Communications Professional Standards and Oversight Team Leader

Job description

• Lead and coordinate GCS (Government Communications Service) reporting on functional standards, professional assurance, and other requests in line with DWP and GCS policies for the Director of Communications for all communications activities in DWP and within ALBs.
  
• Management, coordination, and oversight of all the high value communication commercial contracts. Act as the liaison between Communications and Commercial. Ensure communication team activities are value for money and the quality of service/products. Work with Marketing colleagues to actively manage contracts to ensure VFM. This includes coordination of KPI reporting on silver contracts in line with government/ Cabinet Office guidance and ensure Departmental commercial polices, procedure and governance processes are followed.
• Manage the Marketing and Advertising Exemptions process and the external venue hire internal approvals processes on behalf of the Director of Communications. Provide advice to DWP colleagues and the Director on the process for external events and business cases. Manage requests, providing the wider business with advice on value for money. Provide the Permanent Secretary with assurances on external venue hire. Working with suppliers and DWP Finance to ensure policy and guidance is updated.
• Manage relations with the Heads of Communication in DWP Arms Length Bodies on behalf of the Director of Communications to ensure the Head of Profession roles and responsibilities are discharged.
• Work alongside the Director of Communications Private Office to ensure the DoC is fully appraised on matters relating to professional and functional standards, insight and the Marketing and Advertising Spend process. Ensure campaigns are delivered in accordance with Cabinet Office conditions.
• Build and maintain excellent working relationships across the Communications Directorate and more widely with ALBs, GCS, Cabinet Office, Commercial and Policy colleagues, and act as a trusted partner to understand communications and how it supports Directorate priorities and objectives
• Seek out opportunities to improve ways of working and standards across the team and the Directorate

Person specification

Essential Criteria

We are looking for someone who has:

• Recent experience and knowledge of a government communications working environment and GCS working practices
• Recent experience of working through the commercial governance processes to set up high value contracts.
• Recent experience of managing professional assurance and governance
• Experience of working with Communications teams within Arms Length Bodies to support the communications profession.
• Experience of managing a busy, high performing team.
• A proven track record of working with complex problems and conflicting information, and resolve them effectively, acting decisively, and provide clear direction
• A proven track record of being a trusted advisor, working with and briefing senior leaders on complex problems
• A proven track record of working in a fast paced and demanding environment with unpredictable priorities and changing deadlines.
• A proven track record of strong influencing all grades and negotiating skills, in a clear and considered manner.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Insight
• Ideas
• Implementation
• Impact

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 185 hours ( 25 days) annual leave allowance in year one. This may vary for existing civil servants based on their number of years service

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

Written Application

The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your CV and Personal Statement and will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the advert.

Please note If there are a high number of applications received, an initial sift may be undertaken based on first four essential criteria listed on slide 5. Candidates who pass the initial sift may progress to a full sift or may go straight to interview.

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. This will be a video interview. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. The interview will assess:

a . Well assess candidates against the following Civil Service Behaviours at G7 level:

• Seeing the big picture
• Making effective decisions
• Communication and influencing

b . For this professional communications role, youll also be tested against the following Government Communications Service (GCS) technical skills at G7 level

• Insight
• Ideas
• Implementation
• Impact

c. Youll also be assessed against two Civil Service Strengths relevant to the role. These arent defined by grade.

d. Shortlisted candidates will be expected to carry out a short scenario-based exercise at the start of the interview. You do not need to prepare in advance for this. This exercise will be assessed against Civil Service behaviour Making effective decision s and GCS technical skill Implementation

Sift and Interview Dates :

Our anticipated timetable - which may be subject to change - is as follows:

• Shortlisting will take place commencing 07/05/2024
• Interviews will commence 20/05 - 23/05/2024
• Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided if you are successful and shortlisted.
• To apply for this post please follow the instructions in this candidate pack or the job advert on Civil Service Jobs.
• Please submit your application no later than 23:55 06/05/2024

If youre an existing Civil Servant and want to know more about transferring to another Department, refer to your current departments guidance on transfers within the Civil Service.

Candidates should not resign from their current job until all appropriate checks have been successfully completed.

If you have questions about the role, DWP or the application process, please contact [email protected]

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DWP 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

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 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 [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

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

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 applicants 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.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the Reasonable Adjustments 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 youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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

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.