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Location
About the job
Job summary
The first duty of government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office has been at the frontline of this effort since 1782 and plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the UK.
As a member of the Communications Directorate, you’ll be supporting our mission to deliver outstanding public services that work for everyone.
You will join a multi-disciplinary team with colleagues based across the UK, working together to deliver the Home Office’s communications strategy.
We believe a positive, open and supportive culture is essential to help everyone deliver their best work. We value diversity and provide an inclusive and encouraging environment for our team members. We nurture our talent and offer a broad range of learning and development opportunities to help you fulfil your potential.
Job description
Benefits
All Home Office employees are eligible to join the Civil Service pension scheme, which contributes on average 27% of your salary to a defined benefit pension.
You will also be entitled to benefits, including 25 days of annual leave a year, which increases by one day every year to a maximum of 30, as well the cycle to work scheme and a season ticket travel loan.
Information about the role
We welcome applications from those who do not currently work or have never worked in the Civil Service, as well as from Insight professionals working in other government departments or arm’s length bodies.
The Insight Team sits at the centre of the Communications Directorate. Working across the full range of Home Office policy areas, this specialist team helps ensure that the department’s communications strategy and activity is audience-led and effectively evaluated. This includes acting as trusted insight advisers to communications colleagues, carrying out high quality research and evaluation activities, and working closely with agency partners to brief, design and deliver commissioned studies.
Do you have:
- An excellent research background.
- A proactive, solutions-focused attitude.
- An energy and passion for applying insight.
- A track record for driving improvements in the insight profession.
- An ability to work well under pressure.
- A clear, engaging communication style.
- Confidence to influence decision-making.
- Confidence to negotiate with colleagues and partners at all levels.
If so, we are looking for you to fill an extremely important role in the Communications Directorate as Head of Insight. The successful candidate will be responsible for research and evaluation across a range of policy areas to inform and evaluate wide-ranging communications activity. They will work with the insight team and communications colleagues to set outcomes and KPIs, and make sure that communications activity is evidence-based and can demonstrate its value. They will help lead the insight team and have line management responsibilities. The role will be fully supported but offers a significant amount of autonomy and responsibility.
This post will stretch and enhance your ability to:
- Operate at a strategic level (often during ambiguous and changing circumstances).
- Work through others, especially outside line management structures.
- Drive decision-making.
- Deliver pragmatic solutions to solve difficult research questions.
- Champion the value of audience-led communications.
Responsibilities
No day will be the same, but the role demands someone who can:
- Be fully embedded in the directorate’s strategic conversations to ensure that insight and robust understanding of our diverse audiences sit firmly at the heart of our communications strategies.
- Be a strong voice and positive advocate for audience insight, championing its use in driving effective communications.
- Be the custodian of the Directorate’s audience intelligence, holding the pen on what we know about our audiences and make sure that knowledge is accessible and shared across the Directorate.
- Work with colleagues to identify opportunities for generating new insight, advising teams on best value research solutions.
- Lead the design and delivery of Insight and evaluation projects and programmes, including projects run in-house and those delivered by our agency partners, ensuring that all work is carried out to a high standard and offers value for money to the Directorate and the Department.
- Manage our contracts with external research agencies, working at a peer-to-peer level with senior leaders (e.g. Research Directors) in those agencies, ensuing the Directorate receives a value for money and high-quality service.
- Be responsible (working alongside colleagues) for ensuring that all communications activities have clear outcomes and evaluation.
Person specification
Successful applicants will be highly motivated, adaptable, innovative, dependable and collaborative; prepared to work on some of the most challenging, high profile and interesting issues in government.
The knowledge and gravitas to:
- Hold your own in conversations with communications professionals, senior officials, special advisers, ministers, and director-level professionals working in research agencies.
- Lead our research agency partners to ensure successful delivery of work against our research contracts, ensuring high standards are met and value is demonstrated.
- Inspire those you manage to deliver their best work and develop their careers.
- Represent the Communications Directorate and insight team positively within a diverse partner network.
An interest in communications – you do not need to be a communications specialist yourself (you will be working alongside comms specialists), but you must have an interest in communications and at least a basic understanding of the role for communications in delivering an organisation’s objectives.
Essential Criteria
You must have:
A strong and demonstrable track record:
- As a senior insight professional.
- In leading others within a high-quality research/insight team,(agency or client side).
- In leading the design and delivery of research and evaluation studies – using relevant methodologies and models (such as secondary methods including desk research and analysis of existing data; primary methods including qualitative, quantitative and behaviour change techniques).
- In generating insights (from research findings) to inform and influence decision-making – translating insights into accessible recommendations and solutions and influencing how those insights are used.
- In communicating research and evaluation techniques/findings to non-insight and/or non-communications colleagues – using your excellent verbal, written and visual skills.
- In making a positive impact and not being afraid to challenge others, if necessary, to achieve the right outcomes and/or manage expectations.
- In influencing and leading, including outside of line management chains, across team and organisational boundaries; meaning you have an ability to build rapport quickly with others and build effective working relationships.
Desirable Criteria
It would be very helpful if you can offer any of the following:
- Client-facing agency experience, preferably in a senior role.
- Experience applying research to behaviour change programmes.
- Knowledge of social media monitoring/ digital analytics (e.g. through use of tools like Brandwatch).
- Data visualisation skills (e.g. using tools like Power BI).
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Leadership
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Impact
Benefits
- 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 average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
- A CV detailing job history/qualifications/skills
- A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)
- Provide evidence of the Behaviour 'Leadership' (250 words maximum)
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
The statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the Essential Criteria as detailed in the Job Description.
The sift will be held on the Behaviour 'Leadership' and the statement of suitability (personal statement). The CV will be used for information purposes only and will not be scored.
The lead Behaviour 'Leadership' will be scored first for all candidates. Those who achieve the minimum pass score for the lead Behaviour, will progress to a full sift where the statement of suitability (personal statement) will be scored.
These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the lead Behaviour will not have their statement of suitability (personal statement) scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the lead Behaviour 'Leadership'.
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of Technical-based, Strength-based, and Behaviour-based questions on all listed Behaviours.
The Technical questions will be centred around Government Communication Professional Competency Framework. Please refer to: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Government-Communications-Professional-Competency-Framework.pdf
Sift and Interview dates
Sift is expected to take place from 9th April 2024.
Interviews are expected to take place from 1st May 2024.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.
Interviews will be face to face in 2 Marsham Street. Further details will be provided aHead of interview.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.
Further information
For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
Locations
A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role or similar role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
When completing your application, you will have the opportunity to select your preferred location(s). Please ensure you select all locations you are interested in. Candidates who are successful at Interview will be placed in order of merit per location and provisional job offers will be made in strict merit order per location preference. Provisional offers are made, as they are on condition that you successfully pass all pre-employment checks.
Please note: If you are currently an agency member of staff or a contractor working within the Home Office, you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e. outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage.
Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.
Visa sponsorship
We are unable to sponsor any individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship/Tier 2 (General) work visas as we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License.
Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.
We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.
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 applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.
Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.
Transfer Terms: Voluntary.
If you are invited to an interview you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.
Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.
Any move to the Home Office 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
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.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 you're deaf, a language service professional
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
