Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location These positions are based at 102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ About the job Job summary Please refer to job description. Job description About the Ministry of Justice From keeping drugs out of prisons and cutting crime, to overhauling sentencing laws, supporting victims and creating new offences to protect women from violence the Ministry of Justice is one of only a handful of Government departments that can truly dominate the news agenda. And our Press Office, bursting with talent, is widely recognised as the gold standard within government for shaping stories and influencing news across print, broadcast, and online. With a diverse remit including prisons and probation, family justice, victims support and modernising the courts system, no day is ever the same in this busy office. We are looking for creative, hard-working, passionate people to join our team, so if youre looking for an exciting, challenging job, where you can develop with support from experienced communications professionals, keep reading. About the role Government press officers handle many of the news stories you read, watch, listen and react to every day. You will be operating at the very heart of government, helping to shape news coverage on issues that affect everyday lives. One of the main aspects of your role will be responding to incoming queries from the media and participating in the round-the-clock duty rota. This will involve proactively monitoring for breaking news and coverage that might require correction or clarification, providing swift and effective responses to requests for comment and keeping the department abreast of developments. To be successful in this role, you will be confident in turning complex information into clear content that resonates with diverse audiences. Youll be responsible for developing innovative communication plans across multiple platforms, with a focus on traditional print and broadcast media, but also working with colleagues on digital and social media channels. An essential part of this role is collaboration, and you will work closely with ministers, communication professionals and other stakeholders to create clear communication strategies and finalise messaging. Key Responsibilities We currently have three roles available in our office. The team works across a wide range of areas, from proactive announcements on specific policies such as prisons and probation to reactive work, fielding calls from journalists on our busy news desk. While responsibilities will depend on the desk you join, all media officers will be responsible for: Reactive media management dealing with breaking stories, drafting and providing statements and information to journalists, and keeping the department updated on news coverage. Proactive media handling coming up with creative ways of telling the governments story, drafting press releases, and taking journalists to see our work first-hand. News management the ability to quickly spot both potential problems and but also opportunities to insert a government voice positively Providing regular media handling advice to Ministers, officials and colleagues on sensitive, complex and high-profile issues. Working with other communicators in the MoJ on digital, stakeholder and internal communications. Developing and maintaining strong relationships with Ministers, officials, journalists, stakeholders and colleagues in other departments. With the support of an experienced network of peers and a strong focus on professional development, you will develop skills in line with these areas. You would also contribute to the Press Office out-of-hours service, for which overtime is paid. About the Government Communication Service By joining our team, you will also become a member of the Government Communication Service (GCS), a profession of over 7000 communicators working in government departments, agencies and arms length bodies. Youll benefit from continuous professional development from our new learning and development curriculum, a network of skilled communicators sharing best practice, mentoring opportunities, and more For more information on how becoming a part of the Communications Profession can support your career and development please visit the GCS careers page. For our top tips on how to write your application, please take a look at the GCSs recruitment top tips for candidates guide. Person Specification Essential Criteria Excellent understanding of the national news agenda, social media landscape and communications handling; strong news judgement and political awareness Excellent verbal and written communication skills - producing high quality written content such as press releases, op-eds and briefings, for a range of different stakeholders and audiences Proven ability to distil large amounts of complex information into clear key messages suitable for specific audiences Strong organisational and planning skills, comfortable managing multiple priorities and working to tight deadlines Strong networking skills with confidence in building and maintaining a network of internal and external contacts, including journalists Strong team collaboration skills, work effectively as part of a team; contributing to shared goals, supporting colleagues and fostering a positive team environment. Desirable Criteria Experience of working either in a journalism/media/press office environment will be an advantage, although we are open to a range of backgrounds. Ability to plan communications strategically and long term, based on insights and always ending in solid and honest evaluations. Salary The salary range for this post is £38,661 - £42,019 plus generous overtime payments for participation in the out of hours rota. Existing civil servants on level transfer will retain their level of pay unless this is lower than the starting salary as per MoJ T&Cs. Flexible working hours The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working hours system. Like most government press offices, we are busy and you may on occasion need to work different hours to usual, but you will not be expected to work overtime regularly and ensuring everyone has a healthy work-life balance is a priority for us. You will take part in the out of hours duty rota, which is rewarded through generous overtime payment, but there is flexibility, particularly for those with parental or caring responsibilities. Security clearance and residency If you are successful at interview, we will work with you to acquire security clearance. This is a straightforward process for most people but does, generally, require you to have been resident in the UK for at least the last five years. How to apply As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV, provide short examples demonstrating the behaviours below in previous roles and give us your assessment of the main media issues facing the Ministry of Justice over the next six months. We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection and interview process: Communicating and Influencing Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing; Express ideas clearly and with respect for others; Listen to and value different ideas, views and ways of working; Respond constructively and objectively to comments and questions; Handle challenging conversations with confidence and sensitivity. Delivering at pace Regularly check performance against objectives, making suggestions for improvement where necessary; Identify what is required to ensure success, set clear goals and continually assess workloads considering individual needs; Have a positive and focused attitude to achieving outcomes, despite any setbacks. More details on these can be found in the Civil Service behaviours (PDF). We'll also assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Insight Understand how to reach the biggest and/or most appropriate audience for an announcement using a mix of media channels. Maintain an awareness of the news agenda. Ideas Work up ideas for stories and case studies to help increase media interest in a positive news story. Implementation Draft high-quality press releases that maximise media coverage and punchy statements that rebut criticism effectively. Impact Monitor media coverage and evaluate your success in reaching the target audience and delivering key messages. More details on these can be found in the Government Communication Professional Competency (Technical Skills) Framework. Person specification Please refer to job description. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Communicating and Influencing Delivering at Pace Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Insight - Understand how to reach the biggest and/or most appropriate audience for an announcement using a mix of media channels. Maintain an awareness of the news agenda. Ideas - Work up ideas for stories and case studies to help increase media interest in a positive news story. Implementation - Draft high-quality press releases that maximise media coverage and punchy statements that rebut criticism effectively. Impact - Monitor media coverage and evaluate your success in reaching the target audience and delivering key messages. Benefits Alongside your salary of £38,661, Ministry of Justice contributes £11,200 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Access to learning and development A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Annual Leave Public Holidays Season Ticket Advance For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page. Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ 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. https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ 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. 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. 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 : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com Telephone : 0845 241 5359 Recruitment team Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com Further information Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. I you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/ https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/2073?entityId2073 Apply at advertiser's site Share this page Print Email Gmail Facebook LinkedIn