Head of Partnerships
| Posting date: | 11 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £57,511 to £68,328 per year |
| Additional salary information: | National: £57,511 - £64,708 London: £61,234 - £68,328 |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 May 2026 |
| Location: | Birmingham |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 459599/2 |
Summary
We achieve this by making the UK the best place in the world to do business, making the UK the most connected economy, and delivering great services to business.
Through our Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy, Small Business Plan, and Plan to Make Work Pay, we're working in partnership with business to create the conditions for investment, innovation, and job creation that will put more money in working people's pockets.
With 95% of UK businesses wanting to grow and 37% of international investors in 16 key markets likely to invest in the UK, our challenge is translating strong policy delivery into business uptake and public trust. We're positioned to demonstrate tangible economic impact through authentic business, consumer, and worker stories that show – not just tell – how government is delivering growth in partnership with business.
Our communications transformation
DBT's Communications and Marketing function is undergoing a bold transformation to meet the demands of the modern media landscape and deliver on our ambitious growth mission. We're moving from traditional discipline-based communications to an integrated, outcome-focused model that positions communications as a critical delivery enabler, not just a service function.
Our integrated approach
Working through matrix teams, we bring together multidisciplinary communications and engagement professionals to deliver priority campaigns under one strategy aligned to the growth mission. Our approach is built on three pillars:
- Targeted behaviour change: Hyper-focused campaigns driving business uptake of export support, employment rights compliance, and service-led communications linking policy to practical business support
- Real stories: Case study-driven campaigns featuring businesses creating jobs and workers benefiting from new rights, with local ministerial visits showcasing investment wins and peer-to-peer business advocacy
- Progress and delivery moments: Strategic use of set-piece events and milestones to demonstrate momentum and build trust through demonstrated impact.
Mission-led approach
All our activities directly support the Growth Mission. We translate complex economic policies into clear narratives for target audiences across all DBT communications and engagement channels. Our communication outcomes contribute to the overall mission milestone of "higher living standards in every part of the United Kingdom." We operate with SMART objectives, use insight to drive clear audience journeys from awareness to action, and measure impact through metrics aligned to the mission milestone.
By joining DBT Communications and Marketing, you'll be part of a team that's redefining how government communicates about economic growth – working collaboratively across disciplines, using evidence and insight to drive impact, and demonstrating how government partnership with business is creating jobs, driving investment, and improving living standards across the UK.
Role Summary
As Head of Partnerships, you will lead the development and delivery of DBT's digital partnership strategy, a critical component of our approach to maximising reach with reduced resources. In a media environment where government accounts for less than 1% of UK media spend and our own channels primarily reach the Westminster bubble, strategic partnerships with third-party platforms, organisations, and content creators are essential to reaching priority audiences and demonstrating how government is delivering economic growth.
Working closely with the Head of Digital and in seamless partnership with the Deputy Head of Digital: Social Media, you will develop and formalise our approach to engaging with content creators, influencers, and digital partners both domestically and internationally, ensuring partnerships are maintained, managed, and measured effectively throughout the year. You will work interchangeably with your deputy counterpart to provide flexible leadership across the full digital function, ensuring continuity of strategic direction and operational delivery. This role requires strong relationship-building skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to identify innovative opportunities to amplify DBT's narratives beyond traditional government channels.
As part of our newly formed Storytelling and Partnerships team, you will play a key role in transforming how DBT communicates externally - helping to elevate our digital storytelling, forge impactful partnerships, and maximise the visual and narrative potential of ministerial visits.
Key Accountabilities
Collaborative Leadership and Interoperability
- Work interchangeably with the Deputy Head of Digital: Social Media to provide unified digital leadership, ensuring seamless coverage during absences and shared strategic decision-making
- Maintain joint oversight of the Digital Strategy team (four strategists total), providing guidance and support across both partnerships and social media priorities as needed
- Collaborate closely to ensure partnership content aligns with owned social media channel strategies and editorial standards
- Jointly represent the digital function in matrix team meetings, grid planning sessions, and senior stakeholder forums, including close collaboration with the New Media Unit and other government departments
- Share responsibility for digital innovation, testing, and performance frameworks across all digital channels and partnerships
Partnership Strategy Development
- Develop and deliver comprehensive digital partnership strategies for DBT's priority campaign areas (Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy, Make Work Pay, Small Business Strategy)
- Identify, cultivate, and manage strategic partnerships with third-party platforms, organisations, content creators, and influencers aligned to priority audiences
- Work with External Affairs and Marketing colleagues to ensure integrated approach to partnerships, advocacy, and influencer engagement
- Ensure partnership strategies support DBT's mission to translate policy into tangible impact that reaches businesses and communities beyond the Westminster bubble while complementing owned social media activity
Content Creator and Influencer Engagement
- Formalise how we engage with content creators domestically and internationally, establishing clear processes, guidelines, and standards aligned with social media editorial standards
- Develop and deliver monthly creator and influencer-led content that brings authenticity to targeted audience groups
- Build relationships with trusted third-party voices with high reach and impact among priority segments including SMEs, international investors, and public audiences
- Work with campaigns teams and the Deputy Head: Social Media to identify opportunities for creator-led storytelling that demonstrates real-world impact of government policies
Third-Party Platform Management
- Continue to develop and upskill our approach to using third-party platforms to reach priority audiences
- Identify and embed new platforms, partnerships, channels, and engagement strategies using test-and-learn approaches
- Collaborate with innovation and platform specialists and the Deputy Head: Social Media to stay ahead of digital trends and emerging opportunities
- Ensure DBT maintains presence and impact on platforms where priority audiences are most active
Partnership Management and Tracking
- Ensure partnerships are maintained and managed throughout the year with key parties, including regular touchpoints and relationship management
- Formalise processes for tracking third-party social media content, measuring reach, engagement, and impact of partnership activities integrated with owned channel reporting
- Develop clear frameworks for partnership agreements, content approval, and performance evaluation
- Work with Insight and Evaluation colleagues to demonstrate ROI and impact of partnership investments
Storytelling and Content Strategy
- Focus on storytelling across digital partner channels, ensuring narratives demonstrate tangible economic impact and improved living standards while maintaining consistency with owned channel messaging
- Work closely with the Head of Creative and Brand and the Deputy Head: Social Media to commission compelling content suitable for third-party distribution
- Ensure partnership content features authentic business, consumer, and worker stories that support the "show not tell" approach
- Translate complex economic policies into relatable narratives through trusted voices and credible messengers
Collaboration and Integration
- Integrate partnership planning with grid planning teams and matrix operations to align with media and campaign activity and social media content calendars
- Collaborate with Marketing on paid partnerships and External Affairs on influencer and advocacy strategies
- Support international network colleagues to develop partnership approaches in key markets
- Work on cross-government partnership projects around key priorities
Team Leadership and Innovation
- Line manage two Senior Digital Strategists who support priority campaigns while maintaining close coordination with the two other Senior Digital Strategists managed by the Deputy Head: Social Media. Lead all four on partnerships and creator content.
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