4004 - Deputy Head of Communications: Housing and Regeneration

• Details
• Reference number
• 475710
• Salary
• £61,098 - £73,057
• Actual starting salary £61,098
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

• Job grade
• Grade 7
• Contract type
• Permanent
• Business area
• Local Government, Housing, Rural Resilience & Sustainability Group
• Type of role
• Communications / Marketing
• Working pattern
• Full-time
• Number of jobs available
• 1
• Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Wales

About the job

Job summary

This role will lead and manage the strategic planning and delivery of housing and regeneration communication activities and campaigns within the communications team. In doing this the postholder will lead on the delivery of a number of our annual ministerial communications priorities. You will work closely alongside teams in the Housing & Regeneration directorate to develop the department’s strategic narrative, ensuring this is coherently and cohesively promoted including through key note speeches.

Working in a fast paced and challenging government communications environment, the postholder will be responsible for the day to day line management of one Senior Information Officer, play a leading role in supporting the Head of Communications and work alongside the Chief Press Officer to plan day to day communications activity. They will also help to respond to critical communications needs in the housing and regeneration portfolio.

Job description

The postholder will work closely with senior housing and regeneration officials to plan communications activity, including announcements and reactive issues. They will work with other communications teams across the Welsh Government to ensure a joined up, cross-government approach.

The postholder will also be expected to manage relationships with stakeholders to ensure a pipeline of positive stories for media and social channels, linked to the roll-out of key Government priorities and policies such as the delivery of 20,000 social homes.

Person specification

• Lead and manage a strategic planning function, working alongside senior policy officials to plan and coordinate communication activities throughout the year and track progress against Programme for Government commitments.
• Work alongside the Chief Press Officer to develop narratives and key messages on major Government priorities to help ensure consistent and clear messaging.
• Work alongside Housing and Regeneration teams to support development of cohesive departmental narrative ensuring this is consistently and positively promoted
• Provide strategic communications advice to senior officials and Ministers, using policy and insight to determine how comms can contribute to delivery.
• Provide overarching speech writing advice and guidance to support delivery of key note speeches that positively promote key departmental messages.
• Develop effective evaluation strategies and frameworks with clear metrics that are driven by audience insight and relate to measurable communications and policy outcomes.
• Identify resources and budget to ensure delivery of strategies supporting Ministerial communications priorities.
• Develop and deliver integrated communication campaigns, driven by behavioural insight, aligned to core business objectives, and briefing Ministers and senior officials on campaign proposals, progress and evaluation.
• Manage and oversee the work of external communication agencies and research companies producing insight and evaluation material, ensuring that campaigns deliver on time and to budget
• Build ongoing relationships with key external stakeholders within the housing sector (such as Community Housing Cymru, Cymorth Cymru, Shelter Cymru, TPAS Cymru, WLGA, UK Finance) to gather intelligence and build insight and awareness of the overall context for communications.
• Deputise for the Head of Communications at high level ministerial and senior leadership meetings as required, including within the Communications profession.
• Line management of one Senior Information Officer for Housing and Regeneration.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Developing Self and Others
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,098, Welsh Government contributes £17,700 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

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours.

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:

• 2 stage process
• Stage 1
• Application Form
• Stage 2
• Interview

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Communicating and Influencing . Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

If two or more candidates achieve the same total score, the following order of criteria will be used to determine merit in weighted order:

• Communicating & Influencing',
• Leadership'

Seeing the Bigger Picture' .

A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

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)
• 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

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 .

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : LGHRRS Finance & Operations
• Email : ClimateChange.CommsMA@gov.wales

Recruitment team

• Email : SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales

Further information

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales. Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk