Senior Communications Manager

Job summary

You will be the senior communications manager and will develop and deliver communications strategies for UK-PHRST and IHR-SP, including how they support relevant elements of the UKHSA and LSHTM communications strategies.

Strong influencing and negotiating skills are essential, enabling you to deal with national and international stakeholders and the media, project managing and planning to ensure our stories land accurately and reach the right people.

You will build relationships and find opportunities for collaboration and joined up communications across UKHSA and LSHTM, other government departments and other stakeholders such as international NGOs and academia. The post will work closely with LSHTM communications and media leads and DHSC communications leads and with the wider communications team at UKHSA, press office, content, internal communications, policy teams, partner organisations and other government departments.

You will have a good understanding of the global health landscape and be able to identify and connect dispersed information into a cohesive and coherent strategy.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) offers hybrid working – this means that whilst the role will be based in Nobel House, there will be opportunities for an element of working from home.

The balance between home and workplace working is to be agreed with the line manager, determined primarily by business needs and in line with departmental policy.

Job description

External

• Responsible for developing and delivering the communications strategy for the UK-PHRST and IHR-SP, coordinating the contributions of partner communications teams and ensuring it aligns with UKHSA and wider Government plans.
• Building relationships and finding opportunities for collaboration and joined up communications across UKHSA and with delivery partners, the wider international health system, academia, other government departments and other stakeholders such as charities.
• Briefing media and liaising closely with UKHSA’s and LSHTM’s communications teams to identify opportunities to feed into broader proactive and reactive media work.
• Project leadership for all UK-PHRST and IHR-SP communications issues including providing clear and consistent communications advice to the UK-PHRST and IHR-SP, ensuring they meet obligations and their work is promoted appropriately across each of their priority areas.
• Ensuring communications are based on insight and evaluated, in line with Government Communications Service best
• Researching, horizon scanning and identifying opportunities for proactively promoting the work of UK-PHRST and the IHR-SP.
• Providing professional advice to UK-PHRST and IHR-SP staff on media handling, stakeholder engagement and identify suitable staff to carry out interviews, ensuring suitable media training is
• Contributing to and supporting emergency media handling plans with the Head of Risk Communications and Emergency and the Head of News at UKHSA and partner agencies as
• To take the lead in researching and identifying opportunities for proactively promoting the UK-PHRST’s and IHR-SPs work so that the public and stakeholders have access to timely, useful information which will assist them in decision making about their or their populations’
• To oversee production of communications material on the UK-PHRST, IHR-SP, LSHTM and UKHSA websites and various communications

Internal

• To develop internal communications about the UK-PHRST and IHR-SP, in line with the overall UKHSA and LSHTM Internal Communication strategies.
• To oversee the UK-PHRST’s and IHR-SPs contribution to the UKHSA intranet, staff updates and other internal communications channels.
• Work with Communications Officer to support UK-PHRST’s contribution to the LSHTM intranet, staff updates and other internal communications channels.

Support to prepare staff for UK-PHRST deployment through input into the deployment course, attendance at briefings etc

Working for the UKHSA

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA 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 Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of no more than 1250 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:

Essential

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
• Extensive experience in press and public relations, and have significant experience at a senior level
• Extensive experience in strategy development and delivery for internal and external communications
• Familiar with global health and health security issues
• Able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups
• Ability to develop and maintain productive relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and high level of speed and accuracy in all written materials
• Ability to quickly understand medical and scientific issues
• High sensitivity to political and legal issues, in seeing the big picture and in dealing with sensitive and confidential material
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and calm and level-headed under pressure
• Ability to negotiate on complex and sometimes competing priorities
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Desirable

• Member of relevant professional body

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%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA 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 Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Your Statement of Suitability (no more than 1,250 words) should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

STAGE 1 – APPLICATION & SIFT:

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised essential criteria – please do provide evidence of how you meet this.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW

This competition will involve an interview by video.

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

The competency frameworkwill be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 29th March 2023 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Interviews: w/c 17/04/2023

Please note these dates could be subject to change.

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/