Media Manager in Sheffield

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

The Corporate Services Group works closely with the Home Office’s policy and operational commands to enable us together to deliver the department’s priorities. The group is comprised of different teams and professional functions, including Commercial, Communications, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Private Office, Security, Estates and Information.

Our work as Home Office communicators is never far from the front pages, making this a fast-paced and hugely exciting and creative team to join. We believe a positive, open and supportive culture is crucial to help everyone deliver their best work. As a member of the Communications Directorate, you’ll be supporting our mission to deliver outstanding public services that work for everyone.

As a media manager for one of our proactive, thematic teams, you’ll be supporting on one of the UK Government’s key ambitions from reducing knife crime and combatting child sexual abuse and violence against women and girls to reducing net migration, protecting our borders, and strengthening the UK’s national security. There has never been a more exciting time to join the Home Office Communications Directorate with our policies at the top of the news agenda, you’ll be part of the team helping to set that agenda and bringing the government’s top priorities to the public.

The media team plays a key role in shaping communications in the rapidly evolving media landscape, using both traditional print and digital channels to reach our target audiences.

You will join a multi-disciplinary team with colleagues based across the UK working in one of the most complex and demanding departments in government. Home Office communications sit within the wider professional body for government communicators, the Government Communication Service. You will play a key role in one of the Communications Directorate’s thematic teams, focusing on media. This includes strategic planning on upcoming proactive announcements, managing emerging issues and communications risks and working closely with the newsdesk team on handling reactive enquiries from journalists.

You will work with teams across the Directorate to design and implement insight-led, innovative media plans to reach our target audiences across channels such as broadcast, print and social media. You will be expected to build relationships with key journalists, briefing them on issues and pitching stories to show the government’s progress in key policy areas.

You will work closely with colleagues including policy officials, operational teams, external stakeholders, Ministers and 10 Downing Street, advising on the role media and communication can play in delivering on government priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with colleagues, including policy officials and operational teams, to advise on the role communications can play.
• Devise and deliver clear integrated media and communication plans to announce policies or successes by providing media advice, drafting press releases and facilitating ministerial interviews.
• Respond to media enquiries and ensure the Department’s position is accurately reported.
• Advise Ministers and senior officials on proactive and reactive media.

Training

The Home Office is committed to supporting learning and development through formal training and on the job opportunities.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of these roles, they are only available on a full-time basis. You will also be required to join the out of hours duty rota and contribute approximately one to two shifts a month. Training and overtime pay is provided.

Travel

Occasional national UK travel may be required for example for a Ministerial visit, when an overnight stay may be required.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Experience working in a fast-paced media role, or similar, juggling competing priorities, exercising good judgement, and keeping calm under pressure.
• Strong news sense and understanding of current affairs, including how to identify and mitigate reputational risks.
• An ability to communicate effectively (excellent written and speaking skills), and develop trusted and productive relationships with colleagues, external partners and stakeholders.
• Creative and digital communications skills.
• Proven ability to distil large amounts of complex information into clear key messages suitable for specific audiences.
• Understanding of how audience insight and evaluation can be used to inform communication strategies and activity.

Desirable Criteria

• Past experience of working in Communications for a large organisation.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace

Technical Skills

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

• Communications – Ideas
• Communications – Impact
• Communications – Insight
• Communications – Implementation

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• Successful candidates will be eligible for a Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA) of £2,300 annually.
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.

See more of our benefits on our careers website.

Selection Process Details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information. After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete the following:

• Civil Service Work Strengths Test and Verbal Test.

If you successfully pass the Civil Service Work Strengths Test and Verbal Test, you will be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you fail to complete the online tests or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Following successful completion of your tests, you will then be asked to complete the full application form.

Application

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 500 words)
• Evidence of the Behaviour Delivering at Pace (maximum of 250 words)

Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

Sift

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV and Behaviour, as listed in the advert. Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Lead Behaviour. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted (Personal Statement and CV).

Interview

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours and Technical Skills based questions. All Behaviours and Technical Skills listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place in person, in either our London or Sheffield office. Please note: travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

For guidance on the Technical skills, please refer to the Government Communication Service (GCS) framework.

Problems During the Application Process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes.

Location Preferences

You can select up to three locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional Security Checks

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.

Nationality Requirements

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)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.

Apply and Further Information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact Point for Applicants

Job contact: Name: Home Office Resourcing Centre Email: HORCCampaignTeamCorporateEnablers@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team Email: HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk