, video, podcasts, apps, and collaboration platforms like Yammer, Teams, or Slack with a mobile-first mindset.
• Strategic Thinking & Creative Storytelling: Ability to translate business strategy into engaging, actionable communications across multiple formats.
• Operational Delivery: Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality content consistently.
• Influence & Impact: Gravitas to engage senior stakeholders and empathy to connect with diverse internal audiences.
• Measurement & Insight: Data-driven, comfortable using analytics, dashboards, and KPIs to evidence impact and refine strategy.
• Style: Pragmatic, collaborative, and hands-on—able to bring strategic visions to life through impactful storytelling.

Please Apply below and we'll be intouch