58446 - Communications Manager

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.

Overview of the job

The role sits in the Risk and Capabilities Unit (RaCU) within the Directorate of Security.

The Risk and Capabilities Unit (RaCU) was formed in October 2020 by the merging of Security Countermeasures Unit and Security Risk Unit to form a single unit dedicated to identifying and prioritising security risk and providing and enhancing capabilities in prisons, probation and youth custody to counter them. The term ‘Capabilities’ covers a wide spectrum of support and interventions. For example, our technological or physical advances to detect, prevent usage of, or disable illicit items; our formal training and skilling; our clear and constant learning communications; as well as our contemporary security procedures and practice improvement to enable staff to perform their duties consistently well. These are all ‘Capabilities’ and give people the tools to achieve.

This role provides senior specialist professional strategic and tactical communications advice. Reporting to the Strategy, Communication and Innovation Lead this role primarily works to articulate the voice of HMPPS through consistent and clear editorial guidance, planning, delivery and message management.

As an internal brand guardian and ‘editor in chief’ the role is responsible for ensuring that corporate information and content project the organisation’s vision, voice, values and objectives through the implementation of a communications strategy.

This role has significant impact on organisational reputation, achieving strategic priorities and building the credibility of the communications within the organisation. The post holder has responsibility for influencing and providing strategic advice to both their own peer group and at Director level within the organisation.

This is a non-operational role with no direct line management responsibilities. The post holder will be responsible for a small communications budget.

Summary

The post holder is responsible for:

• Strategy and delivery - provides strategic and tactical communications recommendations and support to the business as usual communications activity and key initiatives.
• Corporate style and content – articulating the voice of the organisation and key messages across all of our corporate communication channels to support organisational priorities and reputation. Ensuring brand guidance is enforced and maintained. The role is responsible for ensuring that any corporate content created is audience appropriate – both internally and when required, externally.
• Audience insight and expertise - the post holder will be the key source of advice to the organisation in order to deliver and evidence the most effective means of communicating to designated audiences internally and when required externally.  Audiences are diverse but can be defined as:

Staff – of all levels within our prisons

Men – within all of our facilities

Community and stakeholders – organisations or individuals that have influence to affect our business.

• Management and resources – ensures the commissioning of all planned communications channels and products to ensure high quality, efficient and effective activities. Responsible for auditing and recommending the use and reach of existing and new communications channels.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

Content strategy

• Responsible for the tone and narrative which is suitable for staff and stakeholders and is adapted for different audiences.
• Produces an editorial plan for all channels, ensuring content directly supports overall strategic business objectives.
• Develops a strong pipeline of content for use across both on and offline channels.
• Acts as Plain English and Procedural Fairness champion ensuring messages and content are demonstrably clear and understood by intended audience.
• Devises quality check of content to ensure standards are maintained and develops skills across the team if needed.
• Creation, ownership and development of style guidance and templates.
• Responsible for corporate core narratives to support strategic objectives and enhance the brand strategy.
• Responsible for style and tone that support and develop the brand, providing guidelines and guidance.
• Ensures all content is appropriate for intended audience, using available research (or commissioning if necessary) to develop content as appropriate.
• Establishes effective mechanisms to enable bottom-up content generation and employee voice and testing e.g. responsible for content test groups/editorial boards.
• Responds to feedback and learning from internal evaluation mechanisms by addressing issues in content and guidelines as necessary. Monitor the tools and channels to understand the impact of content produced and make changes where necessary.

Account management

• Acts as a communications specialist advisor and point of contact ensuring attendance at all key meetings as agreed with the RaCU SMT.
• Provides a full range of specialist communications support.

Collaborative planning and working

• Presents recommendations to senior leaders and stakeholders and negotiates buy-in and support for the communications plan, its implementation, progress and impact.
• Actively develop, grow and participate in internal, pan-departmental and external communication networks as a means of sharing good practice and identify innovative communications opportunities.
• Suggest ideas/methods for the continuous improvement of communication across the organisation.

Actively participates in national meetings/working groups in order to maintain a current awareness of political, social, legislative and policy changes affecting the service.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

Behaviours

• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Essential Experience

• Developing plans, considering resources and budgets. Identify risks and plan mitigating actions. Embed evaluation and tracking into communication strategies. Determine evaluation criteria and consider how to assess the impact of communication.
• Have significant communications experience at a senior level, in a large organisation, working to Director and senior management level.
• An understanding of in-house design packages and the ability to source and procure tools that will assist with the delivery of communication internally.
• A good understanding of integrated communications with the ability to advise on communications approaches, produce relevant material and project manage campaigns.

Technical Requirements

• It is desirable that the successful candidate holds either a CIPR or CAM Diploma or has suitable relevant occupational experience.

Ability

• Develop a strong understanding of customer/audience insights and how these can drive behaviour change.
• Develop and deliver the overall evaluation approach for communication, using relevant tools and guidance (such as the GCN guidance ‘Evaluating Government Communication Activity’).