Senior Communication and Engagement Practitioner

Job summary

The Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) is driven by its unparalleled access across government to build ‘better insights, better outcomes’ for our clients.

This role offers a strong platform for career progression within the Agency and the wider civil service, providing opportunities to develop leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic relationship management skills across government.

The Agency’s unique access across the public sector exposes you to different risk and control environments, allowing you to gain insights, apply experience, contribute meaningfully, and continue developing professionally.

Job description

Supporting and enabling the effective and efficient delivery of internal audit and counter fraud and investigation services, the Communication and Engagement team manages and provides professional, authentic, trusted communication and engagement services and advice for both external and internal audiences.

Externally, our focus is on existing and potential clients and stakeholders as we explain our Agency’s role and the value we add, publishing and sharing Insights – our flagship product, corporate documents, managing media, stakeholders, and digital platform communication to support transparency and accountability.

Internally, our team enables and empowers the Agency’s people, keeping all employees informed through meaningful engagement, and by raising and listening to our employee voice. The team builds commitment, understanding, awareness and belonging; guiding our people through change and equipping leaders at all levels with clear and consistent messaging.

For this role, you will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive internal and external communications programme of communication activity aligned to the Agency’s strategy and corporate plan, using best-practice tools, existing and emerging media and digital channels and processes to ensure consistent, high-quality messaging.

Role Responsibilities:

• Developing and delivering communication and engagement strategies for GIAA projects and campaigns
• Producing digital solutions to support change and transformation programmes
• Ensuring the correct use of GIAA brand, brand strategy, house style and communication guidelines
• Implementing aspects of the crisis communication strategy in response to emerging or emergency situations
• Providing objective advice and support based on sound principles of effective and authentic communication
• Adhering to all data protection and GDPR guidelines including assets, copyright and licences
• Developing GIAA’s SharePoint intranet site
• Expanding GIAA’s social media presence and adhering to our social media strategy
• Adhering to the Civil Service communication profession and function (GCS) guidelines and directives

Person specification

• Proven experience leading and delivering complex communications campaigns and programmes across public or private sector organisations, using a broad range of communication disciplines, media and digital channels.
• Strong experience developing engaging communications products, including video, animation, graphic design and corporate publications, with proficiency in tools such as InDesign and Canva.
• Ability to analyse complex evidence and data, develop clear and impactful messaging, measure communications impact, identify and mitigate reputational risks, and drive action.
• Demonstrable resilience, authority and sound management skills, with the ability to remain calm under pressure, oversee multiple high-profile projects and deliver to challenging deadlines.
• Excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence and credibility to advise and brief senior leaders, while supporting and developing communication and engagement practitioners to deliver a high-quality service.

To apply for this role, you will need to submit your employment history, personal details and provide a statement of suitability of no more than 750 words, referring to the person specification.

Please note only your statement of suitability will be assessed at the sift stage.

Interviews will be held on Teams.

Candidates invited to interview will be required to give a short presentation to the interview panel followed by questions. At interview you will be assessed on experience, strengths and technical skills.

Technical skills

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

• Communication Products
• Communication Campaigns
• Communication Disciplines

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £50,595, Government Internal Audit Agency contributes £14,657 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).

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and in-year rewards
• Flexible working
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Discount on big brands
• Volunteering days
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free eyesight tests
• Family-friendly HR policies
• 25 days’ annual leave increasing by one day per year of service to 30 days after 5 years’ service
• Geographically based Agency

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 23 October 2026
• Shortlisting: w/c 26 October 2026
• Interviews: w/c 09 November 2026

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs profile.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Eligibility Statement

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Checks will be performed as part of pre-employment checks in line with this. Please refer to the Candidate FAQ document attached to the advert for more information.

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, individuals appointed to the Treasury group will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Security Check (SC).

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. In exceptional circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you. Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.

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 security 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

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Katie Woodhouse
• Email : giaarecruitment@giaa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : giaarecruitment@giaa.gov.uk

Further information

Complaints Procedure: The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact: GIAARecruitment@giaa.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

SEO-Senior Communication and Engagement Practitioner-Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 422kB)Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours Opens in new window (pdf, 987kB)