Head of External Communications

• Lead the development, implementation and evaluation of OPG’s external communications, translating organisational and service priorities into clear, measurable communications objectives and plans. • Provide authoritative, evidence-led advice to the Executive Team and senior leaders on external communications, corporate reputation, customer communications, service changes, emerging risks and opportunities. • Ensure external communications are aligned with OPG’s organisational narrative, business planning and customer needs, and support public understanding of complex services and legal processes. • Deputise[DS1.1] for the Head of Communications when required alongside other team leads and contribute actively to the leadership, governance, prioritisation and resourcing of the wider communications function.

Job description

• Significant senior-level experience of developing and leading complex, insight-led external communications strategies and integrated, multi-channel activity. • Strong strategic judgement and political awareness, with the confidence to advise and constructively challenge executive-level leaders on communications, reputation, risk and organisational priorities. • A strong track record of translating complex policy, legal, regulatory or operational subjects into clear, accessible and audience-focused communications. • Experience of leading campaigns or public communications designed to improve understanding, change behaviour or increase the take-up of services. • Strong media and reputation-management experience, including handling sensitive issues, emerging risks or communications activity under significant scrutiny. • Excellent leadership and line-management capability, with experience of setting direction, developing people and creating an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing culture. • Experience of managing budgets, agencies or suppliers and ensuring activity is delivered to agreed standards, timescales and outcomes. • Confidence in using research, audience insight, data and evaluation to shape communications decisions, optimise delivery and demonstrate impact. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with senior, professional and public audiences.

• We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
• CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability
• Evidence of Experience

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Salary

The national salary range is £58,511 - £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 - £70,725 Your salary will be dependent on your base location

Working Pattern

Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working

Vacancy Approach

External

Location

National

Region

National

Closing Date

15-Nov-2026

Post Type

Permanent

Civil Service Grade

Grade 7

Number of jobs available

1

Reserve List

12 Months

Job ID

23817

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) helps people in England and Wales to stay in control of decisions about their health and finance and make important decisions for others who cannot decide for themselves. Our communications must make complex services and legal processes clear and accessible, build public understanding and confidence, and support OPG priorities. We are looking for an experienced and inspiring communications leader to head OPG’s external communications function. This senior role is responsible for setting the strategic direction for OPG’s public-facing communications, including campaigns media and and ensuring activity is insight-led, audience-focused and delivers measurable outcomes. The Head of External Communications will oversee integrated strategies that improve public understanding of OPG services, reach audiences who may face barriers to accessing them, protect and enhance OPG’s reputation, and support organisational and service transformation. The postholder will provide expert advice to OPG’s Executive Team and senior leaders on communications opportunities, risks and priorities, ensuring communications considerations are embedded in organisational decision-making. Working closely with the Head of Communications, Head of Channels and Creative, Head of Internal Communications, customer and operational teams, policy colleagues and partners across the Ministry of Justice, the postholder will join up communications across disciplines and channels. They will also build effective relationships with external stakeholders, government departments, agencies and suppliers. This is a significant leadership role requiring strong strategic judgement, the confidence to advise and constructively challenge senior decision-makers, and the ability to lead teams through complex delivery, organisational change and periods of heightened scrutiny.

• Lead insight-led, integrated and accessible public communications and behaviour-change campaigns, from initial strategy and audience research through creative development, delivery, optimisation and evaluation. • Oversee OPG’s strategic approach to proactive storytelling and reputation management, ensuring effective media handling of sensitive, high-profile or rapidly developing issues. • Work with the Head of Channels and Creative and other communications specialists to bring together campaigns, media, digital, content, and stakeholder activity around shared objectives. • Ensure activity is coordinated with colleagues across OPG, the Ministry of Justice, other government organisations and external partners, making effective use of paid, owned, earned, shared and partnership channels.

• Champion an audience-first approach, ensuring strategy, messages, content and channel choices are informed by customer needs, research, data, behavioural insight and accessibility considerations. • Horizon-scan for changes in the external environment and public attitudes, identifying communications opportunities and reputational risks and recommending appropriate action. • Ensure OPG communicates inclusively with diverse audiences, particularly people who may face practical, informational or confidence barriers when accessing its services.

• Provide visible, inclusive and supportive leadership to the external communications team, setting clear priorities, managing performance, building capability and enabling colleagues to deliver high-quality work. • Oversee budgets, agencies, suppliers and other resources, ensuring work is appropriately commissioned, governed and assured, delivered on time and within budget, and meets government accessibility and professional standards. • Ensure meaningful evaluation is built into communications activity from the outset, using evidence and performance data to improve delivery, demonstrate impact and inform future priorities. • Champion innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement, strengthening planning, evaluation and professional capability while supporting colleagues’ development and wellbeing.

• Experience of communications within government, an arm’s-length body, regulatory organisation or another complex public-service environment. • Experience of leading communications for organisational transformation or service change. A relevant communications, journalism, marketing or public-relations qualification, or equivalent professional experience.

Additional Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.

For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. You can determine your eligibility at .

• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

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)

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

Please quote the job reference 23817

• OPG_Head_of_External_Communications_Job_Descr_Hope Armstrong.docx (Job Description Attachment)

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Interview Dates

To Be Confirmed

Delivering at Pace

Leadership

Making Effective Decisions

Seeing the Big Picture

Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance.

GCS - Insight

GCS - Implementation

Which assessment methods will be used?

Presentation

DBS Basic

Security Clearance (SC)

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