Head of External Relations

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Rydym yn croesawu ac yn annog ceisiadau gan bawb, yn cynnwys grwpiau sydd wedi’u tangynrychioli yn ein gweithlu ar hyn o bryd, ac rydym yn ymfalchïo mewn bod yn gyflogwr o safon uchel sy’n denu llawer o ymgeiswyr. Ewch i https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity gael rhagor o wybodaeth am sut rydym yn hyrwyddo amrywiaeth a chynhwysiant yn y gweithle.

Job description/Role profile:

Responsibilities will include:

• Owning and leading a departmental external relations strategy on behalf of the UK Government in Wales
• Building and maintaining a network of contacts in organisations across Wales and using them to help increase the impact of the UK Government in Wales
• Forming partnerships with external organisations and helping them access UK Government support
• Identifying influencers and critical voices then advising colleagues across Government on how to engage with them
• Attending events and advising colleagues across the department on how to use events to build relationships
• Advising ministers and senior officials on engagement opportunities and key issues facing third parties
• Developing and implementing a compelling programme of events and visits for the Secretary of State for Wales, the Minister and senior officials
• Working with private secretaries, special advisers and policy colleagues to ensure events and visits support the UK Government objectives.
• Ensuring the highest standard of organisation for visits and events, that Ministers are well supported and briefed, and that logistics are effectively executed
• Commissioning the required Ministerial briefing for visits and events, working with policy colleagues and other government departments.
• Drafting communication handling plans and supportive publicity materials for events and visits
• Liaising with media and stakeholders to promote events and visits as appropriate and coordinating interviews on the ground
• Developing strong working relationships with key media organisations, including Welsh broadcast, print and online as well as key national commentators.
• Maintaining the department’s events and visits planner and constituency visit list

Person Specification:

• An ability to build and maintain relationships with a range of senior stakeholders and partners in the public and/or private sector.
• Excellent knowledge of the political, business and media landscape in Wales.
• An ability to constructively challenge the status quo to improve services.
• Strong team leadership and management abilities.
• An interest in emerging trends in communications, including new tools, techniques and platforms for capturing insight and enhancing evaluation.
• Flexibility – including, on occasion, working out of regular core hours.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service pension.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on ‘modernised’ terms in their current post or onto ‘unmodernised’ MoJ terms if they are on ‘unmodernised’ terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

The pay structure is being consulted upon and therefore the pay advertised/offered may change depending on the outcome of the consultation. If you have any concerns, please check what the situation is before accepting any offer.

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Grading Structure Review

The Ministry of Justice is currently undergoing a review of posts which are currently graded at Band A to realign our grading structure with the majority of the wider Civil Service.

Posts advertised at Band A may be graded at either Grade 6 or Grade 7 once the review has taken place.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

1- To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);

2- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);

3- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.