DE&S Deputy Director of Communications & Engagement

Ministry of Defence

Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 12th November 2024

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Details

Reference number

375599

Salary

£87,300 - £97,000

Civil Servants applying on promotion into the SCS will receive the higher of up to a 10% increase on current salary or the SCS pay band 1 minimum

All SCS applying on level transfer will remain on their current salary.

Further information - including pay guidance for existing civil servants - can be found here.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

SCS Pay Band 1

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

MOD - Defence Equipment & Support - Senior Leadership Team

Type of role

Other

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share

Location

MOD Abbey Wood, Filton, Bristol BS34 8JH

About the job

Job summary

This is a key senior appointment in our organisation, leading activity to build and protect DE&S’ reputation with key stakeholders including employees, parliamentarians, media and the general public.

The role has responsibility for ownership and development of DE&S’ key communications assets and channels and is accountable to the Director Strategy & Corporate Affairs.

This is an opportunity to join a critical post in an organisation making a material difference to defence of the UK homeland, at a hugely pivotal moment in its development, looking both externally across wider MOD and UK defence, and internally to our change programme.

To be successful you will have experience of operating at a strategic level in a large and complex organisation and working effectively as part of a multidisciplinary leadership team, often managing competing priorities across a range of internal and external stakeholders.

You will demonstrate the ability to be a key player in the DE&S business, leading communications and engagement activity across the business, meeting both corporate requirements and delivering enabling services.

Defence Equipment and Support delivers and sustains capability for His Majesty’s Armed Forces. We also play a major role in the prosperity of the UK by spending £8 billion every year on UK contracts, supporting more than 88,000 jobs.

As a leader in the business, you will also have a pivotal role in creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can flourish, supporting transformation of the business, and specifically the corporate organisation.

This is an exciting time for DE&S, and we look forward to discussing with you how you might become part of our journey during the recruitment process.

Job description

This is an exciting time for DE&S, and we look forward to discussing with you how you might become part of our journey during the recruitment process.

The Deputy Director of Communications and Engagement has the following areas of responsibility:

Lead activity to build and protect DE&S’ reputation, developing and executing DE&S’ communications and engagement plan, to deliver on organisational objectives, aligned to Departmental objectives and Ministerial direction (interface via DDC).
Develop and embed approaches to improve DE&S’ brand to aid attraction to the organisation, engage employees, build advocacy amongst stakeholders, maintain mission partner confidence and ultimately deter our enemies. This will need proactive management of stakeholders, both internally and externally, to enhance the reputation of DE&S with credibility and confidence.
Lead delivery of services to meet Department of State responsibilities, to manage parliamentary correspondence, meet transparency obligations, and assure effective public scrutiny of the organisation, including timely and accurate responses to FOI, PQ and TAO correspondence; effective planning and management of Ministerial Submissions across the organisation; and effective preparation and briefing of Seniors Civil Servants for meetings with parliamentarians and public scrutiny interventions.
Aligned to communications plan, develop and deliver campaigns and communications, engagement and policy secretariat outputs, to meet the needs of the organisation and its stakeholders, aligned to DDC guidelines, mobilising delivery across the organisation. This includes: the development and implementation of communications plans; delivery of large-scale events; delivery of publications; and management of communications channels to reach and positively engage DE&S staff.
Act as the Authority for both Communications and Policy Secretariat sub-professions establishing standards, articulating resources and training needs, owning related processes and procedures and overseeing policy and related Enabling Services, in line with the maturing Corporate Portal and DE&S’ end to end services.
Mobilise effective stakeholder engagement for DE&S across the Department, wider Government and externally, and individually build and maintain excellent stakeholder relationships, including with counterpart roles in industry.
Oversee effective delivery of 24/7 news service in partnership with DDC, in order to respond to external issues with consistent messaging, professionally presented and accurate releases and statements which build and protect the organisation’s reputation.
Responsible for key DE&S assets including DE&S Internet and DE&S Intranet.
Provide advice and briefings up to CEO level.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to be able to demonstrate the following essential criteria:

A proven track record of values-based leadership, including a proactive commitment to diversity & inclusion with demonstrable experience of maintaining a psychologically safe, positive and inclusive environment.
Confident in leading people, challenging cultures and leading change.
Demonstrable experience of leading communications, engagement and/or policy secretariat teams to build reputation and brand advocacy.
Experience leading / managing media in a complex environment.
Demonstrable experience driving employee engagement through communications activity.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £87,300, Ministry of Defence contributes £25,290 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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 employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

DE&S has appointed Veredus as an executive search firm for this appointment and they will manage the campaign.

This is an external competition open to candidates with a background in either the public or private sector.

To apply for this post, you will need to submit the following documents, via the Veredus website – www.veredus.co.uk, quoting the reference number & job title: '17327 - Deputy Director of Comms & Engagement' by 23:59 on Tuesday 5th November 2024.

*A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps.
*A Supporting Statement (no more than two pages) outlining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match the requirements of the person specification.
*A completed Diversity Monitoring Form All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence, will not be provided to the selection panel and will not affect your application in any way. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’
*A completed Candidate Supporting Information Form
A completed Disability Confident Scheme Form – if applicable
A completed Conflict of Interest Form - if applicable
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Please indicate if you are applying through this scheme on the Candidate Supporting Information Form

*Please note only complete applications that include all 4 requested documents will be considered*

The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer.

For more information, see the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

Word versions of the forms can be found on the Veredus website under 17327 Supporting Documentation for ease of completion.
At Veredus, we take care to protect the privacy of our candidates and clients. To read more about how we collect, store and share your data please read our privacy notice which can be accessed here: www.veredus.co.uk/privacy-and-cookies
Further information - including pay guidance for existing civil servants - can be found here.
Complaints - This competition is regulated by Civil Service Commission. The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, please email DESHR-WSC-PMOCOMPLAINTS@mod.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the MoD, then you may take your complaint to the Civil Service Commission: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/making-complaint
Please note, any expenses incurred by candidates as part of the recruitment process are not refundable

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

Security

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.