About the job

Job summary

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work in a government department that is at the forefront of current policy making decisions that will impact the UK and beyond? If yes then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.   

Here at DESNZ we are securing the UK’s long-term energy supply, bringing down energy bills and halving inflation. We are seizing the opportunities of Net Zero to lead the world in new green industries and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference. 

Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are Bold, we are Collaborative, we are Inclusive and we Learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.    

We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.  

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy. 

Find Out More 

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/  

Job description

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is at the forefront of delivering the Government’s energy and climate change strategy. Polling regularly shows that energy bills register as the number one concern among the public and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is leading work to lower bills in both the short and long term, with tailored support for households this winter and long-term investment in renewables and nuclear to break our reliance on expensive fossil fuels.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced communicator to join the Ministerial Visits team. The team is fast-paced, supportive and fun. We work highly collaboratively across all communications disciplines, with post holders given the opportunity to lead communications for and build knowledge of many policy areas. You will gain exposure to the whole Ministerial team.
You will be joining a team that is responsible for communicating the biggest economic issues we face as a country to grow the economy.
In the communications team our values and behaviours are critical to delivering on our mission and purpose. We recognise that different people bring different strengths, skills and approaches, which together form a team which is greater than the sum of its parts. We believe success comes through taking pride in pioneering, professional excellence, bringing people together and breaking down boundaries.
If you are a bright, motivated and creative individual, looking for your next role in a high-performing Ministerial visits and events team, this could be the job for you.

Person specification

Key responsibilities:

• Using insight from the policy, stakeholder, and media landscape to build visits, events and engagement plans that align with Ministerial and departmental priorities.
• Delivering high quality, well-planned and impactful Ministerial visits, events, and engagement that reflect (through the location, itinerary and visuals) the relevant announcement, story or campaign.
• To accompany Ministers on visits and events ensuring they are professionally delivered, and communications outputs are amplified across a range of channels.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with Ministers, private offices, special advisers, senior officials, external stakeholders, and other Government Departments to ensure successful delivery of visits
• Supporting and line managing junior members of the team, being responsible for clearing their work, and deputising for senior colleagues when required.
• Working closely with colleagues in The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and across Whitehall to collect insight from the policy and stakeholder landscape to inform and influence recommendations.
• Writing ministerial submissions, itineraries and other materials to support visits; compiling and co-ordinating relevant briefing to support the visit, often at short notice
• Working effectively with private secretaries, special advisers, media, digital and strategic communications colleagues to inform communications handling plans and ensure these are joined up with wider communications strategies.
• Building and leading effective and proactive communication partnerships with priority organisations across key sectors.
• Maintaining up to date, relevant stakeholder contacts list to ensure we are listening to and engaging the right people.
• Always being alert to changing communications opportunities and risks, making recommendations, and finding solutions.
• Evaluating the success of stakeholder and ministerial visits and events and identifying creative ways to showcase the team's work.
• Championing the work of the Visits team, sharing and embedding best practice across Whitehall and the department to improve the quality of visit engagement.

Skills and experiences:

• You will have significant experience working across multiple communications disciplines, including events, stakeholder engagement, media and digital. A good sense of what makes an eye-catching visit with engaging visuals that work on digital and broadcast media is essential.
• You will need excellent political judgement to spot communications opportunities and risks, as well as a sharp news sense, being alert to the wider government agenda and vision.
• You must have excellent organisational skills and be adept at managing competing priorities and working to tight deadlines.
• You must have the ability to quickly build effective relationships, and the confidence to engage directly with Ministers, special advisers and senior officials and win their trust. Proven experience working closely with senior stakeholders is essential.
• You will have excellent communication skills as you will be responsible for producing written briefings for Ministers, as well as briefing them on stakeholder engagement opportunities and visits in person.
• You will have the ability to grasp complex issues quickly and think on your feet when dealing with difficult logistics, changes in plan, or challenging
• This position involves frequent travel across the UK. We are therefore looking for someone who enjoys travel and can accommodate some overnight travel and early starts/late finishes.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,500, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero 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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to tell us how your skills and experience align with the requirements of the role and the person specification.

Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement.  

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the CV. 

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and technical questions. 

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 21/07/2024

Interview dates: w/c 28/07/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview. 

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

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

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

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

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.