About the job

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity to shape the communications for two of our major transformation Programmes in DLUHC; our SAP Transformation and Reform (STAR) Programme and the Unity Programme, which is part of the Government Shared Services Strategy.

 

We are looking for an experienced communications manager, steeped in delivering SAP enabled technology in a government shared services environment.  The job holder will lead communications for both the STAR and Unity Programmes within DLUHC, which are complex, multi-faceted transformation programmes, involving significant people change requiring working across functions and Departments to deliver an effective stakeholder engagement strategy.  For the Unity Programme, the job holder will tie DLUHC’s communications work in with that of our cluster partners, HMRC and Department for Transport, ensuring DLUHC’s business interests are represented and met.    Both Programmes provide a unique opportunity for the job holder to pool their creative knowledge and skills working with peers and consultants both in DLUHC and in the Unity partner Departments.

 

The job holder will be a source of expertise, offering professional communications advice to STAR and Unity, in the delivery of the people change and effective stakeholder engagement.  The ideal candidate will be a big picture thinker, who can use insights to identify the needs of segmented audiences and determine how best to meet these through well developed communications and engagement plans.

 

The job holder will report directly to a G6 Head of Organisational and People Change in Finance Directorate, who sit at the heart of delivering both of these transformation programmes.

Job description

You will work as part of an expert multi-disciplinary Programme team for both the STAR and Unity Programmes. Key Responsibilities:

• Developing the DLUHC communications and engagement strategy and plans for both the STAR and Unity Programmes. 
• Creating and embedding an effective communications rhythm within DLUHC to deliver key messages to target audience segments for both the STAR and Unity Programmes, working with HMRC and DfT for the latter. 
• Working with DLUHC Internal Communications and the STAR project team, including delivery partners, Deloitte and Moore Insight, to deliver a targeted phased awareness campaign to support delivery of STAR and, also, ensuring alignment to broader departmental engagement strategies and plans. 
• Sourcing audience insight to underpin communications and engagement strategies and plans and inform broader Programme decision-making. Using this insight proactively to manage how target audience segments move effectively through the change curve to manage their transition from ‘As Is’ to future ‘To Be’ process and service delivery models. 
• Report into STAR governance boards and checkpoints and represent DLUHC at key communications workstrand meetings and governance in the Unity Programme.
• Implement effective comms and engagement evaluation methods to assure audience engagement, draw out lessons learned and best practice. 
• In addition to the core duties of STAR and Unity Programme communications, provide communications support to senior leaders in the CFO Group, to deliver continuous improvement in Finance and HR, linked to SAP transformation. 
• Manage a HEO Change and Communications Support, building their capability to provide effective succession planning. 
• Deputising for the G6 in key Programme and stakeholder meetings to represent the change and communication strand.

Person specification

In the role you will work alongside a senior leadership team to articulate the communications strategy and plans for both these complex transformation programmes. You will also work closely with a vast range of stakeholders, including technical/digital project teams, functional teams, Arms Length Bodies, Internal Communications, change champions, end users as well with a huge programme infrastructure in the Unity Programme. This role requires the following essential knowledge, skills and experience given the pace of these Programmes and the short tenure for this role, the successful candidate will need to 'hit-the-ground-running:

• Strong knowledge and experience of delivering transformation in an ERP and shared services environment. 
• For the STAR Programme, strong knowledge of managing people change in a SAP Success Factors and S4HANA/BW4 transformation environment. 
• A track record of developing and delivering creative change communications impacting all users in an organisation, in a fast-paced operating environment. 
• Strong knowledge and experience of using a wide mix of communication channels and tools, including; intranets and SharePoint, face-to-face, change champion, online newsletters, engagement events, videos to meet diverse audience needs. 
• Working in a structured project environment, managing and delivering workstream responsibilities during the lifecycle of STAR and Unity. 
• Creating and embedding an effective communications rhythm within a large organisation to deliver targeted transformation messages to segmented audiences across the business. 
• A strategic mindset, able to see the bigger picture of people change, advising senior leaders on the approach. Comfortable working alongside and presenting regularly to senior leaders at governance boards, both within DLUHC and externally. 
• Ability to work at huge pace, prioritising and juggling conflicting demands constantly. 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with an ability to write clearly and concisely to explain complex topics to specific audience groups.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,732, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £10,457 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

We are for everyone 

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

 

We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role. 
 

As part of our pre-employment checking process we will be using your CV to confirm your job history. Please note that by providing us with your CV you are consenting to us using the information enclosed as part of the checking process. 

 

We are for everyone 

 

CV and Cover Letter Declaration 

We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called name blind recruitment. 

 Please remove references to your: 

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

 

You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter. 

 

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors. 

At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing: 

Experience 

Your covering letter should cover your interest in the role and how you  meet the essential skills and experience set out in the job description and person specification. No more than 1 page,

 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of experience and strength based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.  

 

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements: 

 

Experience: Yes - Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description 

Strength: Yes

 

We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs: 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign 

SEO salary 

• The salary for this role is £38,732 (National). 
• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges. 

 

Benefits 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: 

Any move to DLUHC 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. 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

 

Location 

• Wolverhampton 
• Darlington* 

 

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. 

 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.  This role is based at DLUHC and we will be joined on the campus by: 

• HM Treasury  
• Department for International Trade 
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy  
• Office for National Statistics  

• Department for Education 

 

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. 

 

Sift and Interview dates 
 
sifting is envisaged to take place Starting  16/5/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

 

Reserve List 

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Due to the length of time CTC checks can take, our HR Shared Services team will contact reserve list candidates for London based roles to commence CTC checks. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

 

Fixed Term Details

 

For external candidates– you will be offered a circa 8 months months fixed term appointment with a possibility of permanency.  

For existing civil servants – you will be offered a circa 8 months months loan opportunity. Before applying for the role, you will need to seek approval from your parent department to take up a loan appointment should you be successful. 

For DLUHC employees  - you will retain your existing contract 

 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules 

 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned.The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

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.