HEO Communication and Content Officer (Infected Blood Compensation Authority)

You will be required to:
+ Draft, create and publish content for a range of audiences and channels including online, offline, internal and external and in media or direct mail;
+ Identify opportunities to promote IBCA and our communities priorities through internal and external channels, such as all-staff emails and landing stories in national and regional media outlets;
+ Build and maintain strong relationships across the organisation and externally with appropriate stakeholders so we can create and deliver accurate, appropriate and timely key messages;
+ Use insight to inform your work and provide evaluation to support future work;
+ Contribute to strategic plans, evaluation documents, reports and other IBCA communications materials and briefings., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
+ Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Government Communication Service – Implementation, This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of your application you will be required to provide a CV setting out your career history and qualifications, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role.
You will also be required to provide a Statement of Suitability (1000 words max.)
Please use your statement of suitability to explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification section of the job advert.
Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the 'Person Specification' section of the job advert.
You will also be assessed on behaviours at application stage.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Should you be successful at sift, you will be invited to attend an interview where you will be assessed on behaviours and technical skills.
You will also be asked to present a portfolio of your work at the interview. Further details will be provided should you be successful at application stage.
IMPORTANT -
Please note that this is a rolling campaign. This means that applications will be reviewed as they are submitted and any candidates that are successful at application stage may be invited to interview as soon as their application has been assessed.
In addition, if there are a large number of applications, we may initially raise the benchmark and progress the highest scoring candidates to interview. Applications that meet the minimum standard but have not scored highly enough will remain on hold until called forward to the next stage of the recruitment process in merit order. Meeting the minimum requirements for each stage is no guarantee of an invitation to continue the next stage of the selection process.
Interview location – Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Reasonable adjustments
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 Government Recruitment Service via recruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as 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.
Further information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access 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
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be 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 circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
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.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
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 Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

You will have experience of one or more of the two below specialisms:
+ Creating clear, accurate and effective written content used across different channels and audiences including online and offline;
+ Creating clear, accurate and effective digitally designed content using design tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Canva, Illustrator, InDesign and Figma.
Wider experience required:
+ Experience of delivering clear, accurate and effective communications and engagement content;
+ Experience of creating digital and social media assets to be used across a range of platforms;
+ Excellent written skills with the ability to take complex information and explain it to non-expert audiences in a straightforward way;
+ Experience of working collaboratively across teams with colleagues at all levels and with external stakeholders;
+ Experience of contributing to the development and delivery of communications and engagement plans, including evaluation;
+ Ability to work in a fast-paced, demanding and unpredictable environment, being able to prioritise your own work, often under pressure;
+ Ability to identify trends and opportunities across the wider organisation to build and inform a wider communications approach;
+ Strong interpersonal skills and the confidence to challenge decisions if necessary.

In recognition of the hurt caused by the infected blood scandal and highlighted by the Infected Blood Inquiry (IBI), compensation will be paid to those infected and affected. This role is an opportunity to join a new Arms Length Body – the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) – as we build a team of Communications and Engagement professionals to put the infected and affected community at the heart of our communications and support them to get the compensation they are entitled to.
The number one goal for this new organisation is to build and maintain trust with its users. Effective, open and transparent communications will play an important part in this.
We are building a Communications and Engagement Team unlike any other with one aim: to deliver compensation to the infected blood community. As a Team we collaborate, we lead and we work at pace. With a big job to do you’ll be striving for innovation and excellence as we build the team together.
Opportunities to move to the new Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). At the moment all IBCA roles are hosted by Cabinet Office within the Civil Service. However, once IBCA becomes operational, it is anticipated that most of these roles will transfer to IBCA, which is a new Arms Length Body (ALB) separate from the Cabinet Office. Roles that transfer to IBCA from Cabinet Office will maintain the same or substantially the same terms and conditions of employment that are overall no less favourable. It is anticipated that employees who move from Cabinet Office to IBCA will be able to continue to participate in the Civil Service Pension arrangements with no break in their pensionable service. Roles commencing after IBCA has become operational will be with IBCA itself on similar terms and conditions. All successful candidates will receive full details of the terms and conditions of employment for their role with their formal job offer.
Please note that the mission of IBCA means that it is likely to be operational for a period of approximately 5 to 7 years. When IBCA’s work begins to wind down, IBCA employees will receive support and practical guidance to find a new role, whether in the Civil Service, another Arms Length Body (ALB), or an external employer., The Communications and Engagement team sits at the heart of the IBCA to ensure we explain the new compensation scheme with clarity, simplicity and effectiveness.
You will be part of a dedicated team of talented and insight led content creators who deliver expert creative solutions and communications products for all IBCA’s channels - both internal and external.
You will create, draft and design a diverse range of engaging and purposeful content from website articles, videos, internal newsletters and press notices to social media posts and animations.
As IBCA is a community-first organisation, you will be passionate about user centric design. Every piece of targeted content you create will be relevant, appropriate and clear for our audience.
Job holders in this grade will carry out a range of activities across communications. This will give you the opportunity to work flexibly across the team to support communication and IBCA community priorities.

Alongside your salary of £36,728, Cabinet Office contributes £10,640 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ 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 employer contributions of 28.97%.
+ A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.