Senior Communications Manager, Civil Service Communications

Job summary

Would you like to work on campaigns which impact the entire Civil Service?

The Cabinet Office is looking for a talented Senior Communications Manager to become a member of the Civil Service Communications team, delivering excellent, high-profile communications to 550,000 civil servants based across the UK and internationally.

This is an exciting time to join the Civil Service and we require a strong communicator to shape the communications for a range of priorities. The work of the team spans central high-profile announcements, nationwide annual events, visits, and engaging civil servants and leaders through our social media and departmental and Civil Service channels.

This role demands proactivity, organisation, creativity, and attention to detail. It’s multi-disciplinary and will give you the opportunity to form close working relationships with Cabinet Office teams, other departments, private offices, and senior stakeholders. This role will expose you to those at the very heart of government, enabling excellent career development potential.

We are looking for someone with a background in delivering high-impact campaigns, social media and community management, using data and insights to optimise communications products, and working across government in a collaborative manner.

As a member of the Government Communication Service, you will also be awarded with fantastic learning and development opportunities.

Job description

What we are looking for:

• Experience in designing and delivering effective communications campaigns from start to finish
• Experience in using evaluation to inform current and future communications
• Strong experience with digital communications, particularly with LinkedIn and Instagram but on other platforms as well
• Experience working across large organisation and coordinating with diverse stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to quickly build strong working relationships with people at all levels, across different organisations and business areas
• Excellent organisational and communications planning skills and a strong attention to detail
• Work well under pressure and manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines
• Ability to use different channels to engage people effectively – including digital options
• Experience in events management

• Ability to be media savvy, with a good understanding of the Civil Service and being alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit our work

This position can be based in London, Glasgow, or York. It is currently hybrid with the expectation of 60% attendance in the office each week.

Person specification

• Plan, deliver and evaluate cross-government communications campaigns, using an array of channels both internal and external, reporting to the Head of Civil Service Communications
• Develop strategic engagement plans for the Cabinet Secretary and Civil Service Chief Operating Officer
• Devise and manage social media activity for Civil Service channels, working to achieve the best possible outcomes
• Work with colleagues across other government departments to ensure work is driven forward at pace, is intelligence-led and meets agreed objectives
• Measure and evaluate work against agreed objectives, request feedback and present back, ensuring the team acts on learnings
• Build peer and senior relationships with departmental and other colleagues to ensure the successful delivery of campaigns
• Support the wider team on the delivery of priority campaigns for the Cabinet Office.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Insight
• Ideas
• Implementation

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,760, Cabinet Office contributes £12,677 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

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 Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

For your application, you will need to submit your CV and a personal statement of no more than 750 words, outlining what makes you a suitable candidate.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using your personal statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Insight – Gather insight on staff communication usage, needs and preferences. Use these data to inform the selection of internal communications channels.
  
• Ideas – Demonstrate a practical understanding of organisational functions, roles and communication requirements to enable the design of contextualised and tailored content for internal audiences.
• Implementation – Demonstrate strong written communication skills in writing clearly for target audience

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – tbc

Expected interview date/s – tbc

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.

You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Feedback

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 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 : Ziad Ramley
• Email : ziad.ramley1@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)