About the job

Job summary

Do you want to be part of an energetic, innovative team and bring your skills to one of the biggest changes to the administration of the Civil Service in decades? 
 
We’re looking for people who are flexible, intuitive and are comfortable taking high levels of volume, speed and complexity in their stride. 
 
A number of exciting new roles have come up in the Synergy Programme, a cross-departmental group formed in response to the Government Strategy for Shared Services  which sets out departmental ‘clusters’ to drive efficiencies, increase buying power and improve the quality of shared services in government.  
 
The Synergy Programme is the largest of five departmental clusters, comprising the Ministry of Justice, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office. The Department of Work and Pensions hosts the Synergy Programme. Your work will impact the procurement arrangements for Enterprise Resource Platform (ERP) and Business Process Services for the next 15 years, impacting over 50% of all Civil Servants – that’s 230,000 people across the four departments and arm’s length bodies. 

Synergy will support the delivery of critical Government services by enabling faster, more efficient and intuitive HR, Finance and procurement transactions, based on user needs. It will also deliver better data reporting to underpin decision making. 

We’re looking for applications from people who can demonstrate a passion for our core ambition - delivering a once in a generation, transformed service that Civil Servants will use as a result of the Synergy Programme. 

Job description

As Communications and Engagement Team Leader you will be at the forefront of a proactive programme of strategic Communications and engagement across four Departments, to deliver against Synergy Programme objectives. You will provide strong leadership and strategic direction in helping others maintain and improve standards of communication and engagement across the programme.  

You will lead communication and engagement team members to deliver the Synergy programme’s communications strategy by: 

• Developing and managing communications and engagement activity that measurably contributes to achieving programme objectives, in line with the communications and engagement strategy and associated plans.  
• Building relationships with internal and external partners at all levels across departments and teams.  
• Championing Synergy vision, consistent tone and visual identity.
• Developing and maintaining clear and concise content and products that meet user needs for a range of audiences, including internal colleagues, other government departments and stakeholders. 
• Ensuring feedback channels are effective, actioned and acknowledged whilst building strong relationships with Departmental comms leads.  
• Maximising opportunities to celebrate and communicate programme successes. 
• Identifying and mitigating communication and engagement risks.   
• Making best use of channels to build understanding and engagement with Synergy Objectives for key audiences.  
• Creating opportunities to harness the power and influence of key stakeholders in promoting positive programme outcomes.  
• Actively building, maintaining and influencing a network of internal and external colleagues to support programme objectives.  
• Designing evaluation strategy to evidence the effectiveness of communications, including KPIs and critical success factor development. 
• Demonstrating strong interpersonal skills with the ability to develop positive working relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Developing and maintaining project plans and supporting the team to meet key milestones and deadlines in line with them.  
• Providing assurance to senior leaders on Communications and Engagement activity and outcomes.  
• Leading colleagues by creating the right environment for them to thrive and stretch in the team.  
• Making data-driven and concise recommendations to address communication and engagement challenges, and leading discussions that conclude in well-evidenced proposals.  
• Supporting, assuring and where necessary deputising for the G5 Head of Communications and Engagement. 

Person specification

To be successful in this role, candidates will have: 

• Experience of working in a lead Communications role, preferably in a large and/or complex organisation (Lead Criteria).
• Significant experience of designing and delivering communications activity that has enabled major organisational and/or culture change. 
• Experience across a broad range of communications disciplines including internal communications, stakeholder engagement, campaign delivery and evaluation. 
• Experience of leading and developing communication and engagement teams to develop colleagues to their maximum potential. 
• Proven track record of working with senior executives/officials, supported by excellent communication and written skills and the ability to draft complex information and recommendations in a clear, concise and persuasive way. 

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%

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home.  This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

Application

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and 1000 word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

A CV is requested but will not be assessed, so please put the bulk of your evidence in your personal statement

Applications should be made via CS Jobs.

Sift

Selection will take place by sift based on the person specification. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria:

• Experience of working in a lead Communications role, preferably in a large and/or complex organisation

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview (online via Teams)

At interview, we will select based on behaviours and strengths. The behaviours we will select on are:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DWP 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 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.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. 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. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

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. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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. 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.