About the job

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.  

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women’s Network Group. 

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.  

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career! 

Job description

We are looking for an ambitious and creative Media and Communications Manager to lead both the way the Insolvency Service responds to queries from some of the country’s top media outlets and help with the planning of our proactive announcements.

In this new role for the agency, you will be the front-line in our work with the media, responding to often complicated and difficult issues which can be at the top of the national news agenda.

You will also play a key role in planning the agency’s upcoming announcements to make sure they gain maximum media exposure.

You will be confident in engaging with journalists, while also having the ability to draft compelling and well-written press releases on complex operational issues, making them easily understood by members of the public.

You will work in partnership with colleagues across the agency, from directors and investigators to policy officials to your peers and colleagues in communications, with an innovative approach when using our corporate social media channels to announce Insolvency Service news.

You’ll be part of a supportive and collegiate team who work together to get the job done.

You will be part of a wider Corporate Communications team, providing a network of support and opportunities for your career to develop.  

Responsibilities

As a C2/SEO Media and Newsdesk Manager you will be:

• Responding to requests for information from national, trade and regional publications and drawing up reactive statements.
• Planning the best publication dates for the service’s announcements to gain maximum media exposure.
• Building and managing effective relationships with journalists, using these networks to promote our successes, defend our reputation and enhance the understanding of the agency's role.
• Acting as a trusted communications adviser by keeping abreast of upcoming external media opportunities as well as any emerging issues.
• Working with colleagues to identify and write stories which showcase their successes.
• Media and social media monitoring, with daily reports sent to senior members of staff; horizon-scanning to spot positive opportunities for the agency.
• Using our social media and internal channels to increase the impact of our communications.
• Promoting our media successes around the agency, ensuring results feed into internal and stakeholder content.
• Collaborating with other communications colleagues across Whitehall when necessary to ensure alignment of key messages.

Participating in the out of hours rota will be required, which will be compensated at an additional supplement of £2,200 per annum.

Person specification

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge, and abilities:

• Ability to draft complex and sensitive information into simple and jargon-free written content
• Confidence to verbally brief senior staff and journalists
• Ability to work quickly, collaboratively and to short deadlines
• A keen interest in communications and media relations
• Ability to look at issues and events that consider the bigger picture 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,880, Insolvency Service contributes £11,307 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 500-word personal statement and behaviours. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Your personal statement should be no more than 500 words and should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

We will test your behaviours and experience as part of the sift process, and if successful, you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.

Expected Timeline (subject to change)

Sift – to be confirmed

Interview – to be confirmed

Location - MS Teams

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service / Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Transforming Workplaces

The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.  

We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.   

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.