10949 - Strategic Communications Manager

Ministry of Justice; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department is seeking a Communications Manager to enhance strategic communications efforts. The ideal candidate will develop and implement communication plans, foster stakeholder relationships, and create audience-focused content. Essential skills include strong writing and relationship-building abilities. The role offers a meaningful contribution to public service within the UK.

Qualifications

• Experience of developing and implementing communications plans.
• Good written and verbal communications skills.
• Good copywriter, able to adapt writing style for different audiences.
• Strong relationship building skills, effective at negotiating.
• Strong planning and organisational skills, delivering communication products to tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Foster strong working relationships with officials.
• Support development and delivery of communications strategies.
• Draft audience-focused content using key messages.
• Create content and briefing materials, planning events.
• Support evaluation and reporting of communications activities.

Skills

Good written and verbal communications skills

Strong relationship building skills

Good copywriter

Strong planning and organisational skills

Understanding of digital channels

Experience of developing communications plans

Job description

Overview

HMCTS Strategic Communications Team, Communications Manager (HEO).

About us

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life‑changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, we would like to hear from you.

About the role

You will play a key role in ensuring the Communications Directorate and HMCTS achieve their strategic goals through high quality communications. You will develop your understanding of our audiences and deliver day‑to‑day communications activities across assigned areas.

Responsibilities

• Foster strong working relationships with officials, providing them with communications advice and support to help them meet their business objectives.
• Support the development and delivery of communications and engagement strategies and handling plans.
• Tell our story by drafting audience‑focused content using key messages, agreed narratives, key facts and statistics.
• Maintain and promote the organisation’s reputation.
• Create content, products and briefing materials, including planning and organising events.
• Map stakeholders and gather insight about them.
• Support and service relationships with communications and engagement counterparts in partner organisations.
• Identify the best channels and mechanisms to reach and engage with target audiences.
• Support evaluation and reporting of communications and engagement activity in your area.
• Advise internal “clients” on best practice, emerging issues, risks, opportunities, stakeholder intelligence.
• Support crisis communications.
• Maintain team resources including contact lists, activity plans and other administrative records.

Essential criteria

• Experience of developing and implementing communications plans.
• Good written and verbal communications skills.
• Good copywriter, able to adapt writing style for different audiences and channels, with robust editorial skills.
• Understanding of digital channels and content types to grow and engage audiences.
• Strong relationship building skills, effective at negotiating and influencing. Confident, leading meetings and credible when speaking with the Senior Management Team or locally based operational colleagues.
• Strong planning, organisational and people skills, including delivering communication products to tight deadlines.
• Experience of generating insights from available data and insights.
• Comfortable with working quickly and effectively under pressure and through ambiguity, managing competing priorities and changing deadlines.
• Good knowledge of the communications landscape.

Desirable criteria

• Effective networker and influencer with a track record of influencing change.
• Experience of advising colleagues about communications and engagement best practice.
• Experience of collaborating with subject matter experts to deliver effective communications and engagement activities that meet the needs of specific audiences.
• Member of the Government Communications Service.
• An understanding of how courts and tribunals operate.

Application Stage

Please submit an anonymised CV and a statement of suitability demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria (up to 750 words). We will aim to sift the CV and statement of suitability but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the statement of suitability only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the statement of suitability will either progress to a full sift where all application assessment criteria is then assessed or progress straight to further interview.

Interview Stage

Candidates successful at sift stage will be invited to a blended interview assessment in line with the Civil Service Success Profile Framework. For those successful in passing the sift stage, interviews will take place over two stages. At both stages of interview, candidates will be assessed against the Civil Service Success Profiles below at HEO level.