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

Senior External Affairs Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION:

This is an exciting opportunity for a strong and ambitious Senior External Affairs Manager to join our award-winning Communications team at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The MoJ is an innovative major government department at the heart of the justice system that deals with a vast range of issues that have a profound impact on people’s lives including prison reform, modernising the justice system, and supporting victims.  

We are looking for a dynamic and creative communications professional to join our high performing External Affairs team. The External Affairs team works right across the MoJ’s portfolios (prisons, probation, sentencing, courts, victims and justice) and has a crucial role liaising with a diverse variety of key stakeholders; representing external views, ideas and challenges right through policy-making and the legislative process – working to generate accurate and informative stakeholder commentary around public announcements. In this role you will shape the way the Ministry of Justice communicates with its external stakeholders on high profile issues. In this role you will build exceptional relationships with key stakeholders, like working across multiple communications disciplines, have excellent judgment, and an understanding of how our stakeholders impact and are impacted by the news agenda and an interest in how our policies are understood outside of the MoJ.

You will work on issues that change people’s lives, using your initiative and natural people skills to build relationships with organisations and individuals who reach the public. For this role, a proven ability to build credibility with people outside of the department is a must and you will frequently be asked to represent the department. You will be eager to get stuck in, confident in a fast-paced environment and willing to learn and adapt to changing situations. You will also have an opportunity to help shape our future external affairs strategy and to work on exciting and high-profile announcements. This is a critical role, which will involve working closely with Ministers and their private offices, policy teams and communications colleagues across the MoJ, particularly the press office and digital team with whom you will often work hand in hand.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Advise and lead on approaches to stakeholder engagement, including establishing trusted relationships with key professional bodies, business groups, pressure groups and national charities.
• Line management responsibilities of one HEO
• Provide timely and well-considered advice to ministers and senior officials regarding our stakeholder communications approach, including possible announcements and media appearances.
• Horizon scan for opportunities and risks for our relationships with key external stakeholders.
• Quickly establish strong, trusted relationships with the department’s key external stakeholders to build advocacy for the department’s key policy priorities and wider communications objectives.
• Help to develop an external affairs strategy that is delivered at pace, intelligence-led and meets agreed objectives.
• Deliver high profile events, roundtables, and visits for ministers with a strong external stakeholder focus.
• Build peer and senior relationships with civil service colleagues, including HMPPS and HMCTS officials
• Share regular stakeholder monitoring of stakeholder online commentary and media activity across the department

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND ATTRIBUTES

• A talented and experienced senior communicator, ideally with experience working in External/ Public Affairs, who takes initiative and is attracted by the prospect of a role you can make your own.
• A strong track record of success in managing relationships around complex issues.
• Excellent management skills and political awareness.
• Alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit our work. Previous experience in working with the media would be helpful.
• Excellent writing, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical skills – including effective use of insight and evaluation.
• Excellent judgement and creative flair.
• Able to understand complex and technical policy issues and translate these for different audiences.
• Impeccable organisational skills.
• An enthusiastic team-player with a proactive and collaborative attitude.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, Ministry of Justice 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 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 developed vetting (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.