Vacancy -- Senior Manager – Communications and Engagement

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Education and Public Services
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales
SEO - £41,700 - £49,370
£39,310, but a starting salary of up to £43,760 may be offered for an exceptional candidate
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Fixed term
Two years
Pan Wales
'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.
TBC

Purpose of Post:

HIW is the independent inspectorate and regulator for healthcare in Wales. We check that patients receive good quality healthcare. One of HIW’s strategic priorities is ‘to be more visible’. This post will lead on delivery of HIW’s communication and engagement activities and will play an integral role in helping HIW to meet its strategic objective. 

The post-holder will report to the Head of Strategy, Policy and Engagement and will provide integrated communications advice and support for HIW. The post-holder will support the delivery of HIW’s key priorities through the most appropriate forms of communications. This will include media, community engagement, digital engagement, internal communications and stakeholder management. 


Key tasks:

  • To work with the Head of Strategy, Policy and Engagement to develop and implement a communications and engagement strategy, ensuring all channels work together to achieve HIW’s strategic communication objectives; considering new communication channels as necessary. 
  • To develop and implement a plan to communicate effectively with key stakeholders.
  • To lead the delivery of proactive and reactive media relations, linking with press office and central communications in Welsh Government where necessary. 
  • To review communication and media plans to ensure HIW’s activities are appropriately and accurately reported, gaining maximum exposure. 
  • To contribute to improvements in the design and delivery of HIW publications.
  • To provide and promote content for HIW’s communication channels, ensuring the tone, language and format of communication is targeted effectively and is easily accessible to and read by a range of audiences.
  • To support robust monitoring and evaluation to ensure that communications activity is directly contributing to HIW’s strategic objectives.
  • To use the results of feedback, tests/pilots and effectiveness indicators to improve HIW’s communication and engagement.
  • To ensure HIW’s communications activity is aligned with Inspection Wales partners where relevant.
  • To identify emerging trends in digital and social media and apply this knowledge when developing content and channels. 
  • To represent HIW at engagement events as appropriate.

Development opportunities:

The successful candidate will be part of the Government Communications Service (GCS) and will have access to the range of career and development opportunities available to communications staff throughout Welsh and UK Government.

Closing Date:

15/06/2021, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Desirable
Can read some basic words and phrases with understanding
Can hold a basic conversation in Welsh
Can understand parts of a basic conversation
Can write basic messages on everyday topics

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competencies / Job Specific Criteria

Government Communications Service Professional Competence areas and Behaviours Specific to the Post: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/publications/competency-framework/

Insight 

  • Be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit own and team's work.
  • Actively encourage ideas from a range of sources and stakeholders and use these to inform thinking.

Ideas 

  • Design integrated communication strategies and examine fit with existing plans.
  • Initiate and lead the development of both reactive and proactive, integrated media campaigns that build on insight and tracking data.

Implementation 

  • Establish relationships with a range of stakeholders to support delivery of business outcomes.
  • Handle high-profile and sensitive media issues. Adhere to confidentiality and provide a clear, trusted brief to media and other partners.

Impact 

  • Develop proposals to improve the quality of service with involvement from a diverse range of staff, stakeholders or delivery partners.
  • Analyse evidence to assess effectiveness of communication and identify lessons learned.

Job Specific Criteria:

  1. Relevant experience of working in a busy communications environment, including demonstrable experience of proactive and reactive media relations.
  2. Experience of working with a number of different stakeholders to develop appropriate effective communications.
  3. Experience of monitoring and evaluating communications activity to lead to improvement.



Assessment Process

The assessment process will be a sift followed by an interview.

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.
Rebecca Jewell - rebecca.jewell@gov.wales - 03000 622121

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.