About the job

Job summary

We are recruiting a Strategic Communications Officer within Defra Group Communications, working within the Operations and Local Communications function, facing Natural England. This exciting opportunity is your chance to support in shaping and delivering communications that will promote the invaluable work of Natural England to help nature and support people and our planet.

This role requires passion, energy and a hands-on approach to deliver a range of activity across the full communications mix, working closely with Natural England teams and wider Defra Group Communications staff. You’ll need a can-do attitude, be a self-starter and have an inquisitive mind. You’ll need to be able to spot opportunities and risks, seeing the bigger picture of how communication plans fit into the wider frame of Defra Group and government comms. Natural England is focused on protecting and restoring our natural world, with the added goal of improving everyone’s access to nature, through its Nature Recovery Network, which will expand, improve and connect nature-rich places across our cities, towns, countryside and coast, as well as the creation of the England Coast Path and management of National Nature Reserves.

In this role you will support teams in planning the delivery of impactful communications that will help protect and enhance England's natural environment and connect more people with the great outdoors. You will need to be able to develop good relationships with a wide range of staff and be a strong communicator. You'll be confident working across a range of channels and have experience in handling multiple streams of work simultaneously. You’ll also have a passion for evaluation and be able to utilise evaluation tools to gather data and insights to support the team in showcasing the work we deliver.

Job description

This exciting opportunity is your chance to support in shaping and delivering communications that will promote the invaluable work of Natural England to help nature and support people and our planet. This role requires passion, energy and a hands-on approach to deliver a range of activity across the full communications mix, working closely with Natural England teams and wider Defra Group Communications staff.

You’ll need a can-do attitude, be a self-starter and have an inquisitive mind. You’ll need to be able to spot opportunities and risks, seeing the bigger picture of how communication plans fit into the wider frame of Defra Group and government comms.

Natural England is focused on protecting and restoring our natural world, with the added goal of improving everyone’s access to nature, through its Nature Recovery Network, which will expand, improve and connect nature-rich places across our cities, towns, countryside and coast, as well as the creation of the England Coast Path and management of National Nature Reserves. In this role you will support teams in planning the delivery of impactful communications that will help protect and enhance England's natural environment and connect more people with the great outdoors. You will need to be able to develop good relationships with a wide range of staff and be a strong communicator. You'll be confident working across a range of channels and have experience in handling multiple streams of work simultaneously. You’ll also have a passion for evaluation and be able to utilise evaluation tools to gather data and insights to support the team in showcasing the work we deliver.

We're looking for someone who will:

• Support the Deputy Head of Strategic Communications and Strategic Communications Managers in horizon scanning and forward planning, attending relevant meetings to gain further knowledge and insight of upcoming moments
• Have an ability to spot potential communications opportunities and work with media, digital and area communications teams to realise the potential. Identify risks and issues that arise and flag to appropriate team members in good time
• Build strong working relationships with colleagues in Natural England to maintain effective collaboration on all sides
• Be confident in providing best practises and processes to Natural England staff and appropriately delegate work to correct teams or staff members
• Support Strategic Communications Manager in evaluation of communications activity, using data and insights gathered from our monitoring tools and team reports
• Manage communications projects set by lines managers, planning time effectively around other responsibilities and prioritising workloads

Person specification

Strong candidates for this role will have demonstrable experience of:

• Strong negotiating and influencing skills as well as a highly-collaborative, team-playing approach
• Providing strategic communications advice to help achieve organisational priorities
• Responding confidently to issues and incidents and providing sound professional advice to manage reputation amongst diverse stakeholders and the general public
• Building and maintaining strong working relationships across Defra Group and the ability to influence teams
• Ensuring that communications activity is evaluated effectively

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing - influencing people at local and national level to achieve desired outcomes

• Seeing the Big Picture – it is essential to understand the wider business, political, social, and environmental framework within communications operations

• Making Effective Decisions – ability to make quick decisions based on evaluating risk and opportunity

• Managing a Quality Service – maintain a smooth-running and high functioning service, managing own time effectively in order to support the team in delivering key outcomes

Candidates posted to the Marsham Street, London office will require the higher level of CTC clearance. Therefore, confirmation of appointment to the advertised post will be dependent upon successful CTC clearance being confirmed as part of pre-employment checks.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,136, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £8,676 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 Experience.

Application Process

As part of the application process you will be asked to submit a CV, personal statement and behaviour statements. 

For your personal statement, please provide detailed evidence of the criteria in the person specification (750 words max).

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sift and interview dates, as well as the interview location, to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the following behaviours: Managing a Quality Service, Communicating & Influencing, Seeing the Big Picture and Making Effective Decisions. A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Location

Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Candidates applying for these roles will be based at one of the Defra hubs as advertised.  

For information, our core Defra hub locations are:

• York – the Kings Pool
• Bristol – Horizon House (Please note that space at this office is limited and it may not be possible for all Policy roles to be recruited to this location)
• London – 2 Marsham Street

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations.Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice. 

Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Merit Lists 

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

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 Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as 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

Accessibility

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

Criminal Record Check

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.

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

Higher Security Clearance 

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.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

Childcare Vouchers 

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. 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.