Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Senior Ministerial Engagement Officer
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Job Summary
Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to have an impact on the UK and beyond? If yes, then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.
Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero.
Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries, taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.
Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are bold, we are collaborative, we are inclusive, and we learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.
We work in an agile way. This means that, as our priorities evolve, your work may adapt to meet emerging needs and help us deliver our mission. This approach offers opportunities to develop your skills, gain new experiences, and contribute where you can make the greatest impact. This relates to the nature of the work rather than contractual terms, such as location or working pattern.
We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
Find Out More
You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/
Job Description
The talented professionals in the Communications Directorate are leading the way to showcase our work to get bills down, deliver clean, homegrown power, create good jobs and take action to tackle climate change. We are taking a storytelling approach with simple, clear and creative communications to reach our audiences with original content.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced communicator to join the Ministerial Visits Team. The team is fast-paced, supportive and fun. We work highly collaboratively across all communications disciplines, with post holders given the opportunity to lead communications for and build knowledge of many policy areas. You will gain exposure to the whole Ministerial team.
In the Communications Directorate our values are critical to delivering on our mission and purpose. We recognise that different people bring different strengths, skills and approaches, which together form a team which is greater than the sum of its parts.
The talented professionals in the Communications Directorate are leading the way to showcase our work to get bills down, deliver clean, homegrown power, create good jobs and take action to tackle climate change. We are taking a storytelling approach with simple, clear and creative communications to reach our audiences with original content.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced communicator to join the Ministerial Visits Team. The team is fast-paced, supportive and fun. We work highly collaboratively across all communications disciplines, with post holders given the opportunity to lead communications for and build knowledge of many policy areas. You will gain exposure to the whole Ministerial team.
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In the Communications Directorate our values are critical to delivering on our mission and purpose. We recognise that different people bring different strengths, skills and approaches, which together form a team which is greater than the sum of its parts.
Person specification
Provide senior oversight in the planning, co-ordination and delivery of high-quality events, visits and engagements for Ministers, in order to deliver communications and policy objectives.
- Develop Ministers' visits and engagement programmes that meet strategic communications and policy objectives.
- Develop and maintain strong working relationships with Ministers, private offices, special advisers, senior officials, external stakeholders, and other government departments to ensure successful delivery of visits.
- Travel with Ministers to ensure that they are well supported and briefed, that logistics are effectively executed, and risks mitigated.
- Writing ministerial submissions, itineraries and other materials to support visits; compiling and co-ordinating relevant briefing to support the visit, often at short notice.
- Being agile to changing communications opportunities and risks, making recommendations, and finding solutions.
- Evaluating the success of stakeholder and ministerial visits and events and identifying creative ways to showcase the team's work.
As a line manager, you will be responsible for working with your members of staff to define their objectives, as well as managing their development and performance.
Essential Criteria
- Ability to work flexibly across different communication and policy priorities to support colleagues during busy periods and as Government priorities shift.
- Experience working across communications disciplines, including a good sense of what makes an eye-catching visit with engaging visuals that work for broadcast and digital storytelling.
- Experience of working at pace and often to very tight deadlines and be great at prioritising work for yourself and others.
- Excellent political judgement to spot opportunities and risks, as well as a sharp news sense, being alert to the wider government agenda and vision.
- Ability to quickly build strong relationships, and the confidence to engage directly with colleagues at all levels and senior stakeholders.
- Excellent verbal and written skills as you will be responsible for producing submissions for Ministers, as well as regular in person briefings on visit and stakeholder engagement opportunities.
- Ability to grasp complex issues quickly and think on your feet when dealing with difficult logistics, changes in plan, or challenging stakeholders.
- This position involves regular travel across the UK for recces and accompanying Ministers on visits.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Communications - Implementation
Alongside your salary of £47,785, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £13,843 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.
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The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
- A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
- Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
- Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
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
This vacancy is using Success Profiles opens in a new window, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to demonstrate your experience and skills in relation to the key responsibilities and the essential criteria set out in the job description.
Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour and technical questions.
Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.
The link to the technical/professional competency framework that candidates will be assessed against, for their reference: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/publications/competency-framework/
Interviews will be in-person at London 3-8 Whitehall Place.
Sift and interview dates
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Further Information
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer
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