46612 - Creative Copy Manager

£36,798 - £47,591
1
12 Months
London
London
102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ
SEO
B
Fixed Term
Up to 12 Months
Full Time
Communications / Marketing

 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.

JOB DESCRIPTION

CREATIVE COPY MANAGER

At Design102 we have always believed our differences help us make a difference. This means we are an inclusive employer. We value difference of all kinds and encourage applications from talented candidates – whatever your identity, background or circumstances.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced manager with a background in copywriting to manage a team of writers and editors working to ensure public communication is effective as well as clear, consistent and concise.

You’ll have editorial oversight on a wide range of projects that make a difference to people’s lives, working collaboratively with colleagues in strategy, design, video, animation and artwork to come up with the best creative solutions for our clients.

This is a hands-on role that involves leadership, creative direction and a passion for improving public communication. You’ll be managed by and working closely with the Head of Strategic Planning, so will need to understand how insight shapes every step of the creative process, ensuring what we deliver to clients is impactful and on brief.

As part of the Design102 management team, you will enjoy collaborating with others, have a positive attitude and take a proactive role in shaping Design102’s brand and the agency’s development.

If you are up for the challenge to inspire a team to create copy that changes lives, then we’d love to hear from you.

Main responsibilities:

  • leading and line managing a team of creative copywriters and copyeditors
  • working to creative briefs, with 50% of your time spent writing and editing, providing creative direction and quality assuring work, either individually or as part of a team
  • setting and maintaining editorial standards, ensuring exceptional attention to detail for all projects
  • championing our government style guide to all clients and using this as a basis to create bespoke tone of voice guidance for new brands and campaigns
  • providing quality assurance checks to ensure all copy adheres to government accessibility principles and that final results fit the brand, brief and budget
  • working with the Head of Strategic Planning to set the direction for your team with clearly defined roles, responsibilities and objectives
  • managing with confidence, credibility and the ability to challenge decisions, negotiate, persuade and influence
  • managing the day-to-day delivery of the copy team’s projects while providing first-class customer service, and prioritising and re-scheduling when necessary to ensure all deadlines are met
  • developing the capability of the team to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions
  • continuing to build the writing and editing skills within your team while identifying new disciplines or techniques to learn
  • encouraging and helping your team to interrogate, scope and challenge briefs appropriately
  • identifying and supporting succession planning and individual career development within your team
  • liaising with the Head of Strategic Planning to recruit permanent or freelance staff as required
  • having oversight of you and your team’s use of time management systems, ensuring they are up to date and is accurate and that work is delivered on time and to budget
  • working closely with the client management team to maintain and build positive, constructive and efficient client relationships
  • scoping, quoting and producing schedules, working closely with design managers, video managers, artwork managers and the client team to ensure processes and resource allocation help us to be effective
  • promoting cross-team working whenever possible, and identifying when other Design102 services – strategy, design, animation, video and photography – can be incorporated within projects
  • presenting finalised ideas and concepts to clients, explaining clearly and confidently why the creative work matches their strategy and brief
  • keeping abreast of trends and technologies in copywriting for digital and print, ensuring the team’s solutions respond accordingly 

Key experience and skills:

  • degree (or equivalent) in English or a related subject such as publishing, media or journalism, or equivalent practical on-the-job experience
  • mid-weight experience of writing and/or editing within a creative studio environment
  • experience in line managing – with excellent leadership skills to motivate, mentor and help others deliver effectively
  • team player, with experience working with colleagues across a range of disciplines i.e. designers, strategic planners, account managers
  • familiarity with accessibility principles and guidelines
  • experience creating editorial style guidance for organisations
  • experience editing through tracking changes on Word and marking up PDFs using Adobe Acrobat
  • an interest in the creative industry, public sector communication and emerging digital channels
  • good commercial awareness to help monitor cost effectiveness of service delivery
  • sound judgement and a flexible approach to produce effective results and appropriate, creative solutions
  • confident communicator with good presentation skills – able to persuade, negotiate, influence, work collaboratively and network
  • understanding and experience of using audience research and insight to build brands and campaigns
  • ambition, natural motivation and a positive attitude 

Your application should include your statement of suitability and CV.

Please also include, or provide a link to, a portfolio including examples of your own work, and work that you have led a team of creatives to produce.

You can find out more about us at design102.co.uk


Working Arrangements & Further Information

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.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

The pay structure is being consulted upon and therefore the pay advertised/offered may change depending on the outcome of the consultation.  If you have any concerns, please check what the situation is before accepting any offer. 

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.

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.

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.

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

1- To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);

2- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);

3- 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.

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.

Grading Structure Review

The Ministry of Justice is currently undergoing a review of posts which are currently graded at Band A to realign our grading structure with the majority of the wider Civil Service.

Posts advertised at Band A may be graded at either Grade 6 or Grade 7 once the review has taken place.  


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.

To be confirmed
To be confirmed

17/09/2021, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 46612.

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.

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

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

Experience
CV
Statement of Suitability - 500 word limit

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Additional Assessment(s)
Presentation

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.