Location: London
Closing Date: 22.04.2025
Why this job matters
The Responsible Business (RB) team plays a key role in bringing our purpose – We connect for good – to life. BT Group has recently refreshed its RB strategy to focus on two key issues central to BT Group’s role in society: Digital Inclusion and Sustainability. Our work in these areas is core to what BT Group does whilst maximising the opportunity for positive societal impact and creating value for the business. This work is activated through our people, customers, communities and partners and is underpinned by our cultures, values and governance.
The Principal, Social Impact and Business will execute BT Group’s social impact strategy, supporting our purpose and ambition, and driving positive outcomes in reputation, brand, commercial success, and colleague engagement. You will lead the digital inclusion program, including key engagements like the senior skills program, in partnership with all parts of the group. You will have responsibility to act as the senior lead for Business on wider responsible business plans.
What you’ll be doing
* The Principal, Social Impact and Business will execute BT Group’s social impact strategy, supporting our purpose and ambition, and driving positive outcomes in reputation, brand, commercial success, and colleague engagement. You will lead the digital inclusion program, including key engagements like the senior skills program, in partnership with all parts of the group. You will have responsibility to act as the senior lead for Business on wider responsible business plans.
* You will set and oversee charity strategies and partnerships, ensuring alignment with business needs and volunteering activities. Additionally, you will oversee social impact work in India, ensuring compliance with local regulations. You will provide advisory support on all aspects of social impact to CFUs, integrating social impact into their strategies and plans. Furthermore, you will manage governance and reporting, providing regular updates on progress at senior forums (ExCo, RBC), tracking risks under the group risk framework, and contributing to external reporting.
Key accountabilities of the role include:
* Influencing development of social impact strategy and being responsible for its execution across the group and alignment to unit plans
* Recommending and leading external partnerships (including charities) and public positioning opportunities on social impact / digital inclusion for BT Group, working closely with the policy and public affairs and customer units to build and align plans.
* Aligning social impact plans to enable integration into unit plan (e.g. CFUs) so impacts can be scaled with customer audiences
* Working closely with Communications teams to develop campaigns and communications that they will deliver
* Governance – engagement and influencing at most senior level (ExCo, RBC)
* Budget management, covering digital inclusion, charities and volunteering activities
Overall, the role will:
* Lead activities contributing to delivery of reputational and other benefits and BT Group’s performance on key public goals, e.g. reaching people with digital skills training
* Achieve commercial activation of the agenda - develop and leverage propositions to differentiate BT Group in bids/contracts (e.g. social value) while maintaining strategic discipline
* Have impact across multiple timeframes – in-year delivery and execution and supporting goals/strategy that are set with a 3-5 year horizon
The Skills and Experience You’ll Need
The ideal candidate will have significant experience of executing digital inclusion and large-scale social impact programs in a large, complex and matrixed businesses.
In addition, key requirements include:
• Track record demonstrating delivery of positive reputational, brand, commercial and colleague engagement outcomes
• Development of propositions to support delivery of social value in a B2B context
• People management
• Comfortable in the absence of direction; knows when to ask for help
• Experience of managing delivery and charity partners and volunteering, bringing consistency and overseeing and evolving policies to maintain compliance and reduce risk
You will be a:
• Highly effective communicator, with the ability to influence at all levels
• Strong leader, with the gravitas to represent BT Group in a compelling way
• Brave change agent, with courage and tenacity to take positions that challenge thinking within the business and in key forums, e.g. RBC
• Inclusive leader with ability to build and motivate diverse teams
• Stakeholder manager, building trusted relationships, recognising the importance of partnering to address key societal issues such as digital exclusion
• Confident operator, handling complex and difficult situations with thought and thoroughness
• Curious mind and close to external trends and best practice
Please note we believe in the strength that comes through a diversity of experience and backgrounds. If you do not meet all the criteria listed above, please do not be put off. We will review your application with an open mind.
Benefits
At BT, we entertain, educate, and empower millions of people every single day. We’re a brand built on connecting people – whether that’s friends, family, businesses, or communities. Working here, you’ll receive an attractive salary and a range of competitive benefits, but – more than that – you’ll be joining an ambitious organisation with a culture of togetherness, collaboration, and inclusivity, that takes a genuine and proactive interest in your progress and development.
* 25 days annual leave (not including bank holidays), increasing with service
* Up to a 15% on-target bonus
* Company car or £5,500 cash alternative
* Private healthcare for yourself and family
* BT Pension scheme, minimum 5% Employee contribution, BT contribution 10%
* Huge range of flexible benefits including cycle to work, healthcare, season ticket loan
* World-class training and development opportunities
* Option to join BT Shares Saving schemes.
* Discounted broadband, mobile and TV packages
* Access to 100’s of retail discounts including the BT shop
* Great support for working parents including pay whilst on maternity, adoptive, and paternity leave
Our leadership standards
Looking in:
Leading inclusively and Safely
I inspire and build trust through self-awareness, honesty and integrity.
Owning outcomes
I take the right decisions that benefit the broader organisation.
Looking out:
Delivering for the customer
I execute brilliantly on clear priorities that add value to our customers and the wider business.
Commercially savvy
I demonstrate strong commercial focus, bringing an external perspective to decision-making.
Looking to the future:
Growth mindset
I experiment and identify opportunities for growth for both myself and the organisation.
Building for the future
I build diverse future-ready teams where all individuals can be at their best.
About us
BT is part of BT Group, along with EE, Openreach, and Plusnet.
Millions of people rely on us every day to help them live their lives, power their businesses, and keep their public services running. We connect friends to family, clients to colleagues, people to possibilities. We keep the wheels of business spinning, and the emergency services responding.
We value diversity and celebrate difference. ‘We embed diversity and inclusion into everything that we do. It’s fundamental to our purpose: we connect for good.’
We all stick to the same values: Personal, Simple, and Brilliant. From day one, you’ll get stuck in to tough challenges, pitch in with ideas, make things happen. But you won’t be alone: we’ll be there with help and support, learning and development.
This is your chance to make a real difference to the world: to be part of the digital transformation of countless lives and businesses. Grab it.
A FEW POINTS TO NOTE:
Although these roles are listed as full-time, if you’re a job share partnership, work reduced hours, or any other way of working flexibly, please still get in touch.
We will also offer reasonable adjustments for the selection process if required, so please do not hesitate to inform us.
DON'T MEET EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT?
Studies have shown that women and people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse or from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification and criteria. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can be their best, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement on the Job Description, please apply anyway - you may just be the right candidate for this or other roles in our wider team.