36026 - Senior Campaigns Officer

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Background:

The Northern Ireland Office represents Northern Ireland’s interests at a UK Government level and UK Government (UKG) interests in Northern Ireland.  We have a wide range of responsibilities, including: underpinning political stability in Northern Ireland; overseeing the Northern Ireland devolution settlement; leading on national security policy in Northern Ireland; addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past; delivering elections and constitutional reform in Northern Ireland; playing a key role in rebalancing the NI economy; representing NI interests, including around the Irish border, further to the UK’s exit from the EU.  Our small size and diverse portfolio creates a stimulating, fast-paced and challenging working environment, with regular engagement with a range of Ministers and senior officials.  We support flexible working and have a modern, flexible IT system which helps enable this.

About the role:

The communications team bears a central role within the Northern Ireland Office, at the forefront of delivering the department’s strategic objectives. We are a small comms operation by Whitehall standards which provides an opportunity for development and working with colleagues at all levels of the department.  We are committed to using every opportunity to continuously improve ourselves and our business outcomes. You can expect diverse, interesting and rewarding work that goes to the heart of public service and you can expect to do this in a safe space where individuals and teams are supported to deliver and encouraged to innovate, stretch, challenge and learn.

We are currently looking to recruit a talented, highly motivated communications professional to work in the role of Senior Campaigns Officer.

In this role you will work on one of the UK Government’s highest priorities – national security - and gain a broad range of communications, policy, operational delivery, and briefing skills within a supportive and focused team.

You will use your communications skills on a range of high-profile, complex and challenging national security issues. You will be ready to take on challenges with enthusiasm and commitment and move flexibly between policy and operational roles.

As Senior Campaigns Officer you will be responsible for developing the department’s insight and then working on the design and delivery of strategic communications campaigns in support of medium to long term security policy priorities.  You will have responsibility for building strong and effective partnerships with a wide range of strategic stakeholders and securing their support for a collective approach to proactive communications to deliver effect against a shared set of objectives. You will work with these partners to identify and secure the resources required to deliver effective communications campaigns, and you will use your skills and experience to build capability across the wider departments and with other partners. 

You will work closely with other group members in London and Belfast to ensure that Ministers are fully briefed on communications in relation to national security matters, and owing to the Department’s relatively small size this will mean more exposure to Ministers than might otherwise be the case in a larger Department.

You will work closely with partners in Number 10, the Cabinet Office, Home Office and other government departments, a range of security and law enforcement partners, and colleagues in the NI devolved government. Building and maintaining a strong and extensive network of business critical relationships with policy and operational partners in Northern Ireland and in Whitehall will be key. Good communication and relationship management skills will be essential.

This is a rare opportunity to be at the forefront of a team that punches above its weight and to stamp your authority and ideas on a challenging brief at the outset.  You will be a confident, committed, and experienced communications professional adept at using innovative and creative techniques to reach audiences.

You will be articulate, discreet and thoughtful in your approach, quick to pick up new subjects and proactive in all your dealings. You will have a strong political antenna and inspire confidence when briefing verbally and in writing. You will be accustomed to building productive relationships in difficult contexts and being agile and able to anticipate and respond quickly to new challenges and unexpected developments. You will be focused on delivering clear outcomes. You will want to work in a group with a strong focus on learning and development.       

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Planning and delivering a programme of audience-led, cross-channel communications campaigns that extend and amplify our priority security campaigns and messaging. This activity will have clearly defined communications objectives, and be based on audience insight, desired behaviour or attitude change, have measurable outputs, outcomes and performance indicators.
• Ensuring all campaign activity is regularly evaluated to Government Communication Service (GCS) best practice standards and reported on regularly.
• Feeding in to the Department’s wider media analysis to gain a better understanding of the security situation and its impact on the wider community in Northern Ireland, as well as measuring the impact of our work.
• Identifying and engaging with a network of partners and stakeholders, being an advocate and influencer, engaging with the network to explain factual processes and the department’s approach.
• Working closely with other departments and agencies to coordinate activity and define shared objectives.
• Raise the profile of our approach to security communications with Ministers and build further on the relationship with Private Office.  This will involve organising ministerial interviews, visits and announcements.
• Joining the out of hours press office duty rota for which overtime is payable.

Essential Criteria:

• Significant communications experience and experience of working in a strategic communications or campaign setting.
• An excellent understanding of gathering and using audience insight.
• Experience of working with the media.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Experience of delivering written and oral briefings to senior officials and Ministers.
• Existing DV (developed vetting) clearance or a willingness to acquire it

Desirable Criteria:

• Proven ability to develop networks in a political and/or security context.
• Experience of planning and delivering events and/or Ministerial visits.
• Experience of working in a multi-agency environment
• A good understanding of the political and security environment in Northern Ireland.

[For the essential and desirable criteria please upload a suitability statement of no more than 250 words setting out how you meet the essential/desirable criteria]

Behaviours:

We will assess you against the following Success Profiles behaviours at Level 3 during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Collaborating and Partnering
• Delivering at Pace

More information on behaviours and the success profiles can be found here.

Technical Experience:

You can apply for this post through the Civil Service website at: civilservice.gov.uk.  Once logged onto the site go to the civil service jobs page and then search for jobs in the Northern Ireland Office where the application form can be found.

Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered.  Failure to provide sufficient information in support of an application prior to the closing date will not be considered as grounds for an appeal if an applicant is not short listed for interview.

HCS applicants who, because of disability, need assistance in completing the application form should contact MoJ Shared Services on 0845 010 3512.

All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.

This job description should not be taken as constituting conditions of employment.

Please note that due to the high interest in NIO secondments, feedback cannot be given if you are unsuccessful at sift stage. Feedback is available on request if unsuccessful following interview.