(HEO) External Affairs and Engagement Manager

Our work requires pace, impact and sensitivity, putting infected and affected people at the heart of our communications and making it easy for them to get the compensation and support they are entitled to. We are creative, fast-working and encourage collaboration. With a big job to do you’ll be striving for innovation and excellence as we build the team together.
The Engagement team leads and delivers engagement for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, including engagement for senior officials and the Chair and Chief Executive.
We are trusted advisors and facilitators who deliver strategic engagement as well as visits, speeches, events and round-tables. We also work closely and directly with stakeholders and members of the infected blood community to help to deliver IBCA’s core mission of paying compensation to every person who is eligible.
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.
Responsibilities
We are looking for a highly motivated, organised and enthusiastic self-starter to join the Engagement team. This is a challenging yet exciting opportunity to deliver high quality visits and engagements for IBCA leadership and board members.
The job will require the candidate to:
+ Use audience and stakeholder insight to develop robust and creative engagement strategies, implementation plans, and scoring evaluation criteria (according to the OASIS planning method) to support IBCA’s objectives, and ensuring teams act upon learnings;
+ Manage the planning and execution of visits and events, including reconnaissance and logistical planning through to delivery, closedown and evaluation;
+ Work closely with others in the communication team to agree a communications handling approach for engagement and visits, including creative content from visits that can be used on our social media and other digital platforms;
+ Draft briefings, itineraries and other materials to support meetings and events;
+ Manage and maintain the team’s visit and event plans and ensure they are up to date and accurate;
+ Build effective and proactive relationships with key organisations and team members to support IBCA;
+ Research, monitor and develop stakeholder mapping documents and engagement strategies using CRM software and equivalent;
+ Travel will be required., 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, At application you will be required to provide a CV and 500 word personal statement explaining 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.
You will also be assessed against 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 application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed against Behaviours.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – 3rd February
Expected interview date/s – w/c 10th February
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 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 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
A reserve list may 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.
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.
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).
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+ Evidence of having planned and delivered events or visits involving senior stakeholders to a high standard;
+ Demonstrable ability to deliver results in a fast-moving, busy, high profile environment;
+ Ability to solve problems with tact and discretion;
+ Proven ability to project manage and deliver to tight deadlines;
+ Excellent attention to detail and written language skills;
+ Initiative and an enthusiasm for managing multiple tasks;
+ Ability to work independently and part of a team with strong interpersonal skills and the confidence to challenge decisions if necessary.
Specialist Skills (desirable)
+ Strong communication skills, where possible demonstrated through experience of working in a virtual team

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.
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.
Effective, open and transparent communications will play an important part in this. As part of the Communications and Engagement directorate, your work will be a vital part of supporting IBCA to deliver its mission in a community-centred and transparent way.
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 fully operational for a period of approximately 5 to 7 years, after which time IBCA will become a smaller residual service. 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.

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.