38088 - Communications & Engagement Manager

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

This position is available for external applicants as well as existing civil servants on level transfer or promotion. New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum. For an exceptional applicant and under exceptional circumstances, managers have discretion to set starting salaries above the pay range minimum.

Background:

This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional communications and engagement professional to join the Communications Directorate in HMCTS to promote and support its vital work. You will work within a team to shape and deliver quality communications and engagement activity aligned to business areas and the organisation’s strategic and operational priorities.

Our justice system has a world-class reputation. We have an outstanding independent judiciary that is widely admired as an international leader. Our legal sector is globally recognised for excellence and contributes billions of pounds every year to the UK economy.

To maintain these standards, our justice system needs to respond to and meet the rapidly changing needs of our society. We must continually modernise and upgrade our system, so that it works better for everyone, from judges and legal professionals, to witnesses, litigants and the vulnerable victims of crime.

We’re investing over £1bn to transform and modernise our justice system. This programme of reform is one of the boldest and biggest transformations in the public sector and will create an organisation that has the technology, infrastructure and people to serve the UK in the 21st century.

This is a specialist Communications / Engagement role, that is required to demonstrate capability across the four competency areas – Insight, Ideas, Implementation, Impact - identified in the Government Communications Service competency framework, which can be found at: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/publications/competency-framework/

Team Overview:

This post is part of the HM Courts & Tribunals Service Communications Team, working to support the demands of a large, fast-paced and complex organisation that is undergoing major change.

The team is made up from communications leaders with specialist disciplines who are: defining the organisation's communications strategy; working with communications partners in the MoJ and Judicial Office; delivering operational communications activities; and enabling others to deliver and improve their own communications.

The team is designed around five core functions:

• Internal communications
• External communications and engagement
• Strategic communications planning, insight and evaluation
• Content and campaigns
• Communications channels

We provide an integrated communications service – recognising internal and external communications requirements - that supports and enables the organisation's objectives. We will listen to the wants and needs of the organisation, our internal clients, as well as those of our stakeholders to ensure that we are effective in communicating.

Underpinning this, we will ensure that our systems and processes are fit for purpose, meaning that we can be efficient, consistent and responsive in all that we do. We will increasingly use digital communications channels, using audience insight and evaluation to ensure that we have the right channels in place to reach our key stakeholders.

Working with others, the team will own the HMCTS corporate narrative. These are the key messages that we will use to tell our story, to establish and promote our identity and vision, and to demonstrate what HMCTS does and seeks to do.

Overview and Role Purpose:

This varied role will work as part of the communications and engagement function for HMCTS, focusing on a blend of engagement, content, campaigns, stakeholder and corporate communications work. This will include working closely with directorate and programme teams to deeply understand their area of the business, as well as developing a sound understanding of the operational day to day environment, to deliver effective, impactful communications and engagement at a jurisdictional level.

You will help create a narrative for the business regarding specific programmes and projects, develop audience-led communications and engagement for HMCTS’ key stakeholder groups, write content for a range of channels and events, and co-ordinate campaigns that highlight our priorities and successes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain effective and constructive working relationships with legal professional stakeholder groups to ensure that engagement successfully informs HMCTS and the reform programme and that stakeholder perspective and input supports the development of future operating models.
• Proactively ensure that effective and timely communication with stakeholders, ensuring that they are kept appropriately informed on the Reform programme, and up to date operational and policy information, as well as being able to constructively contribute their perspective and specialist input.
• Work as part of the content function. This includes working closely with directorate, programme and operational teams to develop impactful and strategically-delivered communications and engagement, by spotting opportunities, identifying risks, and enhancing our reputation through our messaging.
• The post holder may have line management responsibilities for a Band C role.

Other duties:

We are a highly interdependent team and the postholder will be expected to work flexibly and undertake any other duties reasonably requested which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Key Interactions:

• HM Courts & Tribunals Service Reform Programme Boards
• HM Courts & Tribunals Service strategy & change director
• Ministry of Justice press office
• Ministerial private office teams
• Chief executive's office & Senior Management Team
• Judicial Office communications team
• Stakeholder communications and engagement teams

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Excellent copywriter, able to adapt your writing style for different audiences and channels.
• Proven ability to adapt writing style across a variety of platforms - preparing speeches, scripts, briefings, presentations, papers, web content and copy for printed publications.
• Can work quickly and under pressure to produce accurate and appropriate copy on demand.
• Excellent editorial skills, including developing a narrative out of project and programme information.
• Experience of writing communications strategies that support and enable business strategies.
• Ability to build trust with internal 'clients' and influence other internal / external stakeholders.
• Good understanding of integrated communications, with the ability to:
• advise on communications approaches, deploying a range of tactics to achieve different outcomes
• commission the production of collateral/products
• project manage engagement, campaigns and communication products
• Strong facilitator, who can work with programme and project teams to develop campaign plans.
• Ability to represent the communications team at internal and external meetings and events, including working with project teams to produce content.
• Is comfortable matrix working - with a hard reporting line to the communications team, and a dotted line to programme/directorate leads.
• Can see the big picture and connect the dots, joining up complex information and bringing it together as a cohesive narrative, strategy or plan.
• Operational knowledge of the Justice System is desirable, but not essential

Location of Post

The successful candidate will be required to travel to London, however base location can be flexible. Travel to other HMCTS sites may also be required as part of these working arrangements. In line with the department’s policies, travel and substance and, where appropriate, overnight accommodation will be available in line with organisational policies.

Application Process:

To apply for this position please complete the online application form, ensuring you include the following two application documents:

• An up-to-date copy of your CV which details your experience and achievements.
• A 750-word statement of suitability which demonstrates your suitability against the Key Responsibilities and Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience sections outlined above.

If successful at sift stage, interviews will be based on a blend of strength-based questions and the following GCS competencies (Level 3).

• Making Effective Decisions (Insight)
• Leading & Communicating (Ideas)
• Collaborating & Partnering (Implementation)
• Managing a Quality Service (Impact)

These GCS competencies have been structured around the four stages of a strategic communication planning process: Insight, Ideas, Implementation and Impact.

Further information on GCS competencies and the required standards for this post (Level 3) can be found at:

https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/publications/competency-framework/

Further information on GCS

https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/publications/career-framework/

Please also note that interviews may be required to be conducted via video conference.

A Merit List of applicants meeting the required criteria may be kept for up to 12 months.

Terms & Conditions:

Flexible working options

HMCTS offers a flexible working system in many of its offices.

Job sharing and reduced hours

All applications for job sharing or reduced hours will be treated fairly and on a case by case basis in accordance with the MoJ’s flexible working policy and equality policy.

Excess Fares and Relocation Allowances

This job is not eligible for relocation allowances, but excess fares may be considered in accordance with MoJs excess fares allowance policy.