About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

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.

HCS JOB DESCRIPTION

DEPARTMENT

Northern Ireland Office

POST VACANT

Senior Communications Manager, Band B (SEO)

LOCATION

Belfast

Occasional Travel to other office locations will be required.

DURATION

Permanent contract

APPLICATIONS INVITED FROM

Existing home Civil Service staff either at SEO or analogous grades on level transfer or at HEO on temporary promotion.

OR

External candidates with comparable skills or experience.

Salary Scale - National (Belfast): £39,868-£43-535, plus out of hours duty allowance. New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band advertised.

CLOSING DATE

Friday 26th April 2024 at 23.55

WHO WE ARE

Inclusion and diversity

The Northern Ireland Office is committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, as they are under-represented within the NIO at this level.

The Northern Ireland Office strives to be an inclusive employer and is recognised by its staff and externally as being an employer where Diversity and Inclusion are valued.

We hold a Diversity & Inclusion Charter Mark and are an accredited Disability Confident Leader organisation. We have an active D&I network supporting colleagues through D&I Advocates, championed by our Directors.

We want all our people to feel valued for who they are and we are confident that you will find the NIO a warm, welcoming and inclusive place to work.

What we do

The Northern Ireland Office represents Northern Ireland interests at a UK Government level and UK Government interests in Northern Ireland.

We have a wide range of responsibilities, including: underpinning political stability in Northern Ireland; overseeing the Northern Ireland devolution settlement; leading on national security policy in Northern Ireland; addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past; delivering elections in Northern Ireland; playing a key role in rebalancing the NI economy and representing NI interests following the exit from the EU.

Our small size and diverse portfolio create a stimulating, fast-paced and challenging working environment, with regular engagement with a range of Ministers and senior officials.

We support flexible working and have a modern, flexible IT system which helps enable this.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic and highly motivated person to work as a Senior Communications Manager within the NIO’s communications team. This is a hands-on role, and the post-holder will be someone who can think strategically, write brilliantly and come up with innovative and creative concepts for communications approaches.

The successful candidate will work as part of a dynamic team responsible for developing and delivering targeted communications which are aligned with the priorities set by the Department. The post-holder will support both external and internal communications efforts and work as part of a team focused on developing and executing high quality communications strategies and plans which reach a broad range of audiences.

The post-holder will provide guidance and counsel to policy teams and partners across government. They will work closely with teams from across the NIO to help plan, coordinate and implement content and communications strategies and be responsible for project management throughout. They will also be responsible for leading on the measurement and evaluation of communications outputs.

The successful candidate will provide support, when required, to the press office team in responding to media queries and breaking news stories or supporting ministerial visits. In addition, they will be required to work as part of an out-of-hours duty rota, handling media enquiries, coordinating the departmental response and circulating media coverage.

This is an exciting opportunity to work in an important area of the UK Government. This role offers substantial scope for learning and development. It requires leadership skills, flexibility, proactivity, and a willingness and interest to learn new areas of work. and the post holder will work under the supervision of the Deputy Head of Communications.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:

●    Working as part of a team to develop an annual communications strategy and ensuring that all communications outputs are in support of and aligned to the Department’s wider organisational strategy, ensuring coherence in our external and internal messaging.

●    Developing good relationships with internal stakeholders to gain a deep understanding of the various policy areas to advise on messaging, core narratives and the most appropriate communications approaches to meet desired objectives;

●    Developing high impact external and internal communications plans for key activities and outputs from the Department, supporting in managing activity pipelines and delivering innovative content across multiple communications channels;

●    Drafting communications materials as outlined in communications plans including press releases, opinion pieces, statements and social media / digital content;

●    Distributing content to key media stakeholders and on NIO social media / digital channels when required;

●    Supporting the Deputy Head of Communications in overseeing and regularly reviewing communications planning processes and tools to ensure effective and efficient planning across the communications team;

●    Working closely with the team to ensure the the effective delivery of communications outputs and to regularly evaluate communications activities and generate insights;

●    Supporting the press office team, when required, in handling enquiries from journalists and other media contacts via telephone and email. Responding to all media queries in a timely manner, working alongside policy colleagues to produce appropriate responses that shape reporting.

●    Supporting the team, when required, to arrange and organise Ministerial events and visits as well as interviews and press conferences.

●    Working as part of an out-of-hours duty rota, handling media enquiries, coordinating the departmental response and circulating media coverage.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

●    Proven experience working as part of a multi-functional team in a communications management role (+5 years);

●    Expertise in developing and delivering strategic external and internal communications plans, overseeing processes and projects and leading on evaluation;

●    Excellent written and oral communications skills, with the ability to distil complex messaging into communications plans / press releases / statements / digital content to reach a wide variety of audiences;

●    Strong planning, organisational and project management skills - with demonstrable experience in effective stakeholder engagement and management as well as working to tight deadlines.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA:
 
●    An excellent news sense with the ability to anticipate and spot breaking news stories and experience of engaging with media outlets and building relationships with stakeholders;

●    Strong working knowledge of social media channels and how to use them;

●    Experience of working as part of an out-of-hours duty rota, handling press queries and responses.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Due to our size, we are able to offer staff the opportunity to work on a far wider portfolio of responsibilities than might be the case in a larger department. This creates a dynamic, interesting and challenging work environment.

The NIO offers a pleasant, modern work hybrid working environment that allows consideration of a range of flexible working arrangements that support a good work/ life balance. These include flexible/ alternative working patterns, part-time and job-share options.

Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered.

SELECTION PROCESS:

The selection and interview process will consist of two stages - Sift and Interview:

SIFT

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours at Level 3 during the selection process:

a.    Seeing the Big Picture
b.    Making Effective Decisions
c.    Communicating and Influencing
d.    Delivering at Pace

Please note that in the event of a large number of applications being received, we may run the initial sift on the lead Behaviour ‘Seeing the Big Picture’. More information on behaviours and success profiles can be found here.

Experience

In your application, please provide a CV detailing relevant work experience (no more than 2 pages)

and a statement of suitability (750 words maximum).

In your statement of suitability, provide demonstrable examples of your previous work experience outlining how you meet the requirements for the role and a demonstration of how you meet the essential and desirable criteria.

INTERVIEW

Interview: The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviours and experience. 

More information on Success Profiles can be found here.

SECURITY CLEARANCE

Security clearance to CTC level will be required for this post.

PAY AND ALLOWANCES

The successful candidate will adopt the terms and conditions of the NIO for the length of their appointment.

Neither Detached Duty terms nor relocation costs will apply to this post.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further information about the post may be obtained by contacting Seóna McGrath at seona.mcgrath@nio.gov.uk

APPLICATIONS

You can apply for this post through the Civil Service website at civilservice.gov.uk. Once logged onto the site go to the civil service jobs page and then search for jobs in the Northern Ireland Office where the application form can be found.

All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.

Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered. Failure to provide sufficient information in support of an application prior to the closing date will not be considered as grounds for an appeal if an applicant is not shortlisted for interview.

Home Civil Service applicants who, because of disability, need assistance in completing the application form should contact MoJ Shared Services on 0845 010 3512.

All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.

This job description should not be taken as constituting conditions of employment.

Please note that due to the high interest in NIO opportunities, feedback cannot be given if you are unsuccessful at the sift stage. Feedback is available on request if unsuccessful following the interview.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

The Northern Ireland Office operates the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, details of which are attached to the application form for this post.

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com to be removed from the reserve list.

Further information on civil service careers can be found at www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles.

Please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk) in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages:

http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/

https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/

Merit Lists

In the event that the advertised post following interview, identifies more appointable applicants than available posts, we will hold applicant details on a merit/reserve list for a period of 12 months from which further future appointments can be made. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact MoJ- recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com to be removed from the reserve list.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, Northern Ireland Office contributes £10,804 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 and Experience.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 counter-terrorist 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.