About the job

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced communications and policy professional to fill one vacancy for a Senior Policy & External Engagement Adviser within the Places for Growth Policy & Communications Team, reporting to the Grade 6 Head of Policy & Communications. This exciting new role will provide the right candidate an opportunity to work with a wide variety of stakeholders across government and at the forefront of the government’s levelling up agenda. 

The Policy & Communications team is a supportive, welcoming team responsible for: 

• Establishing and maintaining a clear set of policies that facilitate successful PfG role relocations.
• Horizon scanning, relationship building and policy alignment with related initiatives across government.
• Communicating PfG aims and successes to internal and external stakeholders.
• Providing clear, concise briefing to Ministers, governance boards and senior officials about the PfG Portfolio.

Places for Growth

The Government has a clear agenda to ‘level-up’ across the UK, promoting growth in the regions, and strengthening the Union.  We have seen a seismic shift in the way we work in the past few months on both an individual and cultural level. COVID-19 has demonstrated that we can move away from our London-centricity and still deliver key government priorities. We must build on this, to ensure that the Civil Service and administration of government is better connected with the communities across the UK. 

To drive this forward the Cabinet Office has established the Places for Growth Programme that has been tasked with coordinating the planning across Government departments and public bodies to create a more geographically dispersed and better-connected Civil Service, who live and work in the communities they serve. 

The Places for Growth team is a friendly, highly collaborative team operating in a fast paced environment. It sits within the Office for Government Property DG Group.

We enjoy working together. We're flexible. We deliver results. We embrace smarter working. And we're excited by the future. Good thing, too – after all, we're leading the government's thinking to change how the civil service will work in the future!

Job description

Key responsibilities will include, but not limited to:

• Developing, implementing and evaluating proactive communications strategies and activity.
• Identifying where further policy interventions are required to support successful programme delivery.
• Leading the development of new policy work streams to ensure the sustainability of roles relocated out of London.
• Managing media inquiries and reactive communications.
• Supporting the communications and marketing thematic portfolio.
• Ensuring high quality products are provided to Ministers, senior officials, governance boards and stakeholders, including comms materials, briefing and papers.
• Designing and implementing engagement events with target audiences.
• Overseeing external products including publications, Parliamentary Questions and correspondence.
• Developing strong relationships with central communications teams and related policy areas such as Modernisation & Reform and Levelling Up.
• Line management of one HEO policy and external engagement adviser.

This exciting new role will provide the right candidate an opportunity to work with a wide variety of stakeholders across government and at the forefront of the government’s levelling up agenda. 

Person specification

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience of developing and delivering communications strategies or campaigns using established methodologies.
• Experience leading a complex policy area.
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with a variety of stakeholders. 

Desirable

Political awareness and an understanding of Ministerial priorities.

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 £53,400, Cabinet Office contributes £14,418 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.

Application process

Your application should include statements for each of the requested behaviours - Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, and Seeing the Big Picture (maximum of 250 words for each statement) to demonstrate your suitability for the role. You should refer to the essential criteria for this role in your statements.

Technical/ communications skills

Your application should include statements (maximum of 250 words for each statement) for both of the technical skills to demonstrate your suitability to the role. We'll assess you against these technical skills during the interview process:

• GCS Ideas
• GCS Impact

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Communicating and Influencing.

Selection process

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

Candidates successful at the sift stage will be invited for an interview, where the three behaviours and two technical skills from the communications framework will be assessed.

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date –  w/c  29 April
Expected interview date/s –  w/c 6 May
Interview location - MS Teams or Google Meets

A reserve list will 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

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 at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you 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 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 /Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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.

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

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 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

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter 

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

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.