Head of Correspondence Operations

Job summary

We are MHCLG

We are seeking an outstanding candidate to join Ministerial Group as Head of Correspondence Operations. This is a high profile, exciting and stretching senior role with significant responsibility and visibility across the Department. The Correspondence Unit manages replies to correspondence on behalf of the Department, including Ministers, and we have ambitions to become the best performing and most innovative correspondence team in government. The successful candidate will lead the Correspondence Operations Team and drive improvements through robust feedback loops and data analysis.

The role would suit candidates who are looking to deepen their leadership and management experience, work closely with Ministerial offices and senior officials, and make a tangible impact on how the Department engages with the public. The successful candidate will join a collaborative leadership team, working alongside two G7s responsible for casework and digital & data. This role is a rewarding opportunity for someone who thrives on developing others, improving performance, and leading in a fast paced, high stakes environment.

While this role can be based in one of the advertised locations, if based outside of London the role holder will be expected to regularly attend our offices in 2 Marsham Street.

Job description

The role holder will provide strategic oversight of correspondence operations functions, setting up the central correspondence unit with the tools, skills and resources to draft responses to correspondence within the unit and ensuring there are efficient and effective processes to triage and log incoming correspondence as well as transfer correspondence to other Departments. They will also need to ensure the team is well organised, motivated, and consistently delivering high quality outcomes to agreed timescales, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and professional development.

They will:

• Lead correspondence operations functions, ensuring alignment with departmental priorities and expectations and oversee day to day operations, including workflow planning, quality assurance, and staff development.
• Act as the senior escalation point for operational issues, ensuring risks are identified and managed effectively.
• Monitor and manage performance against key KPIs, including on logging and transfers, using data and feedback to drive improvements.
• As a member of the Unit Senior Leadership Team, supporting and leading the implementation of new tools, systems, and processes to improve efficiency and quality, including opportunities for centralised drafting and digital transformation.
• Support the Head of Unit in providing final clearances for ministerial and public responses, as required.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Ministerial Offices, policy teams, and other government departments to ensure alignment and responsiveness, understanding and anticipating Ministerial and user needs, ensuring the team is prepared to respond to emerging issues and correspondence surges.
• Line manage a team consisting of 1 SEO and 4 EOs, setting and maintaining a culture of high performance, inclusion, and continuous development across the team.
• Engage in recruitment, onboarding, and capability-building activities to ensure the team has the right skills and support.
• Promote wellbeing, inclusion, and collaboration across the Unit, contributing to a positive and resilient team culture.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be a confident and inclusive leader who thrives in a fast-paced, high-profile environment. They will be motivated by public service, committed to improving performance, and skilled at building strong relationships across teams and departments. They will be comfortable balancing strategic oversight with operational delivery and will demonstrate a passion for developing others and fostering a positive team culture.

Essential criteria:

• Proven experience of line and task management, ideally across a geographically dispersed or operational team.
• Excellent written English and attention to detail, with experience quality-assuring sensitive or high-profile outputs.
• Strong understanding of correspondence handling, ministerial support, or public engagement in a government or public facing context.
• Ability to use data and insight to monitor performance, identify trends, and inform decision making.
• Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills, with the ability to manage complexity and ambiguity.
• Motivation to lead, develop and support a high performing team.
• Experience leading or supporting change or transformation projects in an operational or service delivery context

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,092, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £16,829 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 Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, 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

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)

CV & statement of suitability - Your statement of suitability should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Managing a quality service, Changing and improving, Delivering at pace, Leadership
• 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-minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place starting 07/07/2026

Interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office: + CTC

London Office: + CTC

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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 : Alex Badrick
• Email : alex.badrick@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@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

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