About the job

Job summary

We require a strong communicator to shape the communications for a range of priorities, including: numerous high profile nationwide annual events, visits and engagement, social media activity for senior leaders and Civil Service channels.

You would work to become a trusted advisor and the go-to person with senior stakeholders within the Civil Service. This role demands excellence, creativity and resilience, and will require you to quickly become an expert in your area, working with external suppliers and also private offices across government.

We are looking for someone with a background in delivering high impact communications, with experience of communicating to people within a large complex organisation. They would be an expert in the planning, delivery and evaluation of digital communications.

Through this activity, you will have the opportunity to form close working relationships with Cabinet Office agencies as well as with wider departments and senior internal and external stakeholders. This role will expose you to those at the very heart of government enabling excellent career development potential.

As a member of the Government Communication Service you will also be awarded with fantastic learning and development opportunities and progression is supported.

Job description

Corporate Communications Responsibilities

• Plan, deliver and evaluate cross-government communications, using an array of channels both internal and external, reporting to the Deputy Head of Civil Service Communications
• Support strategic engagement plans for the Cabinet Secretary and Civil Service Chief Operating Officer
• Devise and manage social media activity for senior leaders, working to achieve the best possible outcomes
• Work with colleagues across other government departments to ensure work is driven forward at pace, is intelligence-led and meets agreed objectives
• Measure and evaluate work against agreed objectives, request feedback and present back, ensuring the team acts on learnings
• Build peer and senior relationships with departmental and other colleagues to ensure the successful delivery of campaigns and source stories that showcase the best of the Civil Service
• Support the wider team on the delivery of priority campaigns for the Cabinet Office, ensuring they follow OASIS principles
• Deputise for the Deputy Head of Civil Service Communications where needed
• Flexibility to accommodate some overnight travel and early starts/late finishes is required.

Events responsibilities 

Oversee the project management of key Civil Service and Cabinet Office events, by:

• Advising, critically assessing and briefing stakeholders on event content 
• Influencing and leading others with no formal line management
• Briefing and influencing DGs, Permanent Secretaries, the COO, Head of the Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary and Ministers
• Prioritising and managing resources (staff and financial) to deliver excellent value for money and a high quality service
• Supporting and stretching project teams to continually raise standards and focus on continuous professional development
• Leading on the virtual, hybrid and face-to-face event and project management, including but not limited to:

Person specification

What we are looking for:

• You will be experienced in leading delivery and evaluation of high-profile campaigns to influence target audiences
• You will have experience in delivering high profile, low cost events
• You will be experienced in digital communications, particularly LinkedIn
• You will be experienced in establishing new projects or campaigns, from the conception idea to completion
• You will have experience of planning and working with external suppliers to deliver visits and events
• You will have experience of handling complex internal and external stakeholder relationships at a senior level to achieve agreed outcomes
• You will be media savvy, with a good understanding of the Civil Service
• You will be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit our work
• You will be eager to get stuck in, used to working at pace and show a willingness to learn
• You will have strong analytical skills – including effective use of insight and evaluation

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,500, Cabinet Office contributes £12,015 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.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 750 word personal statement as well as four 250 word behavioural statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience, behaviours that are contained in this advert and technical based questions. 

During the interview you will be required to present to the panel, you will be given a presentation title prior to your interview. 

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Insight – Gather insight on staff communication usage, needs and preferences. Use these data to inform selection of internal communications channels.

Ideas – Demonstrate a practical understanding of organisational functions, roles and communication requirements to enable the design of contextualised and tailored content for internal audiences.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – tbc
Expected interview date/s – tbc
Interview location - 70 Whitehall

Further information

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet 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

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

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.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put 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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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 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.