About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.  

Are you looking for an opportunity to lead a team of highly skilled creatives?

Are you a collaborative leader who can work with your team at pace to bring an idea to life that engages target audiences?

Would you thrive at the opportunity to work with senior leaders and highlight the importance and impact of digital communications?

If so, then this is the perfect role for you!

Job description

The Successful candidate in this position will join the existing postholder in a job-share partnership. A successful job-share hinges on the ability of the two partners to work together as one. The intention would be to maintain the current arrangement which sees both job-share partners working three days. The successful candidate will be required to work 3 days (Wednesday to Friday).

The Head of Digital Communications is responsible for transforming our approach to engaging with external audiences via social media. We are looking for someone who is brave and not afraid to develop new and creative approaches to storytelling, ensuring that we’re continually testing and learning and increasing the impact of our messages across our owned channels and beyond.   

This role will lead a multi disciplined team of in-house creatives, ranging from strategist, designers, animators, and videographers. Ensuring the team work together to develop ideas and deliver at pace.

This is a fantastic opportunity for the right person to join us and build on the great work the team has delivered to date and to further develop our digital presence and enhance our reputation. You will lead a highly skilled team in delivering inspiring, engaging and effective content to better engage our audience and reach new audiences in innovative and creative ways. You will have overall responsibility for content across a range of channels, including the creation of ideas through to delivery and evaluation, to deliver world-class content to promote Government, departmental and Ministerial priorities and activities.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and manage the creative content team to produce inspiring, effective and engaging content on owned social media channels, empowering the team to proactively support key announcements, visits and events via DfT digital channels demonstrating continuous improvement in quality and engagement.
• Set strategic direction and lead on content and channel strategies to reflect audience and user need whilst growing DfT reach through digital channels. Lead the team to develop stretching KPIs ensuring that all digital activity is data driven with actionable insights and regular reporting. 
• Develop and manage relationships across communications and with special advisers and private offices to ensure digital content is an integral part of all communications planning.
• Play a leading role in upskilling the wider communications team in digital communications to build resilience and capability.
• Be an expert on social media channels and think strategically and creatively about where digital is going next. 

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will

• Have proven experience in leadership and management, setting strategic communication objectives including for digital channels.
• Possess previous and proven experience of leading during a crisis and having oversight for operational response activity across Communications.
• Have previous experience of managing multiple high profile social media accounts.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Have the ability to think on your feet and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Hold a track record of designing and implementing creative social media solutions.
• Have good political understanding and understanding of what makes news.
• Be an expert in how social media and digital platforms work.
• Have strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret and learn from digital performance data.
• Understand media relations and the role of digital channels in managing news announcements. 

Additional information

A minimum of 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. 

This post is offered on a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) basis to complete a finite piece of work.  

For permanent Civil Servants, this role is only available on loan, so you must have your home departments approval to return to them at the end of the loan before you apply. There is no opportunity for a permanent Civil Servant to take on this role as a fixed term appointment. OGD applicants will be appointed on an inward loan and subject to the terms of the agreed inward loan. Internal candidates will return to their previous post at the end of the loan period, which will need to be agreed with your line manager in advance. 

If you're employed by a non-departmental public body (NDPB) by moving jobs this will involve a change of employer and you may break the statutory rules on continuity of employment. 

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance. 

Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport

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.

How to apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement (750 words). Please tailor your CV to suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Proven experience in leadership and management, setting strategic communication objectives including for digital channels.
• Experience of designing and implementing creative social media solutions.
• Experience of delivering difficult messages to senior stakeholders.

The sift is due to take place on the 27th and 28th of June 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from the week commencing the 15th of July 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include: 

• An interview and a presentation.

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process from the GCS Technical Framework

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

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.