About the job

Job summary

The DDC External Campaigns Team is looking for an enthusiastic individual to deliver year-round communications on a campaign footing, maximising Defence’s influence over target audiences through innovative, cost-effective, and high-impact campaigns. They will specialise in the generation of innovative and engaging audience focused content for use across all communications channels. Under the management of a Senior Communications Officer, the individual will work alongside civilian and military personnel from across the full range of communications disciplines including: communications/PR management, social and digital media, features, film, radio, TV production, publishing, insight and evaluation. The Directorate of Defence Communications’ mission is to protect and enhance the reputation of the Ministry of Defence and the UK Armed Forces through influencing the understanding, activities and perceptions of internal, domestic, and international stakeholders and public audiences. This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Targeting a variety of different audiences, you will work on a wide range of projects which may include Defence’s cutting-edge science and technology, NATO and UN Ops, the UK’s support of Ukraine, mental health, and diversity. You’ll help to manage documentaries, glossy magazine shoots, radio series and owned social media campaigns.

You’ll be expected to use your excellent skills in content creation for digital platforms to tell the Defence story on owned social media and blog channels. This will include working with stakeholders across Defence and wider Government to make sure messages are aligned with a clear objective that delivers impactful results.

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. 

You will also be required to take part in the MOD News Desk's out-of-hours duty rota where you will deal with media enquiries across Defence, for which an allowance is paid.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities are  Deliver audience-led communications activity through: Combining creative thinking with an understanding of the bigger picture in order to identify feature media opportunities. This includes the ability to build successful working relationships with both stakeholders and media channels. Writing compelling press releases and features. Briefing and pitching opportunities to national media outlets and influencers. Creating engaging and imaginative content for Defence’s owned channels. Image and video editing are desirable – tailored training can be provided.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,290, Ministry of Defence contributes £9,528 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.

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

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

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

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

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Technical Skills:

• GCS Competency - Ideas
• GCS Competency - Impact

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 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.