Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Communications and Strategic Engagement Advisor
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Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Wolverhampton
Job Summary
We are MHCLG
We are looking for one Communications Advisor and three Strategic Engagement Advisors to support internal and external engagement. These will be stretching, fast-paced, and varied roles requiring exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, and the ability to understand rapidly developing government policy. You will be working with teams across the department to understand and meet stakeholder engagement needs, responding quickly to requests and effectively managing multiple priorities.
Job Description
Strategic Engagement Advisor (x3)
- Managing communications relating to stakeholder engagement, ensuring consistency in messaging to support the building and maintenance of strong relationships with sector partners, civil society organisations, other government departments, and devolved government colleagues to gain an understanding of their priorities and concerns.
- Supporting regular and timely engagement with key stakeholders, analysing attitudes and influence to build an up-to-date picture of the stakeholder landscape.
- Providing valuable secretariat functions, including chairing and scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, producing minutes, and sharing action logs internally.
- Maintaining an up-to-date picture of the priorities and concerns of key stakeholders, and an awareness of upcoming risks.
- Contributing to continuously reviewing existing engagement strategies and proposing improvements to meet evolving priorities.
- Contributing to the management of the shared elections inbox to ensure accurate and timely responses to incoming queries from stakeholders.
Communications Advisor (x1)
- Managing communications relating to stakeholder engagement, ensuring consistency in messaging to support the building and maintenance of strong relationships with sector partners, civil society organisations, other government departments, and devolved administration colleagues to gain an understanding of their priorities and concerns.
- Leading on internal and external communications, including producing regular written updates for circulation to stakeholders across organisations.
- Providing high-quality, timely, and accurate briefing, drafting, advice, and feedback to Ministers and senior officials.
- Contributing to continuously reviewing existing communications strategies and proposing improvements to meet evolving priorities.
- Providing valuable secretariat functions where required, including chairing and scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, minutes, and action logs.
- Working with teams across the department to understand and meet communications needs, particularly with press, central communications, and parliamentary teams, responding quickly to requests and effectively managing multiple priorities.
- Contributing to the management of the shared elections inbox to ensure accurate and timely responses to incoming queries from stakeholders.
Communications Advisor (x1)
- Managing communications relating to stakeholder engagement, ensuring consistency in messaging to support the building and maintenance of strong relationships with sector partners, civil society organisations, other government departments, and devolved administration colleagues to gain an understanding of their priorities and concerns.
- Leading on internal and external communications, including producing regular written updates for circulation to stakeholders across organisations.
- Providing high-quality, timely, and accurate briefing, drafting, advice, and feedback to Ministers and senior officials.
- Contributing to continuously reviewing existing communications strategies and proposing improvements to meet evolving priorities.
- Providing valuable secretariat functions where required, including chairing and scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, minutes, and action logs.
- Working with teams across the department to understand and meet communications needs, particularly with press, central communications, and parliamentary teams, responding quickly to requests and effectively managing multiple priorities.
- Contributing to the management of the shared elections inbox to ensure accurate and timely responses to incoming queries from stakeholders.
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Person Specification
Essential
- The ability to work to broad goals independently, with minimal direction;
- Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills;
- Excellent written and verbal communication;
- Ability to manage competing priorities and work at pace;
- Analytical and problem-solving skills.
These roles are ideal for individuals who are passionate about democracy, thrive in collaborative environments, and are motivated by delivering meaningful change. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £36,169, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £10,478 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
At MHCLG, we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate, and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection Process Details
Application and Selection
The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:
Behaviours: Communicating and influencing (Lead Behaviour), Working Together, Delivering at pace
Stage 1: Sift
- Behaviour: Communicating and influencing (Lead Behaviour)
- Behaviour: Working Together
- Behaviour: Delivering at pace
There is a 250-word limit per question.
When Writing Your Application, Remember:
- The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.
- Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.
- If talking about something in your first answer, make sure to write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.
Stage 2: Interview
- Behaviours: Working Together, Communicating and influencing, Delivering at pace, Making effective decisions
- Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.
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Sift and Interview Dates
- Sifting is envisaged to take place starting 24/08/2026.
- Interviews are currently being held remotely via video call. This could be subject to change.
Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)
We are a Disability Confident employer.
We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.
However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.
How We Recruit
Find out more about our recruitment processes here.
Applying
- Sifting
- Interview
- Interview Results & Feedback
- Reserve List
- Near Miss
- Civil Service Grades
- We are a Disability Confident Scheme, Redeployment Interview scheme & Great Place to Work for Veterans employer
- Reasonable Adjustments
How To Apply
Find out everything you need to know before applying here.
You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.
Security Clearance Requirements
- National Office: BPSS + SC
- London Office: BPSS + SC
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
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
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment
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