Our mission is to deliver exceptional public service communication that makes a difference.

People work in government communications because what we do matters. We explain the objectives and policies of the government of the day. We provide clarity and reassurance to the public at times of crisis. We support businesses to grow. We protect our environment. We help those in need to access support.

The Government Communication Service (GCS) is the professional body for all public service communicators working in government. Our GCS membership incorporates marketing, stakeholder engagement, internal communications, media, digital and social, and operational communications professionals. We collaborate across government with 25 ministerial departments, 21 non-ministerial departments and more than 300 agencies in addition to other public bodies.

It's an exciting time to be a communications professional in government. The launch of the GCS Strategy 2022-2025 sets our vision to harness the rapid technological changes in communications for the public good; whilst developing our talent with unparalleled opportunities for learning and development. All whilst carrying out interesting, meaningful and purposeful work.

Of course, key to the work of our communications professionals is collaborating across boundaries and taking a genuinely diverse and inclusive approach; communicating with and being representative of our audiences in all four corners of the UK. As a communications professional in GCS, you can be at the forefront of driving our ambitions forward.

The Team

This is a small but dynamic and creative team of marketing experts at the very heart of key campaigns that ensure the efficient delivery of Government communications campaigns as well as overseeing government’s priority brands. This team works across the whole of Government to deliver a wide variety of high-profile campaigns aligned with the Prime Minister’s priority areas and issues. The Marketing Expertise team works in a fast-paced environment, collaborating with departmental and GCS teams to improve outcomes for the public.

This team works in a highly matrix fashion across the Strategy and Expert services function.

This is an exciting marketing role at the centre of the Government Communications Service focussing on Prime Minister Priority campaigns. As head of cross-government marketing, the role holder will have ample opportunity to work on a wide variety of campaigns across different departments which align with the Prime Minister’s priority areas and issues. You will co-lead a creative and driven team to increase effectiveness of comms campaigns and deliver impactful improvements for the public.

This role will involve cross-government working, frequent senior stakeholder and Ministerial engagement, and requires the ability to confidently lead on high-profile campaigns.

Responsibilities & Duties

Specifically deliver (acting as team SRO) the following PM Priority products and programmes:

• Lead and establish No10 priority campaigns as and when they are commissioned including the management of multiple agencies and large marketing budgets.
• Oversee the quality and impact of individual departmental campaigns, as well as create cross-government campaigns and citizen-facing brands as appropriate aligned to the PM priorities.
• Liaise with and share best practice with individual departmental international campaigns, specifically the GREAT Britain Campaign and other soft power initiatives.
• Lead the creation and delivery of regular campaign forward looks in order to increase the effectiveness and performance of departmental campaigns.
• Champion innovation across government marketing campaigns.
• Lead the strategic relationship with OmniGov, ensuring the maximum value for money and effectiveness is derived.
• Work with the Exec Director to manage, shape and drive forward cross-departmental DoCs groups related PM priorities and involving a significant paid-for element.
• Lead the strategic relationship with the Advertising Standards Authority and other Industry bodies, ensuring the government complies in full with the standards expected of an industry-leading advertiser.
• Deliver fewer, more impactful brands that align with the PM’s priority campaigns, ensuring all relevant departments conform to the principles and guidelines. Support the Director of Campaigns & marketing in driving forward excellence in HM Government branding and supervise the work of SEO, government brands
• Provide assurance on the work of others, the PASS process, including supporting the drive for efficiency and value for money.
• Directly input into campaign business cases and creative solutions, working with departments and No10 to raise the performance of individual campaigns.
• Co-lead a team to deliver a GCS Innovation Lab project, drawing together the resources of audience insight, data, behavioural science, the private sector and government communications colleagues to deliver a solution that is practically applicable across government and brings about measurable improvement
• Line management responsibility within the Marketing Expertise team

Support (within a matrix team):

• Contribution to GCS/Government Comms Policy development using specialist your knowledge and skills

As part of the wider Marketing, Applied Insight and Data teams:

• To act as SRO for a number of key projects in a matrix team, responsible for delivering a high-quality product, programme or relationship that directly improves GCS performance
• To collaborate fully with team members across different disciplines and diverse backgrounds from within GCS, government departments and the private sector as appropriate
• To deliver actionable insights and recommendations based on sound data and analysis that directly improves the effectiveness of government policy and campaigns
• To engage in innovative thinking, bringing creativity, risk taking and problem-solving skills into the team in every aspect of your role
• To be a leading expert in your discipline, respecting the skills of others and helping upskill colleagues across government to improve the skills of government communicators and yourself
• To understand the specific challenges and pressures on government communications and flex your style to successfully influence Ministers and decision-makers at the highest level

Leadership:

• As a leader, take responsibility for the team delivering at an operational level, focusing strongly on priorities and supporting others to deliver in accordance with Cabinet Office values.
• Integrate kindness and inclusiveness into your team, value the diversity of the contribution that each individual can bring. Be open to challenge and support your team to work together through challenges
• Play a full role as a leader within the Government Communication Service and in particular, use the knowledge gained from a cross-Whitehall perspective to share best practice approaches

Line Management:

• Embody excellence in line management through leading and managing direct reportees with a positive, inclusive and supportive approach, ensuring corporate requirements (performance conversations and reviews, learning plans etc) are prioritised
• Ensure that deliverables are met by reportees and be able to clearly articulate and demonstrate how the GCS Strategy drives and impacts upon key work areas for your team
• Develop talent in line with GCS and Civil Service talent interventions and programmes and support and promote opportunities for learning and development.

Experience / Ability

• Experience in a team focused on developing insight driven behaviour change campaigns, through a mixture of channels and content; experience in briefing and managing agencies directly and managing large budgets
• Experience in making strategic adjustments and recommendations based on insight
• Experience producing, owning and presenting high quality reporting, strategy, OASIS and pitch decks to senior members of the team
• Strong delivery background gained in marketing, crisis communications, strategic partnerships, PR, and digital first communications that can be measured against behaviour change
• Confident in reporting on campaign progress to senior members of the team
• Ability to analyse campaign plans from across government departments, critique and work with campaign managers to improve them where needed, and knowledge of the GCS professional assurance process
• Confident in managing and suggesting different areas of government communications to meet a shared goal (incl. paid for and low cost no cost methods)
• Creative minded with a solution focused attitude
• An ability to deliver results in a fast paced, complex, politically sensitive environment
• Understanding of how to plan and deliver paid campaigns will be an important part of this role, with relevant technical experience desirable (e.g. UTM building, content calendar delivery, Datorama)

Technical

Member of a relevant professional body desirable.

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Job contact :

Name :
Leonie Blakeway
Email :
leonie.blakeway@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team :

Email :
cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk