About the job

Job summary

The work of the Department for Work and Pensions makes a difference to the lives of millions of people, right across the country.

The department’s overriding mission is quite simple: to improve people’s quality of life and the things that really matter to people, today and every day to make someone’s tomorrow better than their yesterday.

This mission is underpinned by our values which guide how we are with each other, with our customers and how we deliver – we care, we deliver, we adapt, we work together, we value everybody.

DWP Communications plays a critical role in managing the reputation of this department that serves over 20 million customers across the country. We’re a busy, highly skilled, supportive community of experts delivering internal and external communications across a range of high-profile issues.

Our Internal Communications team is recognised across government as setting the standard for best practice, supporting our Permanent Secretary and leadership teams to engage colleagues across DWP. It’s vital that the department’s 90,000-plus colleagues, most of whom work in frontline roles, feel supported and engaged, understand how the department and our services are evolving, and recognise how these changes affect both them and their customers.

If this sound like you, we would love to hear from you.

Job description

In this role you will be required to work across our Internal Communications team to support and carry out a range of communications activities to help the department deliver its core outcomes. Creativity, proactivity, and a can-do attitude are essential, as is the ability to work on multiple projects at the same time and a bit of digital know-how.

You will be required to support the delivery of internal campaigns (drafting copy, creating and delivering implementation plans and providing advice to stakeholders), to publish content to the intranet, to manage inboxes and to provide communications support to senior leaders.

You will be involved in horizon scanning, using insight and evaluation to help develop creative campaigns and come up with new ideas. You will work across the team, representing Internal Communications to other parts of the Strategic Communications Directorate, and the department.

You will need to build good relationships and develop a strong understanding of our audiences and channels so that you can give good, well considered advice to stakeholders on a range of issues that may affect DWP.

This role requires a well-rounded communications specialist who is as comfortable giving considered communication advice to senior leaders as they are writing targeted copy for a range of internal channels.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Candidates for this role must be able to demonstrate they can meet the following essential criteria:

• Experience of communications planning, implementation and evaluation and in gathering and using insight to inform communications approaches.
• Excellent copywriting and editorial experience and skills, with a keen eye for detail.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and experience, able to build and maintain relationships with colleagues in different roles and grades across the department.
• Ability to understand the organisational context and bigger picture and apply this knowledge this to content.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to both project manage and deliver multiple pieces of work to strict deadlines and at pace

• Confident working across media platforms, including intranet publishing skills (training can be provided).

Please note – If there are a high number of applications received, an initial sift may be undertaken based on the first 3 essential criteria listed above. Candidates who pass the initial sift may progress to a full sift or may go straight to interview.

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%
• 170hrs (23 days) annual leave allowance in year one. This may vary for existing civil servants based on their number of years’ service

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, Experience and Technical skills.

1. Written Application

The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your CV and Personal Statement and will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the advert. 

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

Please note – If there are a high number of applications received, an initial sift may be undertaken based on first three  essential criteria:

• Experience of communications planning, implementation and evaluation and in gathering and using insight to inform communications approaches.
• Excellent copywriting and editorial experience and skills, with a keen eye for detail.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and experience, able to build and maintain relationships with colleagues in different roles and grades across the department.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may progress to a full sift or may go straight to interview.

2. Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. This will be a video interview. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. The interview will assess:

a. We’ll assess candidates against the following Civil Service Behaviours at HEO level:

• Communicating and influencing
• Working together
• Changing and Improving

b. For this professional communications role, you’ll also be tested against the following Government Communications Service (GCS) technical skills at IO level

• Insight
• Ideas
• Implementation
• Impact

c. You’ll also be assessed against three Civil Service Strengths relevant to the role. These aren’t defined by grade

d. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to carry out a short assessment at the start of the interview, this will be assessed against the GCS technical skills Ideas and Implementation. You will not need to prepare in advance for this

Sift and Interview Dates:

Our anticipated timetable - which may be subject to change - is as follows:

• Shortlisting will take place commencing 18/06/2024
• Interviews will commence W/C 08/07/2024
• Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided if you are successful and shortlisted.
• To apply for this post please follow the instructions in this candidate pack or the job advert on Civil Service Jobs.
• Please submit your application no later than 23:55pm  17/06/2024

If you’re an existing Civil Servant and want to know more about transferring to another Department, refer to your current department’s guidance on transfers within the Civil Service.

Candidates should not resign from their current job until all appropriate checks have been successfully completed.

If you have questions about the role, DWP or the application process, please contact Heather.Crookes@dwp.gov.uk

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.