DWP Private Office: Ministerial Speechwriter

Job description

As the Ministerial Speechwriter within the Speechwriting and Editorial Team you will:

• Research and write high-quality, high-impact speeches for DWPs Ministerial Team, tailoring the style and content so it lands well with different audiences and captures the Ministers voice.
• Work closely with policy, press office, and other teams to produce a range of creative, concise, and well-argued external and internal communication products, including op-eds for national and regional press, ministerial forewords, social media video scripts, and overarching narratives.
• Support the Head of Speechwriting and Editorial with the day-to-day running of the team, including building speech writing capability across the Department and contributing to Secretary of State speeches, as required.

We will offer the successful candidate:

• The opportunity to work closely with Ministers, Special Advisers, and senior officials.
• An exciting, fast paced, and challenging work environment that involves dealing with complex issues.
• The chance to be part of a supportive team with plenty of opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
• The opportunity to broaden understanding of DWP policy, Parliamentary business, and cross government functions.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Exceptional writing skills: ability to communicate complex information in creative, clear, and compelling ways, capturing the Ministers voice and strategically joining the dots between different policy areas. (Lead criteria)
• A strong understanding of the wider governmental, political and media environment and an ability to harness this awareness to inform and frame your writing.
• A strong track record in managing a high-quality service, and the ability to manage competing priorities, dealing pragmatically with sometimes conflicting priorities. Ability to work independently but also as an effective team player.
• A flexible outlook and approach, coupled with taking responsibility for high quality work, demonstrating personal resilience and strong attention to detail.

Desirable Criteria

• Successful track record of writing speeches and delivering other communication products for Ministers or senior leaders.
• Experience of working in government/corporate communications, media, or journalism.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

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%

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.

HASSRA

DWP colleagues will have the opportunity to join HASSRA, a vibrant and successful organisation that provides a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly). It also has an important part to play in helping us achieve a healthy work-life balance and wellbeing in the workplace.

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 and Experience.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (1000 words) to demonstrate how you meet the person specification.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Selection will be by a written sift and shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview.

The CV element will not be individually scored so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your 1000-word Personal Statement. The CV is an online tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Lead Criteria:

• Exceptional writing skills: ability to communicate complex information in creative, clear, and compelling ways, capturing the Ministers voice and joining the dots between different policy areas .

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

Blended Interview Stage

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a face-to-face blended interview at Caxton House, London where you will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions.

A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview offering a more inclusive approach. Behaviour and S trength based questioning explores what candidates can and has done, but also their potential.

Candidates may also be asked to undertake a short written assessment or presentation as part of the interview. Details of this will be provided to those invited for interview.

Questions in Advance

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behaviour questions in advance of the interview, 5 days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared.

The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your strengths.

An example of a Behavioural question would be; Tell me about a time when youve had to deal with a difficult customer.

The behaviours being assessed are:

Communicating and Influencing- Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses, and opinions of others.

Seeing the Big Picture - Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.

Delivering at Pace- Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in, and use the WHO or STAR model to explain:

As part of your application/interview, it may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in, and use the WHO or STAR model to explain:

Whatwas the task,Howyou approached the work/situation and what theOutcomeswere, what did you achieve? Or What was theSituation? What were theTasks? WhatActiondid you take? What were theResults of your actions?

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However, you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role.

While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this.

We expect to undertake the sift in May 2024.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

Interviews will be held at Caxton House, London SW1H 9DA.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP .

A reserve list may be held for a period of 3months 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

T his role is full time and job share 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.

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.

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 evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism is found your application will be withdrawn.

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.

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

Security Requirements

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

You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check.

For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years.

Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

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.

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.