JOB SUMMARY

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.
We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.
We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.
We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kick-starting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.
Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Strategic Communications team is responsible for thinking strategically over the longer term to ensure that the communications issued by DSIT tell a cohesive and impactful story.
We make sure messages resonate with targeted audiences as well as the general public to show how we are delivering on DSIT’s priorities alongside the Government’s wider Missions.
We provide the campaign plan to maximise impact – helping shape policy from inception, commissioning research to gain insight, identifying outcomes and strategically sequencing comms to achieve our goals, reaching the public, targeted groups and our stakeholders. We bring together the means necessary to implement the goals of the plan and agree the ways of delivery that will guide implementation and assess whether our objectives have been achieved.

We are looking for a skilled, proactive communications professional to join our Strategic Communications team. The role will involve:

• Providing strategic communications advice to senior policy officials. This includes identifying priorities, risks and opportunities and shaping policy and communications plans.
• Creating and maintaining strong relationships across Whitehall, representing DSIT within the overarching Missions.
• Advising Ministers and Special Advisors on communications planning and strategy to ensure their priorities are delivered.
• Working with insight and evaluation to ensure all communication strategies are audience and evidence based.
• Working with colleagues across teams and disciplines to ensure development and delivery of multidisciplinary campaigns based on objectives and audience insights.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

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

• Insight
• Ideas
• Impact

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)
• 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

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Support your Strategic Communications lead in developing high quality communication plans underpinned by robust insight and audience understanding.

• Work closely with policy colleagues to understand departmental priorities, identify key milestones, risks and opportunities in the coming months.
• Use data and insight to understand the context communications is operating in and to underpin communications plans so it is at the heart of everything we do.
• Develop and oversee the delivery of high-quality multidisciplinary campaign plans underpinned by robust insight and audience understanding.
• Understand the priorities of Ministers and translate this into impactful communications that help to deliver on these priorities.
• Influence teams across communications disciplines, across Whitehall and Arm’s-length bodies, ensuring clarity and coordination to achieve outcomes.
• Evaluate communications activity to demonstrate impact and adopt a ‘test and learn’ approach so that our communications continually improve.

We are looking for a skilled, proactive communications professional to join our Strategic Communications team. The role will involve:

• Providing strategic communications advice to senior policy officials. This includes identifying priorities, risks and opportunities and shaping policy and communications plans.
• Creating and maintaining strong relationships across Whitehall, representing DSIT within the overarching Missions.
• Advising Ministers and Special Advisors on communications planning and strategy to ensure their priorities are delivered.
• Working with insight and evaluation to ensure all communication strategies are audience and evidence based.
• Working with colleagues across teams and disciplines to ensure development and delivery of multidisciplinary campaigns based on objectives and audience insights