85137 - Internal Communications Manager (Change)
Office of the Public Guardian
Communications Directorate
Internal Communications Manager (Change)
HEO
Fixed Term - 24 months
Are you a talented and creative communications professional with good planning and organisational skills, and experienced in the delivery of internal communications products? Are you keen to make an impact in a team that has an exciting internal communications story to tell?
The team advises the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) on all areas of work – from providing communications strategy for major change programmes and our People Plan, to tactical support of staff initiatives.
We also maintain the intranet, design and arrange events, produce updates for various internal audiences, storyboard and manage filming of corporate videos and advise all levels of staff on internal communications.
The role is varied and challenging, so a capacity for adaptable working and producing high quality work to tight deadlines is vital.
You’ll have a flexible approach, a can-do attitude and excellent relationship management skills. You’ll be a proactive, talented and motivated communications professional who has a passion for producing quality communications materials.
You will join an ambitious, innovative, and happy team. You will get the opportunity to continuously develop your own skills and expertise to further your professional growth and a enjoy a supportive working environment.
About the role
The role forms part of a multi-disciplinary communications team supporting OPG to achieve its change business objectives during an exciting time for the agency.
In this role you will:
- Support the Senior Internal Communications Manager (Change) to prioritise and project manage multiple change communication streams of work simultaneously, working with the wider communications team to deliver these plans.
- Draft articles, presentations, blogs, and prepare other communication materials about organisational priorities and other people-based campaign work across multiple channels.
- Provide internal communication guidance, advice, and feedback to the owners of change and transformation programmes, helping create a more joined up change narrative.
- Support a culture of continuous improvement and evaluation and internal communications more widely.
- Provide guidance to internal clients on the way in which messages and key themes are communicated, ensuring consistency, clarity, and impact.
About you
- You have experience of advising colleagues about internal communications strategy and plans.
- You have experience in creating internal communications products including blogs, articles and leadership briefing notes focused on supporting change and transformation.
- You have good stakeholder management skills and can build strong relationships as a trusted adviser to colleagues at all grades throughout the organisation.
- Work collaboratively within the communications team and key stakeholders in OPG.
- You’re creative and can deliver outstanding and well-written content for our internal channels.
- You have experience of delivering events for staff both virtually and in-person.
- You’re always looking to improve the impact of your work to through analysing data.
- You have knowledge of the communications landscape, and the role of digital communication in internal communication.
- You can manage competing priorities, plan ahead, and be flexible to changing deadlines.
About our organisation
The Ministry of Justice is one of the largest government organisations with more than 65,000 staff in offices, courts and prisons across the country.
The department is delivering ambitious plans to make sure prisons are safe, secure and provide genuine rehabilitation, to provide a modern courts and justice system and to support our world-leading legal sector.
Within the MoJ, this role is leading creative and channels communication activity for the Office of the Public Guardian, an executive agency of MoJ.
OPG’s role is to support people who may lack the mental capacity to make certain decisions for themselves, such as about their health and wellbeing or financial affairs. It enables people to plan so that someone they trust can support them, or make certain decisions for them, if they lose capacity in the future. OPG also supervises people appointed by the court to help manage someone’s affairs where they’ve lost mental capacity. This could be due to age-related conditions such as dementia, mental illness, ill health, or an accident.
Across MoJ we are guided by our shared values – purpose, humanity, openness, and togetherness. We believe in our purpose, providing justice for our society; we care about each other and those we work with, we show them humanity; we are open to learning and innovating, both in ourselves and the things we do; and we want to work together, collaborating with colleagues throughout MoJ and far beyond.
We provide a truly flexible culture including working from home, job-sharing and part-time work to support our people in being the best they can be.
In this role you will become part of the Government Communications Service (GCS), the professional body for government communicators.
OPG has offices in both central Birmingham and Nottingham, but also the opportunity to work from one of the Ministry of Justice collaboration hubs based in locations across the country. Wherever you are based occasional travel to the OPG offices will be required, this will include monthly team meetings and to meet specific business needs.
Please note – we will routinely recruit individuals at the bottom of our salary scale for all our communications roles.
We ask you to submit a CV and statement of suitability (750 words). Interviews are expected to take place remotely.
Working Arrangements & Further Information
The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.
For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.
All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.
There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order
- To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.
For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.
27/03/2024, 23:55 hours.
If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
Please quote the job reference - 85137.
To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).
If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:
- You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
- You were studying abroad
- You were living overseas with parents
In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.
We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.
Application form stage assessments
Interview stage assessments
A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
· 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
This Vacancy is closed to applications.