Digital Engagement Lead

Job summary

We are MHCLG

At the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives. We have over 3,500 staff who are based in 20 offices across the UK. Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of local councils, or the communities we’re all part of, our work is central to the political agenda. With ambitious and far-reaching goals this year, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.

The Elections Directorate within MHCLG is responsible for a challenging and dynamic portfolio spanning electoral policy and legislation, research and analysis, electoral security, electoral administration, and digital. The Elections Digital team is responsible for a suite of public- and sector-facing digital services, including Register to Vote and an ambitious programme of work to deliver the government’s manifesto commitments on elections.

We’re looking for a highly experienced Digital Engagement Lead to join the Elections Digital team, providing strategic co-ordination and oversight of cross-government engagement activities.

This is an exciting opportunity to help enable the successful delivery of a high-profile and ambitious programme of work to transform electoral registration. Successful delivery depends on close collaboration across government, with multiple departments and partner organisations working together to develop new digital solutions, data sharing arrangements and legislative change. The Digital Engagement Lead will work across professions, project teams and government departments to ensure organisational dependencies, governance pathways and stakeholder relationships are understood, managed and escalated appropriately. You’ll be working in a fast-paced, high-profile, agile environment, helping to create the conditions for successful cross-government delivery.

Your work will directly benefit millions of people who use our services each year to participate in elections in the UK. Learn more about our direction and priorities in our strategy for elections (Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections - GOV.UK). You can find the elections blog here: Elections – MHCLG Digital

Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

Job description

As a Digital Engagement Lead, you'll:

• Lead the cross-government strategic engagement, communications and stakeholder management activities for the digital work being delivered under the Electoral Resilience and Democratic Engagement Programme
• Build and maintain strong relationships across other government departments and MHCLG teams to support successful programme outcomes
• Support realistic delivery planning by providing visibility of external dependencies, organisational constraints and stakeholder readiness
• Establish structured engagement assessments to understand stakeholder requirements, organisational priorities, governance arrangements and decision-making pathways
• Create and maintain a comprehensive view of cross-government dependencies, identifying risks, constraints and opportunities that may impact delivery outcomes and timelines
• Monitor and report on stakeholder engagement effectiveness, delivery confidence, dependency status and emerging risks, escalating issues where intervention is required
• Identify and remove barriers to collaboration, fostering joined-up working across organisations, services and government functions to deliver better electoral outcomes

Person specification

As a Digital Engagement Lead, you'll have:

• Significant experience leading complex stakeholder engagement across multiple organisations within government, public sector or similarly complex delivery environments
• Strong understanding of how organisational structures, governance processes and decision-making arrangements influence digital programme and project delivery
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted and productive relationships with senior stakeholders, including officials from other government departments and partner organisations
• Excellent communication, facilitation and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge constructively, negotiate priorities and achieve consensus across organisational boundaries
• Proven ability to identify, assess and manage strategic dependencies and delivery risks that sit outside direct programme control
• Experience designing and delivering engagement and communications plans that support large-scale and complex digital delivery
• Ability to work autonomously and deliver at pace in complex, high-profile and politically sensitive environments, balancing competing priorities and adapting to changing circumstances
• Experience of working within digital, data and technology environments, with a strong understanding of agile ways of working

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,230, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £17,448 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Technical

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)

Technical & Experience: Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead sift question listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview, you do not need to include your lead sift answer on your CV as it will be taken during your application.

Lead Sift Question (Experience): 250 words max - Please describe a situation where you shaped the approach to engaging another government department, or external organisation with complex governance, in support of a digital service or programme. How did you build your understanding of its governance and decision-making arrangements, and use this to ensure engagement was focused appropriately? What was the outcome?

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.*

*Candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-10 minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place from 1st October 2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place shortly after and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

How We Recruit

Find out everything you need to know before applying here..

• Applying
• Sifting
• Interview
• Interview Results & Feedback
• Reserve List
• Near Miss
• Civil Service Grades
• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer
• Reasonable Adjustments

Human

How to Apply

What you need to know before applying.

• Security Clearance Requirements
• Civil Service Nationality Requirements
• Right to Work
• Artificial Intelligence
• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles
• CV Declaration
• Sponsorships
• Salary and Grade
• Existing Civil Servants
• Conflict of Interest
• Location and Flexible Working
• Fixed Term Contracts
• Internal Fraud Database - Internal Fraud Register
• Appeals and Complaints
• Conflict of Interest

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

London Office: + CTC

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for 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
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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 : Digital Data Jobs
• Email : Digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - Recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:
•a procedural irregularity
•an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy
•exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.
It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at Recruitment@communities.gov.uk.
If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: info@csc.gov.uk