About the job

Job summary

The Directorate of Defence Communications is looking for an enthusiastic individual to become the Head of Digital Communications. This newly established role is designed to match the high ambition of the department to exploit the power of digital communication in new ways and to build a team to deliver greater scale and impact. Working as part of a newly formed functional area, this high-profile role will lead a team of digital specialists to support external communications across a range of ministerial portfolio areas.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Job description

The Directorate of Defence Communications (DDC) provides a world-class communication service for Defence, through a coherent network of motivated and effective communicators, military and civilian, who in the Whole Force ethos work together to enhance the public’s attitude to Defence, so that they trust the actions of the UK Armed Forces, and the MOD, at home and abroad. Through digital communications we explain and help deliver defence policy and corporate objectives and wider government objectives by changing the attitudes and behaviours of domestic and international target audiences. As part of our integrated communications work you will shape and lead our digital strategy and output, ensuring we influence and engage audiences across multiple channels to support the delivery of the latest Defence Command Paper and supporting Communications Strategy.

The Head of Digital Communications will reshape the department’s existing digital team and build capability across the wider communication function, realising our ambition to have a world beating digital capability that positively promotes the work of the whole force including military and civilian contribution.

This is a challenging and rewarding role requiring excellent communications skills, creativity, and the ability to engage effectively with the MOD Ministerial team, including senior figures across the military and the civil service. 

Person specification

Key responsibilities are: Setting the strategic direction for digital communications as part of our communications strategy. Leading and building a team of digital and social media professionals to ensure we can deliver best in class content. Setting standards and providing clear guidance for defence leaders and senior officials and ALB communicators. Providing trusted advice on all aspects of digital communications to senior stakeholders including Ministers and Special Advisers. Working with Private Offices and events teams to ensure digital is an integral part of all ministers’ and VIP visits and media planning. Providing leadership in a crisis, including working across Whitehall, to deliver impactful timely content. Leading on a user-led refresh of our digital platforms and channels. Building strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and partners.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £67,820, Ministry of Defence contributes £18,311 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, Experience and Technical skills.

This recruitment process will consist of an application and interview, where Skill Profiles (Behaviours, Experience, and Technical Skills) will be assessed. 

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.  

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability. (Word count: 500)

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical Skills

• GCS Competency – Impact

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours

• Changing and Improving

Technical Skills

• GCS Competency – Impact

Technical Skill GCS Framework - https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Government-Communication-Service-Career-Framework.pdf

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk . 

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.  

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. 

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

Security

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.