Communications and Briefing Lead

The Department for Work and Pensions is one of the biggest government departments delivering vital services to some of the most vulnerable people in society. As part of the UK’s biggest public service department, we make sure that millions of people receive their State Pension and working age, disability and ill health benefits each year.

You’ll be part of the Targeted Case Review (TCR) project, within the Universal Credit (UC) Programme and part of the Change and Resilience Group portfolio. The post is a permanent position. Although on loan from CFCD to TCR initially, the successful candidate may work elsewhere within CFCD at a future point.

Change and Resilience Group (CRG) lead on the Department’s portfolio of change programmes and projects. These programmes are involved in delivering the design and implementation of Universal Credit, alongside the transformation of our services, internally and externally, including focus on reducing fraud and error in our systems and modernising our services for all claimants. The unifying characteristic across the portfolio is that every change directly affects the lives of nearly every citizen in Great Britain.

Targeted Case Review project is delivering Universal Credit Claim Review (UCR); a new function developed to significantly reduce the stock of fraud and error within Universal Credit, addressing incorrectness and ensuring claimants are paid what they are entitled to.

This is a dynamic, fast-paced environment, working at the heart of Government on a project that aims to transform the welfare system and save taxpayers money and requires the ability to work under pressure and with agility to fast-paced change.

We are looking for an experienced communications professional who can work across a wide variety of Communications and engagement projects. It’s a unique role that will help strengthen our strategic capability, drive delivery of our communications strategy and work closely with stakeholders to improve engagement with our audiences.

Working within a multi-disciplinary team, you’ll be visible, accessible, and effective in collaborating, leading, and influencing others across Digital, Policy, Operations and Service Delivery. You’ll exhibit inclusive, effective leadership and stakeholder management, comfortable taking a lead in communicating messages with clarity and conviction, seeking feedback from others, listening and acting on this.

Confident in facilitating meetings and workshops, you’ll utilise your negotiation and persuasion skills to influence key partners to achieve shared outcomes that support delivery of the TCR communications strategy.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that you require.

Key Duties

With a proven track record in project Communications and stakeholder engagement you will:

• Design and deliver effective Communications and engagement plans to support the department’s TCR project, using your skills to help our audiences understand and engage with complex messaging.
• Use a combination of no-cost and low-cost communications tactics to influence the attitude and behaviours of the general public, claimants, and sector organisations as well as internal teams across the department.
• Act as lead point of contact, regularly engaging with TCR partners to identify, develop and deliver communications activity.
• Work with the central communications team to create regional and national media opportunities, coordinating recruitment campaigns and ministerial visits.
• Respond promptly and efficiently to commissions, including Parliamentary Questions and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, considering wider impact responses may have on the project, department and government reputation.
• Coordinate and maintain a record of briefings, ensuring messaging is up-to-date, consistent and reflective of the project’s current status with the ability to advise senior managers where necessary on the relevant lines to take.
• Coordinate with colleagues across different teams including policy, legal and analysts to ensure figures and details contain appropriate narrative and context and advise on presentational issues. Ensuring an appropriate and timely response is provided for all forms of briefing, including for Parliamentary engagement.