Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Swindon About the job Job summary The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the governments office estate. We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team. Representing the best covenant in the UK His Majestys Government we are leading transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme, as well as delivering modern, cost-effective real estate service solutions. Innovation and progress are at the heart of our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. And were dedicated to becoming a leading, inclusive employer both in the external market and throughout the Civil Service. Our strong emphasis on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction. The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ community. Job description This is an exciting opportunity to join the Marketing and Communications team at the Government Property Agency (GPA). The team is at the heart of ensuring that the GPA is recognised as the Governments leading property holding company, creating great places to work for civil servants. Reporting to the Head of PR and Media, the role of the manager is to business partner, and work closely with, one or more directorates within the GPA to develop and deliver communications plans. The plans will need to be led by objectives, audience, insight and strategy with SMART objectives, and depending on the directorate, they will cover a range of audiences as well as communications disciplines. The successful applicant will have strong experience in media and press relations, as well as a good level of skills or understanding in marketing, internal engagement, event management and social media. Having a good understanding of a range of communications methods and channels will be essential in this role, as well as understanding different communication approaches for different audiences. Effective stakeholder management is key to the success of this role. This is a great opportunity to be an expert in your field but to learn and embrace other communications disciplines to grow your skills and career development. We are a team that works together to deliver and not in silos. Each manager will also be responsible for gathering metrics and insight from our various channels to ensure all work is evidence based and shows continual learning to our senior leaders. Key responsibilities: Create communications plans for projects within the relevant directorates which cover all communications disciplines and follow the framework. Act as the lead channel owner for media relations in the team. Being proficient at press release writing. Be the subject matter expert in the team for the assigned Directorate/s, ensuring knowledge and updates are shared across the team and fed into appropriate communication channels. Act as a trusted advisor with excellent written and oral communication skills and a demonstrable ability to simplify complex issues accurately. Work with the other marketing and communications managers to ensure work is aligned across directorates, coordinated and consistent. Produce copywriting for blogs, case studies and articles for both internal and external publication. Create and manage events for different audiences, identifying suitable speaker opportunities and support to develop presentations. Working with others to develop campaigns for either social media or internal channels as per the communications plan. Keep up to date with industry developments across marketing and communications through the Government Communication Service (GCS) and other professional networks Person specification We are looking for someone with a deep understanding and experience in communications/ PR - ideally more than five years (depending on the type of roles done). We would like someone with press/ media experience who can work with others to write good press releases and work on reactive lines. As well as this they need to be experienced in communications and engagement skills, working with others to deliver external projects and managing VIP visits to our sites. Experience & Technical Skills: Essential criteria: Having ability to deliver communications to a diverse range of audiences and stakeholders across an organisation's remit, based on thorough understanding and insight for each audience group. Strong experience of media and PR, especially writing and distributing press releases to the media. Experience of working in a fast paced environment. Experience of acting as a trusted advisor to senior leaders. Have knowledge across all communication disciplines. Experience of managing events or VIP visits. Experience of working closely with a marketing team and an understanding of how PR and marketing complement each other. Desirable criteria: Experience in video production or graphic design would be beneficial or ability to commission and lead. Qualifications & Accreditations: Essential criteria: You are expected to be proficient in each of the Government Communication Service (GCS) core competencies to Senior Executive Officer (SEO) level. Qualification in a communications discipline. Desirable criteria: Membership of a professional marketing or communications body and/or professional communications/ PR qualification is desirable. Qualifications You are expected to be proficient in each of the Government Communication Service (GCS) core competencies to Senior Executive Officer (SEO) level. Qualification in a communications discipline. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Working Together Changing and Improving Communicating and Influencing Delivering at Pace Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Customer Perspective Commercial Acumen Property Market Knowledge Innovation Benefits Alongside your salary of £41,055, Government Property Agency contributes £11,893 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% Generous annual leave Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills. We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. 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 D&I Strategy. 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 (RIS) to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Sift The sift is due to take place week commencing 25th November 2024. As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV and a 500 word personal statement. The personal statement should then align with the person specification. Interview Applicants successful at sift will be invited to interviews, which are due to take place week commencing 9th December 2024 in the Birmingham office. This is subject to change dependent upon where most successful candidates are based. You must be willing to travel to any of the GPA locations for your interview. If you are unable to attend a face to face interview due to extenuating circumstances, we advise that you reach out to the recruitment admin team to find out if alternative means can be arranged prior to submitting your application. At interview, applicants will be scored against 4 behaviours - Working Together, Communicating and Influencing, Changing and Improving, and Delivering at Pace. Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience, Strength, Technical (core skill) questions and a presentation. The presentation subject will be confirmed to successful candidates before interview. Reasonable Adjustment If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via gparecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional. Further Information A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Any move to GPA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Ch eck to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post. For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying. GPA policy is for interviews to be held face to face, with virtual interviews only by absolute exception. The date and location will be confirmed if you are invited to interview. If you feel this will be a problem for you, please contact recruitmentgpa.gov.uk to discuss prior to submitting your application. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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. 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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). 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 : Jayne Hoole Email : jayne.hoole1gpa.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : gparecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact HRgpa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission Attachments GPA Skills and Specialisms Opens in new window (pdf, 259kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail