About the job

Job summary

The first duty of government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office has been at the frontline of this effort since 1782 and plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the UK.

As a member of the Communications Directorate, you’ll be supporting our mission to deliver outstanding public services that work for everyone.

You will join a multi-disciplinary team with colleagues based across the UK, working together to deliver the Home Office’s communications strategy.

We believe a positive, open and supportive culture is crucial to help everyone deliver their best work. We value diversity and provide an inclusive and encouraging environment for our team members. We nurture our talent and offer a broad range of learning and development opportunities to help you fulfil your potential.

Job description

If successful, you will play a pivotal role in delivering against the objectives set out in the Home Office communications strategy.

You will be responsible for driving forward insight-led, creative and proactive communications plans, making the most of broadcast, print, social and online opportunities to effectively reach our audiences.

In addition, you will take a lead on the development and implementation of reactive handling plans for complex and often controversial subject matters.

Relationship building both within the wider communications department and beyond will be a pivotal element of the role. You will work closely with colleagues in insight, marketing, social media, external affairs and Newsdesk teams to deliver and develop your plans. You will provide communications expertise to senior policy and operational officials and will have regular interaction with Ministers and the Home Secretary’s special advisers, demonstrating grip of communication handling for the Department.

In addition, you will lead in developing and maintaining positive relationships with key journalists – including national home affairs correspondents – personally briefing them on high-profile or complex issues.

The role will have direct line management responsibility. You will be a motivational leader who supports and raises the capability of the team. You will provide clarity of roles and responsibilities and demonstrate excellent judgement in signing off all media materials and handling, escalating where appropriate.

You will also be part of the senior management team out of hours back-up rota, supporting more junior colleagues who are on overnight or weekend duty.

Although largely media-based, the role-holder will be expected to work across all comms discipline to support colleagues as and when necessary.

Benefits

Please note that successful external candidates joining the Home Office will be on the minimum salary figure.

You will also be entitled to benefits, including 25 days of annual leave a year, which increases by one day every year to a maximum of 30, as well the cycle to work scheme and a season ticket travel loan.

Information about the role

• You will also be required to join the out of hours press office duty rota and contribute approximately one-two shifts a month. In-depth training and over-time pay is provided.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024.  Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). 
• Due to the nature of the role, this post is available on a full-time or compressed hours basis only, in line with local policies and successful completion of a probationary period.

Person specification

The post holder will be a highly motivated, decisive and adaptable media professional prepared to work on some of the most challenging, high profile and exciting issues in government.

Essential criteria 

• Significant experience of working in a fast-paced communications team.
• Strong strategic planning skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work to tight and challenging deadlines.
• Previous management and leadership experience.
• Confidence in dealing with national journalists.
• Political awareness.
• Confidence and ability to make immediate decisions in rapidly changing environments.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

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.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
 
•    A CV detailing job history/qualifications/skills
•    A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)
•    Provide evidence of the behaviour Leadership (250 words maximum)

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

The statement of suitability should concisely explain your motivation for applying to this role and offer evidence of how you meet the essential criteria listed on the Job Specification.
 
Please do not provide any personal details (including your name) in your CV or statement of suitability. We are unable to interview candidates who provide that information in these sections of their application.
 
The sift will be held on the behaviour Leadership and the statement of suitability (personal statement). The CV will not be scored.
 
The lead behaviour Leadership will be scored first for all candidates. Those who achieve the minimum pass score for the lead behaviour, will progress to a full sift where the statement of suitability (personal statement) will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the lead behaviour will not have their statement of suitability (personal statement) scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the lead behaviour Leadership.
 
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of technical based and behaviour-based questions.
 
The Technical questions will be centred around Government Communication Professional Competency Framework. Please refer to: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Government-Communications-Professional-Competency-Framework.pdf
 
A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made. We may also hold a location merit list.
 
Sift and Interview dates
 
Sift is expected to take place week commencing 10th June 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 24th June 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change. 
 
Interviews - 

Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:
• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams
 
PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.
 
Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Further information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

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

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

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

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, 

subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office 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

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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

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.