Communications Planner From supporting victims and creating new offences to protect women from violence, keeping drugs out of prisons and cutting crime, to overhauling sentencing laws - 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 a creative, hard-working, person to join our team, so if you're looking for an exciting, challenging job, where you can develop with support from experienced communications professionals, keep reading. You will be working as part of our crucial planning and strategy team, liaising with the Prime Minister's office, coordinating announcements and horizon scanning. As the IO on the planning and strategy desk, you will lead on the gridding process and play a key role in the media planning function, working closely with colleagues across the department, ministerial private offices and Whitehall. If these challenges sound exciting, you have experience in media relations, communications or journalism, and you enjoy the buzz from working in a busy environment - apply now to be a Ministry of Justice Communications Planner. You are exactly who we're looking for. About the role We want someone who can do the day-to-day planning of communications activity and see the bigger picture, using horizon scanning and insight to effectively sequence announcements. You will need to spot opportunities and risks and think strategically - ensuring long-term plans align to our comms priorities and wider Government narrative. You should be able to build effective relationships, use them to influence others and negotiate diplomatically. In addition, you'll need to demonstrate you have the confidence and aptitude to deal with senior officials, Ministers and Special Advisers and deliver under pressure. Key responsibilities: The successful candidate will join a small team that plans and coordinates the department's day-to-day and long-term announcements and will be a key player in developing and maintaining the press office relationship with Number 10 to negotiate the best possible grid slots. This will include representing the Department at weekly No.10 grid meetings and briefing No.10 on upcoming announcements. The effective relationship you will develop with the Prime Minister's Office will ensure that Ministry of Justice announcements are given the prominence they deserve - considering the national news agenda and different communications priorities across government. You will work with the Senior Communications Planner to ensure all the team's products, including the departmental communications grids, which keep Ministers and colleagues informed of our communications activity, are produced to a high standard. You will lead on keeping the news grids, key documents for No.10 and the department, up to date. Developing and maintaining strong working relationships with Ministers, private offices, special advisers, senior officials, stakeholders and other government departments will be crucial. You will be part of the wider press office, also working closely with colleagues across the External Communications Directorate that encompasses External Affairs, Campaigns, Internal Communications and Digital. Skills & Qualifications Essential Criteria You will have a sharp news sense, excellent judgement, and communications skills gained from working in a communications environment. The ability to build effective relationships, influence others and negotiate diplomatically, is essential. You should have the confidence and ability to deal with senior officials, Ministers and special advisers and get them on board with our plans, so we can deliver the best comms results for the department. You will be organised, able to show attention to detail, manage competing demands and deliver under pressure. You will need competency on Microsoft Office programmes as you will be dealing with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to help deliver key documents. You would also contribute to the Press Office out-of-hours service, for which overtime is paid. We are looking for candidates who have work experience in journalism, in-house press offices or PR and communications agencies. Salary The salary range for this post is £37,174 - £40,403 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. Application process 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. Behaviours 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. Seeing the Big Picture Understand the strategic drivers for your area of work. Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities. Remain alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area. Seek out and share experiences to develop knowledge of the team's business area. Understand how the strategies and activities of the team create value and meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders. More details on these can be found in the Civil Service behaviours (PDF). Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Insight Maintain an awareness of the news agenda and emerging news events. Understand how to reach the biggest and/or most appropriate audience for an announcement using a mix of media channels. Ideas Demonstrate a practical understanding of how print, broadcast, and digital media work. Work up ideas for stories and case studies that support communication and business/policy objectives. 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. 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. Staff are required to work a minimum of two days a week in the office, but we encourage our team to work three days a week to support their development, particularly when it comes to learning from peers and interactions with Ministers and senior officials. 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. We are a disability confident organisation where staff with a disability or long-term illness can access support or workplace adjustments to help them work and progress to the best of their abilities. 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. Additional Information 1 Working Arrangements & Further Information The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks. Some of MoJ's terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made. MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer. All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet. Flexible working hours The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ's Flexible Working policy. Benefits The MoJ offers a range of benefits: Annual Leave Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years' service. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis. Pension The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best. Training The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities. Networks The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. Support A range of 'Family Friendly' policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share. Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services. For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave. Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens. 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com); To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-officejustice.gov.uk); To the Civil Service Commission (details available here) The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage. You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team. We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity. Interview dates 1 Expected beginning w/c 22 April, 2024 Closing Date: 29/04/2024, 23:55 hours. Contact information 1 If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 85471 If you would like to speak to someone about the job, please email Martha Lloyd-James: martha.lloyd-jamesjustice.gov.uk or Meg Deschamps: meg.deschampsjustice.gov.uk Level of security checks required 1 Security Clearance (SC) To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert). If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example: You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government You were studying abroad You were living overseas with parents In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account. Success Profiles Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance. if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com) in the first instance