Senior Social Media Manager

Job summary

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.

We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.

We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.

We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.

We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.

Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

Our Inclusive Environment

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.

Find Out More

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/Jae3B4w7xm

You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/

Job description

At DSIT, we are leading the way in cementing the UK as one of the most innovative economies in the world, growing the economy and improving the lives of everyone in the UK through the jobs of tomorrow and new discoveries that advance the health and prosperity of society whilst ensuring users are protected online.

We pride ourselves on having a great team culture and a focus on innovation, storytelling and making a difference in people's lives. We are looking for an experienced digital communications expert and leader to drive our creative approach and communicate the department's priorities and announcements to a range of audiences.

You will take a leading role in creating, managing and prioritising digital engagement plans and content for our social media channels, as well as building partnerships with cross government colleagues, stakeholders and digital influencers in this space.

The role is a mix of strategy and delivery, where you may jump from developing plans for a long-term campaign one moment, to urgently draft some posts on a major breaking news story the next. We are a busy department with a lot to communicate about – and no two days are the same.

Our work has a strong audience focus, and you will be at the forefront of finding and developing creative ways to engage with different groups with an interest in our work. Exceptional creativity, expert understanding of social media channels, excellent copy-writing skills, attention to detail, collaboration, and a passion for the work we do is key.

You will lead the content creator strategy, build strong influencer relationships and delivering trend-led, creative partnerships that drive reach and engagement. Your team will work closely with the Creative Content side of the team, commissioning video, animation and graphic content, making sure that it demonstrates impact, is channel appropriate, has end users in mind, and meets strategic objectives as part of multidiscipline communications campaigns. You will also work closely with the Media, Visits and External Affairs Team on ministerial led announcements and with our Campaigns and Marketing Team to deliver low/no cost and paid campaigns.

This is a fast-paced role, and you will need to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines, with an ability to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances. Occasional out of hours/weekend working will be needed. A few examples of our recent work:

Online Safety Act video collaboration with content creators and Secretary of State: https://x.com/SciTechgovuk/status/1948700448434635033

Using AI to improve efficiencies in healthcare:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNgPr6atJFb/?igsh=MTR6bDl6bjM1bHV5aA==

AI Growth Zones:
https://x.com/SciTechgovuk/status/1991779143822848405?s=20

Women in Tech Taskforce:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7454492430189539328

Quantum Computing animation:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/200-billion-thats-what-quantum-computing-ugcPost-7439597153922035712-Ho-f/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAJzwPIB3eK6hwVQZbBieBHCwd-s9atixOQ

Data Use and Access Bill:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLP31NQo7xT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Person specification

Key Responsibilities:

• Help set the strategic approach for both owned and earned digital communications, to ensure we are reaching and engaging with the right audiences on the departmental priorities that matter to them.
• Lead on a portfolio and deliver digital communications plans around DSIT priorities, using insight, drafting copy, commissioning and scheduling content, driving up engagement and continuously evaluating.
• Lead the delivery of the content creator strategy by identifying and managing relationships with relevant influencers to deliver engaging, audience-first content.
• Work with creators to co-develop platform-native, trend-led content aligned to campaign objectives.
• Develop always-on communications, creating consistent, audience-led content that sustains engagement.
• Identify opportunities to amplify activity through social trends, reactive moments and creator networks.
• Line management of IOs in the team, helping them to develop their digital communications skills, meet tight deadlines, manage changing briefs, and action feedback.
• Promoting digital skills capability by providing high quality advice and support to a range of colleagues in the Media, Visits, External Affairs and Campaigns Teams as well as senior leaders, ministers and their private offices.
• Respond to reactive issues, supporting the Media Team on urgent news stories, provide transparency for the public, challenge misinformation and defend the department's reputation.
• Put insight and evaluation at the heart of all your work – from ideation to evaluation - to ensure we are able to measure impact, and our communications is best developed to reach our intended audiences.
• As a line manager, you will be responsible for working with your members of staff to define their objectives, as well as managing their development and performance.

Essential Criteria:

• Strategically planning and delivering digital communications strategies for a large complex organisation that set challenging KPIs and deliver meaningful outcomes – both no/low cost and paid.
• Delivering insight-driven channel plans for different platforms (e.g. a YouTube-specific strategy), to maximise and grow their reach, engagement and following.
• Managing social media channels effectively day to day, preferably for a large or heavily scrutinised organisation.
• Excellent copy-writing skills including tailoring content for audiences and platforms.
• Ability to make strategic decisions by having strong analytical skills and developing insights into recommendations that improve communications approaches.
• Working closely with content creators to deliver engaging, earned-media content to reach the right audience and boost engagement.
• Keeping up with trends, new tech and platform updates to optimise your communications and thinking creatively when it comes to content, copy and partnerships.
• Handling highly reactive communications at pace and delivering effectively under pressure.
• Representing your team well and influencing senior stakeholders, particularly when given challenging feedback or when they disagree with your strategy.
• Good understanding of online risk and how to mitigate it.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience using social media management and monitoring platforms (e.g. Orlo Social).
• Experience of analytics and evaluation reporting on digital campaigns.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Competency: Ideas
• Competency: Implementation

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,620, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £12,926 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to outline how your social media expertise aligns with the essential and desirable criteria for this role. Please include some specific examples of your work that demonstrate your skills and experience.

Applications will be sifted on personal statement.

Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

The interview will consist of behaviour and technical questions.

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.

Sift and interview dates

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

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

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

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

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade.

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

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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.

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /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.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply,and can be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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 : James Carpenter
• Email : James.Carpenter@dsit.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dsitresourcing.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 you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk . If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DSIT T&Cs v1.2 Opens in new window (docx, 179kB)