About the job

Job summary

This is a Nationally based role

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Overview

This is a great opportunity to join one of the most creative, proactive, successful teams in government.

Frequent travel to London is required due to meetings and events with senior leaders, ministers and stakeholders.

You will play a role in developing and delivering outstanding communications to inform and inspire thousands of staff providing crucial services in a wide variety of roles and locations.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. The organisation works together to bring the principles of justice to life for everyone in society, through a focus on delivering swift access to justice; protecting the public; and reducing reoffending.

We are looking for an experienced communicator to join an award-winning team. We won Institute of Internal Communications team of the year in both 2020 and 2021.

Our team leads on communications to our HQ staff and works closely with colleagues at our major delivery agencies. We advise our senior leaders and other colleagues on communications plans for the MoJ’s priorities and shape overall departmental strategies, working on everything from major transformation programmes to targeted behaviour change campaigns.

We are focussed on making sure we have two-way communications with our staff engaged in the conversation.

We design and arrange events from small focus groups to all-staff gatherings. We use creative, informative and engaging content to make sure our channels are trusted and liked and fill our display spaces with catchy and impactful materials. We produce weekly updates, storyboard and manage filming of corporate videos and maintain rolling news screens for offices across the country. The role is varied and challenging, so a capacity for adaptable working and producing high quality work to tight deadlines is vital.

Across MoJ we are guided by our shared values - purpose, humanity, openness and togetherness. We believe in our purpose, providing justice for our society; we care about each other and those we work with, we show them humanity; we are open to learning and innovating, both in ourselves and the things we do; and we want to work together, collaborating with colleagues throughout MoJ and far beyond.

We provide a truly flexible culture including working from home, job-sharing and part-time work to support our people in being the best they can be.

Person specification

We are looking for someone with a flair for innovative communications which will engage our staff and help to drive delivery of a world class justice system.

We’re looking for someone who is enthusiastic, dependable, and able to turn around high-quality work, at sometimes short deadlines. The candidate should have excellent relationship management skills and is able to work with a range of stakeholders to help produce content and deliver projects.

You will be a talented, motivated, collaborative and creative communications professional who is keen to be a leading member of the team. You’ll have a flexible approach and a can-do attitude.

You will play your part in ensuring that MoJ’s staff understand and buy-in to our organisation’s mission, our shared values and our current priorities.

The post holder will:

• Forge strong relationships and become a trusted adviser to colleagues throughout the organisation.
• Advise senior leaders on internal communications strategy, making decisions and plans based on insight and evaluation.
• Have creative ideas and ability to deliver outstanding content and campaigns for our internal channels.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of work to deliver continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with the team and key stakeholders in the department and other organisations.
• Have experience in event management.

Desirable experience:

• Have design and layout skills.

Personal qualities and skills required:

• Strong planning, organisational and people skills, including delivering communication products to tight deadlines.
• Experience in developing and delivering effective communications strategies and plans.
• Experience of planning and delivering events.
• Experience of evaluating communications campaigns.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and changing deadlines.
• Strong relationship management skills, effective at negotiating and influencing.
• Good knowledge of the communications landscape, and the role of digital communication in internal communication.
• Understand and be an advocate for the principles of staff engagement, or wish to develop experience in this area.
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of Government Communications Service initiatives, best practice and activities.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,827, Ministry of Justice contributes £8,896 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.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.