Senior Resourcing Press and Communications Manager

Ministry of Justice; Birtley Green; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental organization is looking for a passionate external communications professional to enhance media coverage and public awareness of the justice system. You will engage with both local and national media, building relationships to highlight positive stories and achievements within the prison and probation sectors. The ideal candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills, a creative mindset, and a commitment to changing negative perceptions about justice-related roles. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a significant difference in public understanding and morale regarding justice operations.

Qualifications

• Expertise in external communications and PR.
• Ability to build relationships with media and stakeholders.
• Creatively challenge negative narratives about the justice system.

Responsibilities

• Generate press coverage and awareness for justice system roles.
• Engage with staff and local media to highlight stories.
• Promote staff accomplishments through various media channels.

Skills

Creative press/PR delivery

Interpersonal skills

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Overview

The Recruitment and Retention Communications (RRC) team sits within the Ministry of Justice's award-winning communications team. We pride ourselves on having an excellent and supportive team culture, a focus on innovation and making a difference to people's lives.

Role

We are looking for a passionate external communications professional to join the Resourcing Communications external team. The individual will join a team which aims to generate extensive and creative press coverage to reach national and local audiences and tell the amazing stories going on in prisons, probation and the wider justice system. Helping to increase the number of applicants for justice system roles and to get our staff the recognition and praise they deserve.

Context

For too long prisons and the wider justice system have been overlooked, there is not enough recognition of the amazing work that goes on every day, incredible stories of compassion, progress against extraordinary odds, and rehabilitation.

Responsibilities

You will primarily work as part of an ambitious and exciting team who will be responsible for increasing understanding of the work delivered every day by prison officers, probation officers and magistrates. Your objectives will include placing positive, creative, national, consumer and regional press and external communications, raising awareness and consideration of our roles as an employment opportunity and career. This role would be ideal for someone with a background in PR/press/journalism and media.

Working as part of a team of central and regional communications experts, you will achieve these objectives by going out and about to visit staff in your regional area, building close relationships with key prisons and probation offices and local media outlets and finding and placing the stories that inform the public about the justice system work and the role our staff play in delivering that. This will also include opportunities to promote our staff on a national (print, broadcast and online) level, as well as local feature articles and broadcast packages.

The role could also include wider communications e.g. supporting local engagement, which might include community outreach work and also working in close collaboration with our digital and marketing teams and central Ministry of Justice Press Office.

Your media coverage will not only be used externally to raise awareness of justice roles, but will be vital to help raise staff morale, showing them their excellent work reflected in the local media.

You will ensure all of your work is executed to brilliant standards, within an existing culture of continuous improvement and innovation, and evaluating the impact of communications on an ongoing basis. You will also be expected to develop strong networks both internally and externally.

Your interpersonal skills will be first rate and you will be at ease engaging with senior internal and external stakeholders for example policy teams and senior staff, eg prison governors and Heads of Probation Delivery Units who you may need to liaise with to generate media coverage.

Person Specification

• Expertise in delivering creative press/PR and external communications

You will think creatively to challenge the often-negative narrative about work in the prison, probation service and magistracy. We want to do this by telling stories at a national and regional level about the great work the prison, probation and court service and its people do. This includes keeping the public safe, delivering justice, rehabilitating offenders by offering training, support and opportunities, and helping offenders move forwards with their lives. We want the work of frontline staff to be recognised by the public as on a par with other frontline services such as police officers and healthcare workers, and for traditional stereotypes to be challenged. You will be expected to proactively look for other communications opportunities to bring new approaches and uphold best practice.