About the job

Job summary

The Department for Education (DfE) is looking for a talented communications & marketing professional to join a team responsible for planning and delivering communications that support the government’s early years agenda. 

The role is an exciting opportunity to work at the very heart of Government, on a high priority area in a major delivery department.  

The successful candidate will become a member of the Government Communication Service (GCS), which provides access to specialist training and support and best practice and adherence to the highest professional standards. We are striving for world-class education, training, care for everyone whatever your background. For a more productive economy and so everyone has the chance to reach their potential and live a more fulfilled life.

A workforce that is highly trained, with the skills that employers need, is essential to a nation’s productivity and economic success. Early years education lays a strong foundation for future success, school education ensures every young person reaches their potential, whatever their background and higher education opens the doors to greater opportunity, better prospects and transform lives.

Job description

The successful candidate will join the DfE Communications Directorate– working on one of the most high-profile policy areas in DfE. You will be part of the central communications team of specialists including planners, insight & evaluation experts, strategic communicators and media specialists.

We are a supportive and friendly team who value the wellbeing of our staff. We have a strong culture of inclusion and diversity and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We aim to develop all our staff to enable them to make a full contribution to meeting the Department's objectives, and to fulfil their own potential. There are lots of opportunities for training and professional development both within DfE and as part of the Government Communications Service. We offer a hybrid working approach with colleagues in the office 60-80% of their time, and support the use of a range of flexible working patterns to help staff to balance home and work.

About the role:

The role will give you an exciting opportunity to operate at the very heart of government.

You will be part of a campaign team working on the Early Years reform programme, working on parent-facing communications.  You will support a programme of strategic communications activity, working closely with colleagues across government, as well as with ministers and sector stakeholders, to raise awareness of the support available to parents.

The role will focus on the delivery of multi-audience communications strategies, using a range of paid-for advertising channels as well as supporting low and no cost activity.  You will be required to get to grips with complex policy and knotty delivery challenges and translate these into clear communications products.  You will support the development of integrated communications plans, using a mix of paid, owned and proactively earned channels and work to show what impact communications have had toward delivering the objectives.

You will have creative capabilities to help design and create content and copy, supporting the delivery of longer term paid-for marketing and behaviour change campaigns.

You will need good analytical skills to keep track of performance, optimising what works well and building in insight from stakeholders into future activity.

You will have good political awareness and excellent judgment and be confident and comfortable influencing others. You will be able to work collaboratively and at pace across communication, policy and external agency delivery teams.  

It essential that you are confident building effective proactive relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including media buying and production agencies, with strong interpersonal skills and an ability to develop partnerships and secure advocacy to support communications activity.

Candidate Engagement Session

A candidate engagement session will be held on Thursday 1 August at 2pm. This session will provide you with more information on the role and your chance to ask any questions.

For the MS Teams link to this session please contact resourcing.businesspartners@education.gov.uk.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of delivering high profile, integrated communications campaigns, particularly using paid-for channels.
• Experience of working with external agencies; developing briefs and developing content for paid advertising.
• Skilled in applying audience insight to develop and improve activity across all channels and tailor messages to target audiences.
• Ability to think creatively, with experience in a range of implementation tactics.
• Ability to deliver at pace, with good organisational skills.
• Experience in managing web content, working with external suppliers to enhance and optimise information.
• Experience in managing campaign budgets.

Desirable Criteria:

• Skills in graphic design and content creation.
• Experience of working on complex policy areas.

Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%. 

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King's Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

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.

Application

To apply for this role, you will be required to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability (statement max word count 750 words). We will use your CV and statement to assess your suitability and experience for the role against the essential criteria listed in the person specification above. 

To confirm, the maximum word count for the Statement of Suitability is 750 words. Please adhere to this limit as anything over 750 words will not be taken into account. 

In the event of receiving a large number of applications, we will sift on the Statement of Suitability only, so please ensure you use this space to demonstrate your skills and experience against the essential criteria.

Interview

The interview will involve behaviour, technical and strength-based questions from the Civil Service Success Profiles framework.

These questions will allow us to assess your performance using examples from your previous experience as well as what motivates you in your work.  More information about the framework can be found here.

We will also ask a number of technical questions using competencies from the Government Communications Service competency framework, which allow us to understand more about your specific skills in communications and marketing.  More information on this framework can be found here.

We will ask you questions around the behaviours listed in the advert. 

We will also ask you some strength based questions. 

Feedback on your application will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Other Information

In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.

This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).

Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status

We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.   

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe 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 circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

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

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

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.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

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 Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk 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.

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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/ 

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.