16341 - Communications Manager HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Communications, MoJ Communications and Information Directorate

Overview of the job

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. Our four strategic priorities to deliver our vision are:

•             A prison and probation service that reforms offenders

•             A modern courts and justice system

•             A Global Britain that promotes the rule of law

•             A transformed department

The organisation works together to bring the principles of justice to life for everyone in society. From our civil courts, tribunals and family law hearings, to criminal justice, prison and probation services. From seeing to it that sentences are served and offenders are encouraged to turn their lives around and become law-abiding citizens, keeping the public safe. From safeguarding victims and the vulnerable to regulating our legal services. We believe the principles of justice are pivotal and we are steadfast in our shared commitment to uphold them.

We are looking for experienced, motivated communications professionals who will be responsible for the management and execution of campaigns and communications strategies for their assigned portfolio of work across HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS), an executive agency of the MoJ.

You will provide internal clients with effective campaign and strategic communications advice to deliver impactful and sustained business and behavioural change across prison and probation services, stakeholders and service users.

 Summary

Main responsibilities:

• Works across audiences, functions and channels to develop extensive and comprehensive campaigns and strategies to delivery Agency priorities e.g. recruitment, Prison safety, employee engagement and retention
• Develops core corporate and project narratives and builds a sustained and iterative communications strategy to engage our staff, partners and users
• Responds to insight and research to identify gaps and weaknesses and develop recommendations for communications work that will address core Agency priorities e.g. rehabilitation culture, employer brand,
• Provides expert campaign and communication planning, utilising existing Government Communication Service planning tools and keeping deploying new industry standard techniques where needed.
• Works across the MoJ team to enable well planned and executed campaigns utilising a range of potential products, channels and events.
• Commissions creative input to develop campaign proposals including editorial/visual content, design, message and channel deployment from HMPPS Communications, design 102 and external suppliers where required
• Coordinates colleagues on major project work to agreed plan e.g. overarching prison reform strategy
• Sits on appropriate steering groups/project boards, developing and agreeing brief, commissioning insight and building recommendations to get senior leader buy-in to proposals, including securing required budget from client budgets and provides ongoing professional reporting to demonstrate progress against agreed plan
• Ensures evaluation and insight planning and reporting for all work
  

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties 

You will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

Audience insight and expertise

• Using audience insight, the post holder will be the voice of authority on what communications will be most effective to help HMPPS achieve its strategic priorities.
• The post-holder will be responsible for creating a networks across HMPPS and appropriate stakeholder groups that give them insight, access and influence to build communications for their specific audience
• Develops strategies and plans that will improve the HMPPS Communications offer and aid organisational reputation across our audience groups
• Commissions and uses insight from the Evaluation and Insight manager to determine appropriate tools and measures that inform communications planning and assess impact
  

Strategy and delivery 

• Responsible for developing all communications activity that directly impacts on their audience whether projects, policy or engagement
• Provides strategic and tactical communications recommendations for audiences in support to the HMPPS business as usual and major projects Activities include:
  • Identifies business objectives and develops complementary communications strategy
  • Ensures delivery of full communications plan including liaising with press office on media handling issues of policy or project impact
  • Provides report to clients and SMT of progress against agreed plan
  • Identifies and addresses challenges to delivery
  • Ensures key work is represented on the HMPPS Communications Dashboard
  • Develops and monitors a work plan to deliver communications agreed and works with the central team to commission and develop products against this plan during the year
• Presents recommendations to senior leaders and stakeholders and negotiates buy-in and support for communications plan, its implementation, progress and impact
• Provides full range of communications skills (from strategic planning to execution), creating copy and publications but commissions work from the central business team where required (e.g. events, online, print)
  

Collaborative planning and working

Actively participates in pan-departmental and Govt communication networks and sharing good practice

• Works collaboratively with MoJ press office to agree full handling plan for all communications work
• Ensures that all communications outputs are delivered in accordance with frameworks and strategies for:
  • HMPPS corporate communications priorities
  • Brand and corporate identity
  • Forward message/activity planning
  • Stakeholder strategy
  • Channel management – publications and digital media
  • Content
• Works closely across the HMPPS to and wider MoJ on national and Departmental communications initiatives to ensure corporate consistency
• Suggests ideas/methods for the improvement of communication/process improvement across the team and department
• Actively participates in national meetings/working groups maintaining a current awareness of political, social, legislative and policy changes affecting the service
• Ensures all communications work is compliant with professional standards and planning as set out by the government communications service and in line with the HMPPS communications own high standards of performance
• Develops a strong pipeline of content across appropriate channels and commissions delivery across the team
• Ensures that owned communications directly supports NOMS objectives and is complementary to other cross-audience activity.
• Responsible for the delivery and monthly reporting of progress to interested stakeholders and line manager
• Ensures consistency in all communications in line with departmental and agency communication objectives.
  

Management and resources

• Ensures the commissioning, delivery and evaluation of all planned communications channels and products to ensure high quality, effective and efficient activities.
• Responsible for management of communications spend in client’s budgets.
• Ensures all activity and collateral considers wider synergies across the team and HMPPS so that work is done efficiently and without unintended duplication or overlap
• Adheres to the constraints of the Cabinet Office marketing and advertising freeze/challenges spend to ensure value for money
  

From time to time, you may be required to undertake additional activities which are appropriate to the level of your Group Profile (GP)

Competencies

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

• Insight: You are expected to be proficient in each of the Government Communication Service (GCS) competencies relating to ‘Insight’ to SIO level, particularly skills and knowledge under the ‘Internal Communications’ discipline.
• Impact: You are expected to be proficient in each of the Government Communication Service (GCS) competencies relating to ‘Impact’ to SIO level, particularly skills and knowledge under the ‘Internal Communications’ discipline.
• Ideas: You are expected to be proficient in each of the Government Communication Service (GCS) competencies relating to ‘Ideas’ to SIO level, particularly skills and knowledge under the ‘Internal Communications’ discipline.
• Implementation: You are expected to be proficient in each of the Government Communication Service (GCS) competencies relating to ‘Implementation’ to SIO level, particularly skills and knowledge under the ‘Internal Communications’ discipline.

Find out more on the GCS website: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/professional-development/competency-framework/

Contact point for applicants

Suzy Talbot or Lisa Appleyard

Suzy.Talbot@noms.gsi.gov.uk

Lisa.appleyard@noms.gsi.gov.uk

Sift/interview dates and location

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed 
Interview Location to be confirmed 

Closing Date: 23rd February 2018 at 23 hours

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