Jessica van der Hilst
@jessicavanderhilst
Strategic internal communications leader turning change into human-centric, multi-channel narratives.
AustraliaWhat I'm looking for
I’m a strategic communications leader with 15+ years of progressive experience turning complex business strategy and change into engaging, human-centric internal narratives. I partner with complex organisations across technology, financial services, defence, transport, and education, serving as trusted executive advisor and executive ghostwriter.
I lead transformation and change communications through fast-moving organisational shifts—brand transitions, mergers and acquisitions, collective bargaining negotiations and disputes, and sensitive workforce remediation—using structured change communication frameworks and close sequencing with change management.
I design and run full internal communications ecosystems, from enterprise collaboration tools (Slack, Teams, Viva Engage) and intranets to all-hands events and async formats—supported by playbooks, standardised documentation, and measurement. I’ve delivered measurable impact, including 93% staff agreeing communications improved (up 12% year-on-year) and a 96% employee satisfaction rating for an executive roadshow, alongside migration to Microsoft Teams and Viva Engage across distributed locations.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
LLM Evaluation Engineer
Hatch AI
Jan 2026 - Present (7 months)
Partnering with an AI training organization to create hyper-realistic simulations and evaluate what “good” looks like for AI agents. Defines agent rulebooks and job descriptions, designs efficient prompts, reviews demonstrations/data, and flags inconsistencies during evaluation.
Employee Communications Manager
SAE, Navitas
Jan 2024 - Jan 2025 (1 year)
Sole communications lead managing staff communications through protracted, volatile collective bargaining negotiations. Led internal messaging across negotiations, labour disputes, and virtual all-hands, and coached the CEO on responsible use of LLMs in the workplace.
Provided executive counsel and ghostwriting support to the CEO and executive team. Led internal communications across 160+ locations, including a full digital migration to Microsoft Teams and Viva Engage and multi-channel change communications through a brand transition and acquisitions.
Communications Team Manager
Shoalhaven City Council
Jan 2021 - Jan 2021 (0 months)
Managed media and staff communications for local government and supervised a team of five. Covered both internal and public-facing communication channels.
Led employee engagement communications for a globally matrixed defence organization. Developed audience-specific messaging playbooks, created the first formal internal communications strategy, delivered an executive roadshow, and handled communications for confidential workforce remediation.
Internal Communications Manager
IAG
Jan 2013 - Jan 2018 (5 years)
Managed internal communications across IT, Operations, and Performance & Reputation divisions. Delivered a 30% uplift in IT channel effectiveness and led communications for a pay cycle transition affecting 10,000 staff.
Provided strategic communications counsel to the CIO and Technology executive team, building communication infrastructure for ~7,000 IT employees. Delivered a 30% uplift in technology employee engagement scores and built playbooks and cascading tools for technology change programs.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
Australian Institute of Management (AIM)
Professional course, Switch Thinking
2025 -
Completed training on Switch Thinking techniques to solve and innovate more effectively.
Melcrum (now Gartner)
Professional certification, Internal Communications
2014 -
Completed the Internal Communications Black Belt Partner program.
University of Wollongong
Bachelor of Computer Science; Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing), Computer Science and Creative Writing
2009 -
Grade: Distinction
Earned a Bachelor of Computer Science and a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing), both awarded with distinction.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
AustraliaAuthorized to work in
Job categories
Skills
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