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Grade 7 - Head of Digital Communications

Employer
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Location
City of Westminster, London (Greater)
Salary
£50,642 (London) £45,938 (National)
Closing date
6 May 2019

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and motivated communicator to become a key part of the communications team at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). 

As our work touches everyday lives of ordinary working people and communities, we need the very best communications professionals working in our team. Leading a high-profile, fast moving team, you will use your expertise and experience to tell the Department’s story online. Our digital team works across the entire MHCLG brief, creating bespoke digital communications products that cover everything from tenants rights to devolution, rough sleeping to building regulations and integration to parking. The team also supports campaigns and marketing colleagues with departmental activity for flagship campaigns including the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine and Great British High Street.

Our communications team is made up of a press office and corporate communications team which includes digital communications, campaigns and marketing, strategic communications, insight and evaluation, visits and internal communications. 

As a senior member of the communications team you will provide professional advice to Ministers and senior officials on all potential and ongoing marketing campaigns and play a key role in the Government Communications Service (GCS). 

You will also need exceptional influencing skills and the ability to cut through a variety of competing priorities. You will be an expert in building good working relationships in pressured environments and delivering high quality, impactful digital strategies.

Main responsibilities 

  • Lead the digital team to develop innovative and audience-appropriate digital plans based on input from strategic communications and insight and evaluation, with clear objectives and a multi-channel strategy for achieving the goals identified. 
  • Act as a senior leader within Communications, working with others in the senior management team (SMT) to improve our effectiveness as a communications team and strengthen our profile across the Department and GCS. 
  • Support and upskill other communications teams to improve their digital capability, championing creation of high-quality content and digital-first thinking across the division. 
  • Ensure all digital communication are evaluated (using GCS evaluation framework) with learnings shared and used to inform future plans. 
  • Use robust knowledge of cutting-edge digital communications tactics to provide recommendations to policy colleagues and ministers on planned activity challenging where appropriate to ensure the right product or approach is delivered. 
  • Develop strong relationships with private offices and special advisors to support timely approvals and ensure that ministers’ steers and preferences are understood and incorporated into plans as needed. 
  • Supervise digital communications delivery, encouraging the team to set up project groups to ensure cross-working across the broader communications team. Ensure work is delivered on time and that budget is used well to maximise impact. 
  • Ensure a cross-communications understanding of the Government Communications Service and Government Digital Service best practice guidelines for digital. 
  • Build strong working relationships with campaigns and digital teams at Number 10, Cabinet Office and other Government Departments (OGDs) to facilitate the effective delivery of activity, ensuring that our work is aligned with the overarching government narrative and activity of OGDs. 
  • Play an active roll in the cross-Government Heads of Digital Communications network and the Digital Centre of Excellence 
  • Ensure teams maintain MHCLG’s corporate identity and branding online while delivering innovative communications products on a range of channels. 
  • Manage a flexibly working team, allocating work, appraising performance, supporting wellbeing and promoting learning and development. Adhere to all HR processes. 
  • Act as a senior leader within Communications, working with others in SMT to improve our effectiveness as a communications team and strengthen our profile across the Department and GCS.

For more information, please click "Apply".

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