Summary

The Department for Education (DfE) is looking for a confident, experienced and innovative digital leader to take our creative content, social channel management and digital engagement to the next level. 

Home to some of the most important policy agendas in Government, DfE is committed to serving its audiences, which have a huge appetite for information and engagement, both online and through social media platforms. 

We engage a diverse range of audiences including: parents and teachers on Facebook; to apprentices to college students on Instagram; employers on LinkedIn and journalists, commentators, parliamentarians and key stakeholders on Twitter. Your work will have a far-reaching and significant impact on the reputation of DfE and the Government. Working with Ministers, senior officials, No.10 and comms colleagues, you will play an instrumental role in the effective delivery of our communications strategy. 

We are striving for world-class education, training, care for everyone whatever your background. For a more productive economy and so everyone has the chance to reach their potential and live a more fulfilled life. 

We have a strong culture of inclusion and diversity and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We aim to develop all our staff to enable them to make a full contribution to meeting the Department's objectives, and to fulfil their own potential. We promote and support the use of a range of flexible working patterns to help staff to balance home and work 

We support this culture though our 11 staff networks, including the BAME, LGBT+ networks to the Carers and EU/EEA Nationals networks.

Job description

• Lead a team of digital content producers, designers and social media experts, and oversee the quality and coordination of output 

• Set and deliver a vision for social media, digital engagement and creative content in the department 

• Create a social and digital strategy that focuses on supporting the department’s communications and customer service priorities and is aligned to the DfE comms strategy 

• Ensure the content produced is consistently sharable, relatable, creative, engaging and human-focused, and always clearly understandable to the general public 

• Embrace a culture proactive storytelling, scouring social media and other sources of news for ways to land announcements and weave in departmental messaging effectively 

• Develop an influencer strategy to harness the power of credible and relevant supporters and campaigners to reach beyond DfE channels 

• Own the DfE corporate social media channels and the content plans to make them more effective with target audiences and drive improved growth and performance 

• Push the boundaries of creativity to make sure the look and feel for our channels and output is industry-leading, accessible and used across our products 

• Have a passion for data – from looking for stories within stats to constantly iterating and evaluating our activity based on what we learn from data, analytics and audience feedback 

• Champion social listening and monitoring to ensure action is taken quickly where needed and that social media is used as a robust and valued source of audience insight 

• Support on the digital strands of a new customer engagement strategy that helps people access the information they need without having to phone or email 

• Build the team’s reputation in Government as a centre of excellence, including a creative, pacey and delivery-focused culture, driving forward innovative digital content and new approaches to insight and evaluation 

• Build knowledge, confidence and capability in digital engagement and content creation across the wider communications directorate – so your team can focus on role for experts 

• Build relationships at the highest levels (Ministers, senior officials, special advisers, private offices, OGDs) to inspire confidence in our departmental approach and ensure propriety with ministers personal accounts 

• Oversight of the ownership and procurement of any new and existing social media tools and ensuring active use of monitoring tools to improve our analysis and performance 

• Improve evaluation and analysis of performance of our digital activity against set KPIs or averages and benchmarks 

• Achieve the best return on investment by managing resources, maximising the use of existing assets and managing relationships with social platforms, agencies and private sector providers when required 

• Ensure an effective feedback loop between Customer Contact, Social and website publishers to ensure your audience are finding the information they need quickly, on social and gov.uk and themes and trends are spotted 

• Play a leading role in GCS and GDS, contributing expertise while making sure DfE is plugged into latest cross government digital developments 

• Work with peers across the communications directorate as part of the senior leadership and management team 

• You may be required to take part in an out-of-hours duty rota and deputise for members of the Senior Leadership Team when called upon.

Responsibilities

Essential criteria: 

• You will have a record of leading digital and social teams in a fast-paced communications environment 

• To succeed you will combine your depth of extensive experience in digital with a proven ability to apply it as part of an integrated communications strategy and have a track record of ensuring social is at the heart of comms plans and strategies 

• A passion for, and detailed knowledge of, social and digital communications and industry best practice, as well as a good grounding in news and current affairs 

• Experience of paid and organic social media marketing to advise campaign teams on the effective use of paid advertising 

• Capable of building strong relationships quickly at the highest levels (Ministers, senior officials, special advisers, private offices, OGDs) and use your negotiation and influencing skills to make things happen 

• Able to work closely across the division with peers in press, strategic communications and internal communications to deliver comms and ministerial objectives 

• Equally comfortable designing strategies and taking a hands-on approach to content creation and social media management 

• An ability to develop authoritative and measurably effective digital communications strategies on complex issues 

• A strong and visible leader with an ability to operate comfortably at a high-level to represent the division and DfE confidently 

• Confidence and experience to engage with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders 

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret and learn from qualitative and quantitative research and performance data, with a commitment to continual improvement via a ‘test, learn and iterate’ approach 

• A track record in overseeing the production of a range of effective content types on different social media platforms 

• A passion for digital transformation and upskilling communications colleagues

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• GCS CORE Communications – Ideas
• GCS CORE Communications – Implementation
• GCS CORE Communications – Impact

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies. 

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK. 

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the Queen’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays. 

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours. 

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Application 

At the application stage, we will assess Experience. Candidates will be sifted through their CV and a personal statement. Your personal statement should display how your experience meets the essential criteria of the role, listed in the Responsibilities' section. 

The CV and statement will be assessed against the essential criteria detail in the advert 

The sift will be restricted to just assessing your personal statement in the event of a large volume of applications. 

Interview 

The interview will involve experience, behaviours & technical skill based questions. 

Sift date to be confirmed. Interviews will likely take place in the week commencing 6th June 2022 

Other Information 

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas. 

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.  

For this role the department would not consider sponsoring a Certificate of Sponsorship/visa. Please note we are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases. 

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated. 

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. 

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location. 

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.  

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs 

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum. 

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual. 

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information. 

Reasonable adjustment 

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

- Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

- Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional. 

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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 Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Apply and further information

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

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact : 

• Name : Comms Directorate Recruitment
• Email : recruitment.commsdirectorate@education.gov.uk

Recruitment team : 

• Email : Centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk

Further information

The Department for Education’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via CentralRecruitment.Operations@education.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/.