Head of Leadership Communications, Ministry of Justice Ministry of Justice

Location: Birmingham, London, Nottingham

Salary: The national salary range is £58,511 – £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 – £70,725. Your salary will be dependent on your base location.

Closing date: 9 July 2026

Region: London, National

Ref: 19255

Permanent. Number of jobs: 1

Civil Service Grade 7

Reserve list: 12 months

Are you a strategic communications leader with a passion for driving engagement and organisational change? We’re seeking a Head of Leadership Communications within the MOJ’s Corporate Communications team. This role offers a unique opportunity for an experienced communications professional to shape and deliver our internal communications strategy. As part of the Ministry of Justice corporate communications unit, you’ll be part of a small, high‑performing team, providing strategic direction and creative excellence that supports our organisational priorities.

The ideal candidate will bring proven leadership experience, exceptional stakeholder management skills at senior levels, and a track record of developing both communications strategies and team members. You’ll have the confidence to operate independently, providing trusted communications counsel to our executive team while maintaining the high standards expected within the Government Communication Service. All our work is done in line with the GCS IC principles.

The Ministry of Justice is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. We work to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world‑class justice system that works for everyone in society.

In your role, you will lead our internal communications work on leadership and purpose. You will lead a team working on a varied programme that combines creative, factual and also reactive internal communications, including for the Deputy Prime Minister, Permanent Secretary and wider leadership team; and in communicating Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Office priorities. At times, you may lean across into our wider work to build a culture of delivery and high performance. You will report into the Head of Internal Communications. You will line manage two people.

Responsibilities

• Trusted adviser to the MOJ’s leadership team, working collaboratively to build effective relationships.
• Contribute to the MOJ’s internal communications strategy.
• Develop and deliver creative internal communications activity to support business outcomes on MOJ priorities. This includes development of the organisation’s narrative, and comms activity for the leadership cadre.
• Develop MOJ’s internal comms content and channels.
• Respond to challenges with innovative communication methods, deploying them at pace to support business objectives, based on insight and informed by Government Communication Service best practice.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of communications and deliver ongoing improvement.
• Leadership of a team of two.
• Key member of the MoJ corporate communications leadership team.

Person specification

You will be an experienced communications professional, with strong communications expertise and experience operating in a complex, high‑profile environment. You will bring excellent judgement, strong editorial instincts and the ability to operate confidently in fast‐moving environments where priorities, stakeholder views and organisational pressures frequently compete. You will be comfortable working in ambiguity, able to make sound decisions at pace, and experienced in supporting senior leaders through complex, sensitive and high‑profile communications activity.

You will have experience advising senior leaders in a complex organisation, helping them communicate clearly and credibly through periods of change, uncertainty or competing priorities.

Communications judgement and news sense

• Providing high‑quality internal communications advice to Ministers, senior leaders and stakeholders on sensitive and high‑profile issues.
• Providing clear, evidence‑based communications advice to senior leaders, including where this involves challenge, difficult conversations or balancing competing stakeholder perspectives.
• Acting as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, using judgement and insight to shape communications approaches and organisational messaging.
• Advising senior leaders on proactive and reactive communications handling, including organisational announcements, operational issues and periods of uncertainty or change.
• Exercising sound editorial judgement on leadership communications, sequencing and organisational narrative.
• Understanding the relationship between external and internal communications activity and ensuring strong alignment between both.
• Identifying communications opportunities arising from ministerial priorities, operational developments and organisational issues.
• Making sound decisions under pressure, and identifying and mitigating risks, where information, priorities and stakeholder views may be evolving.
• Building strong, credible relationships with senior leaders, Private Offices and communications colleagues.

Managing competing demands

• Managing multiple priorities and competing demands.
• Managing competing priorities and changing deadlines in a reactive and fast‑moving environment.
• Taking ownership of complex communications issues, creating clarity and direction for others where priorities or expectations may be unclear.
• Coordinating multiple strands of leadership internal communications activity across senior stakeholders, channels and audiences.
• Balancing reactive issues and urgent organisational priorities with longer‑term strategic communications activity.
• Making sound prioritisation and sequencing decisions to maintain organisational focus and clarity.
• Delivering reactive internal communications activity at pace while maintaining quality and judgement.
• Focusing effort on the highest‑value activity and reducing unnecessary organisational noise.

Creativity

• Creative capability and audience understanding.
• Developing engaging leadership communications approaches that support understanding, trust and engagement.
• Creating clear, accessible and impactful internal communications content for different audiences and contexts.
• Supporting leaders to communicate authentically and credibly through change, pressure and uncertainty.
• Identifying opportunities to improve channels, campaigns, leadership visibility and ways of working.
• Using audience insight, staff sentiment and feedback to shape communications approaches and improve effectiveness.
• Applying strong understanding of channels, audiences and the evolving internal communications landscape.

As a communications leader, you’ll be part of the MoJ corporate communications SMT, contributing to our strong collaborative, inclusive and supportive culture. You’ll focus on your leadership role with accountability for your team’s work, while also contributing to the wider corporate communications team and MoJ communications function. You will be responsible for maintaining team engagement and building a culture where team members feel supported and challenged, continuing to develop themselves and the work they deliver for the MoJ.

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.
• 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.