35940 - Head of People Group Engagement

£52,845 - £63,500
1
12 Months
London
Westminster
102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ
Grade 7
Grade 7
Permanent
Full Time
Administration / Corporate Support

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Are you at your best in a fast-paced, diverse and dynamic environment? Do you have a passion for supporting staff through change? If so, this role is for you.

This is an opportunity to join a proactive team supporting change in the Ministry of Justice. In this role you will be advising People Group (HR) on communications to engage staff on MOJ’s change programmes and wider people-issues.

This role requires a proven ability to work across multiple teams, using an understanding of the engagement and communications landscape to design materials that deliver successful change. The role will lead communications on multiple projects, supporting issues from keeping a flexible workforce engaged to formulating the best approach to embed complex employee policies.

The MoJ is one of the largest government organisations, with more than 65,000 staff in offices, courts and prisons across the country. Our priorities are to protect the public by operating decent and safe prisons and reduce reoffending; to provide a modern courts and justice system and to support our world-leading legal sector.

The Communications and Information Directorate uses world-class, effective, insight-driven communications to deliver successful policy outcomes aligned to priorities and to protect and promote the reputation of the Department and the wider group. Through our high-quality services, we are delivering on our commitments to the Government’s agenda, deliver high-quality communications to a wide-range of people.

Key responsibilities

We are looking for a team player with an ability to own and drive work and projects forward with determination and energy, and a track record of acting as a trusted advisor. In this role you will:

Lead the People Group in communicating their priorities to the MoJ, advising multiple teams to provide communication solutions and deliver change in a way that supports our people.

  • Provide internal communication guidance, advice and feedback to the owners of change and transformation programmes across the Department, helping create a more joined up change narrative.
  • Plan, prioritise and project manage multiple change communication streams of work simultaneously.
  • Work with the wider Internal Comms team to deliver these plans.
  • Draft articles, presentations, blogs, and prepare other communication materials in support of change and transformation programmes.
  • Embed measurement and a culture of continuous improvement into change and Internal Communications more widely.

Advise senior leaders on engaging their workforce in order to deliver organisational priorities

  • Provide communications advice to senior leaders, offering strategic direction that considers wider issues, insight and supplying nuanced intelligence of our audience.
  • Deliver leadership communications by providing written materials and engagement advice

Provide guidance to communication colleagues in Corporate Communications and People Group to enable delivery of communications

  • Working in partnership with the corporate communications team, coaching and supporting colleagues to support local People Group communications
  • Developing communication colleagues using your communications experience, bringing GCS best practice to the table and constantly innovating

Be proactive in the Corporate Communications Senior Management Team, contributing to the overall impact and professionalism of the team.

  • Contribute to corporate projects and activities for the wider team.

Essential criteria required

  • Experience of working in complex public-sector environments advising on large scale change management
  • Experience in advising senior leaders and providing first class communications support
  • Experience of leading change communications and engaging multiple teams around delivery of new people policies
  • Experience in communicating to a diffuse audience and innovating to ensure colleagues are engaged and capable, whatever their location
  • Ability to deliver at pace, capable of juggling multiple competing priorities under pressure and in a fast-paced environment.
  • Highly efficient and organised, ability to think strategically, solving business problems with pragmatic and speedy solutions. Ability to spot risks and opportunities and act on them with minimal guidance/direction.
  • Able to quickly develop a sound knowledge and understanding of business priorities, ways of working and information management.
  • Strong project management skills
  • Excellent communication skills both orally, in writing and in the production of presentation materials coupled with strong interpersonal skills.
  • Experience of budget management and familiarity with finance processes and reporting.
  • Line management experience.

This role will also require occasional traveling to sites around the UK as required.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your behaviours, strengths and experience.

Behaviours

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

  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Changing and Improving
  • Leadership
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace

Stage 1: Application and Sift

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and statement of suitability. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note that your statement of suitability (750 word maximum) should be aligned to the Essential Criteria and show why you are the best person for the job.

The sift will be carried out by assessing your written evidence (CV and statement of suitability) against the Essential Criteria listed. If we have a high number of applications we will use evidence from the delivering at pace behaviour on which to sift candidates.

Stage 2: Interview

If you are successful at the sift stage, you will be invited to a blended interview. At interview stage you will be assessed against the behaviours and experience listed in this vacancy, plus Strengths.

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:

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 any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • 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 equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

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.  

 

Expected w/c 24 August

28/08/2020, 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 - 35940.
Security Clearance (SC)

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

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Leadership
Making Effective Decisions

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.