The Communications Directorate is a multi-disciplinary team delivering the Home Office’s communications strategy. We are insight-led and results-driven, and our marketing campaigns support strategic objectives using a wide range of channels. We seek to provide high quality media, rebuttal and social media services. Our Internal Communications team supports employee engagement and business transformation.

As a member of the Communications Directorate, you will be supporting our mission to deliver outstanding public services that work for everyone.

You will join a multi-disciplinary team with colleagues based across the UK, working together to deliver the Home Office’s communications strategy.

We believe a positive, open and supportive culture is essential to help everyone deliver their best work. We value diversity and provide an inclusive and encouraging environment for our team members. We nurture our talent and offer a broad range of learning and development opportunities to help you fulfil your potential.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the strategy, development, delivery and evaluation of low-cost and paid campaigns, in line with the Home Office’s communications strategy and aligned to the Home Secretary’s priority areas. The available role is within the Secure Borders team, working to deliver international and domestic campaigns to support the government’s immigration policy.

They will work with colleagues in their immediate policy-focused team, as well as across the Communications Directorate. This includes insight and evaluation specialists, digital and marketing specialists and our stakeholder engagement team. They will build relationships across the wider department to develop a deep understanding of policy issues and business needs, improving existing relationships and ensuring the highest possible communications delivery.

They will be responsible for the development of strategic communications plans and campaigns, aligned to their policy area, as well as the content and production of materials to support campaign delivery.

They will work with external agencies as necessary (in collaboration with marketing colleagues) including briefing and holding them to account for timely, value for money outputs.

They will work closely with insight and evaluation colleagues to ensure strategies are rooted in audience insight, and deliver measurable impact; and will identify the clear demonstrable financial or societal impacts of each plan, reporting updates to internal Boards and Ministers, as appropriate.

The successful candidate will have direct line management responsibility. They will be a motivational leader who will support and raise the capability of the team and the wider directorate, by ensuring that all parts function efficiently and to a high standard. They will support their team to ensure the smooth delivery and evaluation of campaigns, identify and find solutions to day-to-day risks when possible, escalating where necessary.

Although this role is largely non-media comms, the role-holder will be expected to cover media-related work as and when necessary to support colleagues. This includes driving broadcast, print and online coverage, as well as social media, to support the relevant objectives set out in the Home Office communication strategy; ensuring basic media handling arrangements are in place for announcements in their area; signing off all media and social media plans and materials and media handling in submissions and reports, and briefing journalists on high-profile or complex issues.

The successful applicant will be a highly motivated, adaptable, innovative, dependable and collaborative communications professional, prepared to work on some of the most challenging, high profile and interesting issues in government.

Working pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.

Travel 

There will be optional travel for internal and external meetings.

Essential criteria

We are looking for a motivated individual who can demonstrate:

• Strong experience in a communications management role, including planning and delivering communications from strategic development through to execution across multiple channels.
• Proven success in leading strategic, insight‑led campaigns, applying behavioural insights to communications and measuring impact, including evidence of behaviour change.
• A strong understanding of the organisation and a sound awareness of the external political environment, with the ability to mitigate reputational risk.
• The ability to plan ahead and think strategically, prioritising effectively in fast paced environments.
• High levels of written and verbal communication skills, including negotiating, consulting and briefing, with confidence in engaging senior officials and key stakeholders.
• A proactive approach, anticipating issues, understanding underlying causes and identifying solutions.
• Leadership qualities, with an ability to make sound decisions in constantly evolving contexts with ambiguous information and deliver against challenging deadlines.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills to build key internal and external relationships and improve the organisation’s reputation with stakeholders and other government departments.