The Open University
Business Engagement Lead
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Are you passionate about driving engagement, leading organisational change, and connecting people to a shared purpose?
Join The Open University as a Business Engagement Lead and play a pivotal role in shaping how Digital Services engages with colleagues, stakeholders, and the wider University community through impactful communications and strategic engagement.
About the Role
As a Business Engagement Lead, you will lead the strategic planning and delivery of high-quality engagement for Digital Services, fostering clarity, alignment, and a strong sense of shared purpose across the function, supporting the delivery of the Digital Services Unit Business Plan, People Plan, and business change through effective colleague engagement, stakeholder engagement, and operational communications.
The role has two primary focuses:
Internal engagement
- Building alignment and shared understanding within Digital Services - ensuring colleagues understand priorities, progress, and impact.
Business change & stakeholder engagement
- Supporting Digital Services programmes through effective stakeholder mapping, engagement planning, and change communications, working in partnership with the University's central Internal Communications team where communications extend beyond Digital Services or contribute to University-wide strategic messaging.
Key Responsibilities
Internal Communications & Engagement (Digital Services)
- Develop and deliver an outcome-focused internal communications and engagement plan aligned to Digital Services priorities and leadership objectives.
- Translate the Digital Services strategy, priorities, and objectives into clear and engaging communications for colleagues within Digital Services, aligned with the University's strategic messaging and corporate narrative.
- Design and deliver approaches that foster transparency, connection, and a sense of belonging across a large, complex function.
- Use insight and feedback to measure effectiveness and continuously improve engagement.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Lead stakeholder engagement planning to support the delivery of Digital Services programmes and strategic change initiatives.
- Work with programme teams to develop stakeholder engagement and change communication plans that support successful adoption of new services, systems, and ways of working.
- Support Digital Services leaders and managers to communicate effectively with colleagues.
- Translate complex technical information into accessible language for colleagues and stakeholder groups.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Operational Communications & Coordination
- Coordinate local communications and engagement activity across Digital Services, ensuring colleagues receive timely, accurate, and relevant information.
- Ensure communications are timely, accurate, and aligned across programmes and teams.
- Act as the primary operational contact within Digital Services for the central Internal Communications team, ensuring joined-up planning and delivery of communications activity.
Stakeholder & Community Engagement
- Partner with the central Internal Communications team to coordinate communications activity where programmes have organisation-wide impact.
- Partner with Digital Services Leadership Team on engaging key stakeholder groups, including Associate Lecturers, Academic Services, and VCE, ensuring alignment and impact.
- Support stakeholder engagement and communications planning during operational issues, technology change, and service delivery programmes, escalating organisation-wide communications requirements through the central Internal Communications team where appropriate.
About You
Essential
- Extensive experience leading colleague and stakeholder engagement, communications, and change adoption within large, complex organisations.
- Proven success supporting technology-enabled change, digital transformation, or major organisational programmes.
- Strong track record of developing and delivering stakeholder engagement and communication strategies that drive business change and organisational objectives.
- Significant experience planning and coordinating engagement activity across multiple diverse stakeholder groups and competing priorities.
- Expertise in stakeholder analysis, mapping, and engagement planning for complex programmes with experience working collaboratively with specialist communications teams to deliver organisation-wide engagement activity, advising on escalation requirements, and ensuring alignment between local and organisation-wide communications.
- Experience advising senior leaders and programme teams on engagement, communications, and change management approaches.
- Strong stakeholder management, influencing, relationship-building, and partnership-working skills.
- Experience managing intranet content, editing, and digital communication channels.
- Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to create clear, engaging, and audience-specific content.
- Ability to translate complex technical or programme information into accessible and compelling communications.
- Excellent facilitation skills, including designing and delivering workshops, consultation activities, and engagement sessions.
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, lead teams to successful outcomes, and respond effectively during periods of organisational change or service disruption.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Desirable
- Understanding of recognised change management methodologies.
Support with your application
If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.
Why Join Us?
At The Open University, we're proud to be pioneers in accessible education, digital innovation, and transformational change. This is an opportunity to influence how we engage our people and stakeholders within Digital Services and beyond while supporting the delivery of strategic priorities.
Our benefits include:
- 33 days annual leave, on top of bank holidays and a three-day Christmas closure period.
- Access to a leading pension scheme for UK higher education with generous employer contributions.
- Staff Fee Waivers for OU study, meaning you could earn a degree for free.
- Hybrid working, with limited requirement to attend the office in-person, with agile working and family-friendly policies.
- Discounts, wellbeing support, and development opportunities.
Ready to make a lasting impact?
Apply now and help shape the future of engagement, communication, and change across Digital Services at one of the UK's most respected and innovative institutions.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills