At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic initiatives and foster key relationships in UK/Ireland affairs.
- Company: Join the Northern Ireland Office, a dynamic team shaping government policy.
- Benefits: Gain exposure to senior officials and work on impactful projects.
- Other info: Flexible project-based environment with opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a difference in Northern Ireland's governance and community safety.
- Qualifications: Strong communication skills and experience in stakeholder engagement required.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 65000 £ per year.
The Northern Ireland Office supports the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in promoting the best interests of Northern Ireland. We ensure that Northern Ireland interests are represented within the UK Government and that UK government responsibilities are fully and effectively represented in Northern Ireland. We are the centre of expertise on Northern Ireland issues across Government. The Northern Ireland Office employs around 170 staff, with offices in Belfast and London. As a small Department, we adopt a flexible project-based approach to ensure that we have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place to support the delivery of our key objectives.
Our key priorities are set out in our Operational Delivery plan and include:
- Supporting greater inclusion, tolerance and openness in Northern Ireland
- Contributing to a safer Northern Ireland, where terrorist and paramilitary groups are less able to cause harm to communities
- Ensuring that governance in Northern Ireland is responsive, transparent and able to deliver effective public service.
- Addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland
ABOUT THE ROLE: The Head of UK/Ireland role is pivotal in providing strategic leadership that ensures smooth delivery of Strand 3 institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and UKG priorities as well as the continued development of key stakeholder relationships.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:
- Provide strategic leadership and direction for the UK/Ireland team
- Lead of maintaining key relationships internally and externally with stakeholders in the UK/Ireland space
- Working in partnership with Irish Government counterparts to deliver the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference on a biannual basis
- Supporting the delivery of the British Irish Council
- Leading briefings on UK/Ireland matters for senior officials and Ministers
- Working closely with other government departments to deliver work on cross-cutting issues on UK/Ireland with the confidence of Whitehall
- Working closely and effectively with the wider team to proactively identify opportunities to contribute to team and business area objectives and priorities
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA: The post holder will need to demonstrate the following in their application and at interview:
- Strong partnering and collaborating skills, and the ability to build strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders to support effective delivery of strategic outcomes
- Sound judgement and analytical skills, the ability to make evidence based recommendations and decisions
- Excellent communication and influencing skills to influence a wide variety of stakeholders at different levels; the ability to present and communicate complex information and recommendations to senior decision makers in a clear and impactful manner
- The ability to deal with uncertainty, self-organise, prioritise and pay close attention to detail
DESIRABLE CRITERIA: Knowledge of the UK and Irish geopolitical landscape; Experience in events coordination.
BEHAVIOURS: We will assess you against the following Success Profiles behaviours at the G7 level during the application sift and interview process:
- Delivering at pace
- Communicating and influencing
- Seeing the bigger picture
- Working together
EXPERIENCE: Please provide a CV or work history and statement of suitability no longer than 500 words outlining how you meet the essential and desirable criteria. Both will be used in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role. Your statement of suitability needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirements set out above.
INTERVIEW: You will be assessed against the same behaviours at the interview stage and will be asked to provide examples of how you have demonstrated the behaviours.
OFFER: Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first. The successful candidate will be notified of a start date following successful security checks.
SECURITY CLEARANCE: This role requires National Security Vetting given the access to sensitive information afforded by the job role.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Further information about the post may be obtained from Lauren Kerr via email. All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.
Head of UK Ireland TLNT1_NI in Belfast employer: Ministry of Justice
The Northern Ireland Office is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and flexible work environment that fosters collaboration and innovation. With a focus on strategic leadership and meaningful engagement with key stakeholders, employees benefit from extensive exposure to government processes and the opportunity to contribute to significant policy initiatives. Located in Belfast, the office promotes a culture of inclusion and professional growth, making it an ideal place for those seeking to make a tangible impact in Northern Ireland's governance and community development.
