About the job

Job summary

The Department for Work and Pensions makes a difference to the lives of millions and is behind the biggest changes to welfare and pensions for a generation. 

We're now looking for a talented and experienced communications professional to be part of our new Ministerial Visits and Events team.

You will have a strong track record in the field and create and deliver an exceptional programme of visits and events to showcase the department’s work on everything from tackling economic inactivity to our £94 billion cost of living support programme.

As part of the role, you will help oversee and develop a small team, while being responsible for delivering an outstanding programme that delivers for our Ministers, cements our stakeholder relationships and creates good media opportunities.

You also need to be a confident and dynamic leader who can advise Ministers, Special Advisors and other key senior colleagues on visits and events while also developing strong relationships across the department and Whitehall.

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. 

Job description

• Help co-ordinate and deliver a strategic programme of Ministerial visits and events, working closely with press office, external affairs and Ministers’ private offices to make these a success, ensuring key messages are communicated clearly and creatively to media and stakeholders.
• Work with press office and external affairs to ensure visits and events are aligned to and deliver on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ and Junior Ministers’ priorities.
• Be an inspiring and creative leader who trains, develops and manages their small team to create successful visits and events.
• Along with your team, assist with the compilation and coordination of ministerial briefings, itineraries, and other materials to support visits.
• Provide proactive direction and guidance to Ministers’ offices and policy officials on visits and events managed by the team, working closely with the external affairs team to do this.
• Use the full range of channels in promoting our priorities, maximising digital tools and using relevant insight to get the best possible results.
• Be able to accommodate overnight travel and early starts/late finishes in order to deliver and support the DWP and Ministers on their events.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Experience planning and running strategic media-focused visits and events for Government Ministers or VIPs/Senior Officials. Must also have excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills and be comfortable influencing at senior levels.
• Must be an inspiring leader who can run a successful team and help junior members thrive and achieve their potential.
• Excellent written and organisational skills with a proven ability to manage multiple projects and challenges, while developing visits and events programmes that align to business and comms priorities.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to confidently but diplomatically challenge and influence others.
• Political awareness, understanding of wider government agenda and propriety issues, and the ability to overcome challenges while ensuring alignment of wider communications and policy priorities.
• You will be dynamic, personable, calm under pressure, collaborative, decisive, persuasive, creative and confident. You will also be highly organised with experience working in a fast-paced environment, able to juggle conflicting demands and work to deadline.

Please note – If there are a high number of applications received, an initial sift may be undertaken based on the first 3 essential criteria listed above. Candidates who pass the initial sift may progress to a full sift or may go straight to interview

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 185hrs (25 days) annual leave allowance in year one. This may vary for existing civil servants based on their number of years’ service

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.   

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed 

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home.  This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, 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.

Written Application

The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your CV and Personal Statement and will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the advert.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the first 3 essential criteria:

• Experience planning and running strategic media-focused visits and events for Government Ministers or VIPs/Senior Officials. Must also have excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills and be comfortable influencing at senior levels.
• Must be an inspiring leader who can run a successful team and help junior members thrive and achieve their potential.
• Excellent written and organisational skills with a proven ability to manage multiple projects and challenges, while developing visits and events programmes that align to business and comms priorities.

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

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. This will be a video interview. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. The interview will assess:

We’ll assess candidates against the following Civil Service Behaviours at SEO level:

1. Seeing the big picture
2. Delivering at Pace
3. Working together

For this professional communications role, you’ll also be tested against the following Government Communications Service (GCS) technical skills at SIO level

• Insight
• Ideas
• Implementation
• Impact

You’ll also be assessed against three Civil Service Strengths relevant to the role. These aren’t defined by grade

Shortlisted candidates will be expected to carry out a short scenario-based exercise at the start of the interview. You do not need to prepare in advance for this. This exercise will be assessed against Civil Service behaviour Delivering at Pace and GCS technical skill Implementation

Sift and Interview Dates:

Our anticipated timetable - which may be subject to change - is as follows:

• Shortlisting will take place commencing 20/02/2024
• Interviews will commence 04/03/2024
• Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided if you are successful and shortlisted.
• To apply for this post please follow the instructions in this candidate pack or the job advert on Civil Service Jobs.
• Please submit your application no later than 23:55 19th February 2024

Candidates should not resign from their current job until all appropriate checks have been successfully completed.

If you have questions about the role, DWP or the application process, please contact Jasmin.beckett@dwp.gov.uk

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DWP 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

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.

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

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.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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. 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.