About the job

Job summary

The Home Office communications team is one of the busiest in Whitehall dealing with some of the most important, complex and high-profile issues facing the UK. 

The Home Office is rarely out of the news and our team is a 24/7 operation - our newsdesk takes more than 12,000 calls a year, we produce a range of proactive media products every day, support Ministers, senior leaders and operational teams carry out media engagement and navigate communication risks. 

We are creating a new post of Deputy Head of News, who will be charged with driving the Department’s news response, ensuring we are delivering insight-driven communications plans and take a strategic approach to planning, capability building and news output.  

The position is a key leadership role within our high-performing, fast-paced Communications Directorate. The successful candidate will work alongside a multi-disciplinary team to deliver the core campaign priorities of the Home Office’s communications strategy, and ensure we can react to events with agility and authority.
 
This is an exciting opportunity to not only work on one of the most demanding briefs in public sector communications but deliver on the Home Office objectives to keep its citizens safe and maintain the security and economic prosperity of the UK.

Job description

You will work in tandem with the Head of News to improve the news offering and operations of the communications team. As well as delivering media campaigns and moments, we want a candidate who is constantly looking to the future to ensure the team have the right capabilities, we are utilising the correct technology, and we are performing.  

We are looking for a highly motivated, confident communications professional with a proven track record of working in and leading multidisciplinary communications teams delivering measurable attitudinal and behaviour change. You will be able to demonstrate particular expertise in media relations covering online, print and broadcast.

Due to the nature of the work, this role is only available on a full-time basis.

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.  Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). 

Responsibilities

•    Taking forward a continuous programme of improving the media output within the Department across print, broadcast, online and other new media, ensuring creative thinking and high standards are at the heart of all we do to support delivery of the Department’s priorities.

•    Have a specific responsibility for ensuring that junior Ministers are supported and have a media strategy that ladders up to their objectives and objectives of the Department.

•    Be one of the voices of the Department – engaging and building relationships with journalists, broadcast producers and opinion formers to ensure the Home Office priorities are communicated.   

•    Identify and address any capability gaps within our directorate. Drive innovative solutions to automate work and work to harness AI and technology to streamline processes and improve efficiency. 

•    You will line manage the Newsdesk, monitoring and rebuttal team and support media leads across the directorate in ensuring the Department’s position is accurately and clearly represented in coverage and the media receive a first-class service. You will line manage a Chief Media Officer.

•    Providing robust media handling advice to Ministers and senior leaders on complex policy, issues of reputational risk and long-term strategy. 

•    Ensuring high standards are maintained in the drafting and deployment of all media lines, that enquiries are dealt with in a timely manner and that all relevant parts of the Department and wider government are involved in the response to significant stories.

•    Playing a full role in Communications Directorate SMT, helping to shape future communications strategies and ensuring smooth running of the office as a whole. Taking part in the out of office back up rota and taking responsibility for the on-call duty arrangements and out of hours rota as a whole.

Person specification

Essential criteria

•    A phenomenal news sense with a high degree of experience in media or media relations. Politically aware with a sound understanding of the media and political landscape.

•    Experience of planning and delivering media strategies across broadcast, print and online. 

•    Adept at leading and working through a team to deliver on objectives while juggling multiple competing priorities.

•    Significant level of communications leadership and management experience.

•    Ability to work at pace to very tight deadlines, under significant pressure. Confidence and ability to make immediate decisions in rapidly changing environments.

•    Excellent organisational skills including strategy development, workforce planning and evaluation/reporting to Ministers, policy colleagues and partner organisations. 

•    Proven track record of using evaluation to shape future work.

•    Significant level of communications leadership and management experience.

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 as the cycle to work scheme and a season ticket travel loan
• All Home Office employees are eligible to join the Civil Service pension scheme, which contributes on average 27% of your salary to a defined benefit pension Civil Service pension 
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
 
•    A CV detailing job history/skills
•    A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 1250 words)
•    Provide evidence of the lead behaviour Communicating and Influencing (250 words maximum) 

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

The statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description.
 
The sift will be held on the behaviour Communicating and Influencing and the statement of suitability. The CV will not be scored.
 
The lead behaviour Communicating and Influencing 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 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 scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the lead behaviour Communicating and Influencing.
 
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to a face-to-face interview which will be a blended approach of technical and behaviour-based questions on all the technical skills and behaviours listed in the advert. You will also be given a scenario-based question and asked to respond, no prior knowledge will be required. 
 
The Technical questions will be centred around Government Communication Professional Competency Framework. 

Sift and Interview dates
 
Sift is expected to take place from 29th May 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 17th 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 in person at London 2 Marsham Street (2MS).  Further details will be provided.  Please note travel costs will not reimbursed.
 
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.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

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

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. 

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.