Skip to content

General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £42,914 - £46,182 London salary range is £49,325- £53,081 Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time
Vacancy Approach
External
Location
Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, London, Nottingham
Region
East Midlands, London, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber
Closing Date
09-Feb-2026
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
SEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
13986

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Senior Internal Communications Adviser

SIO – Band B

Location: National with a base at one of the following MOJ hubs: London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham. For this role you will work from one of these MOJ hubs.

About the team and the role

This is a great opportunity to join the proactive, highly respected, happy and award-winning MOJ internal communications team.

We are looking for an experienced, high-performing and collaborative communications professional to join our team and establish themselves as a trusted adviser to senior leadership.

You will play a role in developing and delivering outstanding communications to inform and inspire thousands of staff, motivating them to maximise their performance to deliver crucial services in a wide variety of roles and locations.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is one of the largest government organisations, with more than 95,000 staff in offices, courts and prisons across the country.

Our team leads on communications to our HQ staff and works closely with colleagues in MOJ’s agencies, including HMPPS and HMCTS.

In 2025 we were named the Best Public Sector Communications team in the UK by the Institute of Internal Communications (IOIC). It’s a great place to work.

We build strong relationships with leaders, and partner with key stakeholders, to provide strategic and reactive communications advice and delivery activity, to support and enable MOJ to achieve its priorities.

Across the team, our approach focuses on: engaging colleagues in the organisation’s purpose; building and influencing the organisation’s culture; and supporting leaders to communicate effectively with their people, including leading through change.

We advise our senior leaders and other colleagues on communications for the MoJ’s priorities and shape overall departmental strategies.

Job Description

Our approach is based on building strong relationships with leaders, and partnering with key stakeholders, to provide strategic and creative communications advice, and deliver activity, to support and enable the organisation to achieve its priorities. You will play a leading role in ensuring that MoJ’s staff understand and buy in to our organisation’s mission, our shared values and our current priorities.

The role includes providing regular communication advice and support to the Director General of People and Capability and his senior team to keep the 1,200 HR professionals in the People and Capability Group engaged and informed.

The role may include delivering high-quality events with staff and senior leaders, supporting major transformation programmes and leading targeted behaviour change campaigns.

The role may also include work to support delivery of the team’s wider communications objectives.

Essential criteria

Trusted adviser

  • Excellent communications judgment and proven ability to advise and influence senior stakeholders on internal communications strategy, making decisions and plans based on insight and evaluation.
  • Being proactive in building and maintaining collaborative relationships with colleagues at all grades across the organisation, including senior stakeholders.
  • Play a role in leadership of the team, ensuring our work is effective and innovative.

Behaviours and mindset

  • A curious and adaptable mindset, with a drive to improve the service you deliver.
  • Being comfortable operating in ambiguity in a complex operating environment.
  • Confidence in deciding where to focus attention and finding solutions when given different opinions and priorities and multiple sources of information.
  • Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and changing deadlines.

Communications capabilities

  • Experience leading both in-person and online events.
  • Experience in turning complex policy language into easy-to-understand creative copy, with excellent drafting skills.
  • Have creative ideas and ability to deliver outstanding content and campaigns for our internal channels.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of work to deliver continuous improvement.
  • Strong planning and organisational skills, including delivering communication products to tight deadlines.
  • Excellent grasp of the end-to-end communication process: experience developing and delivering communication plans from objective through to evaluation.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your behaviours, strengths, and experience.

Behaviours

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

Civil Service competencies https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a815610ed915d74e33fda4b/cscf_fulla4potrait_2013-2017_v2d.pdf

  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace

GCS competencies: https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/competency-framework/

Insight. And specifically:

  • Be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit own and team’s work.
  • Develop an understanding of own area’s strategy and how this contributes to Departmental priorities.
  • Actively encourage ideas from a range of sources and stakeholders and use these to inform thinking.
  • Identify a range of relevant and credible information sources and recognise the need to collect new data when necessary from internal and external sources.
  • Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of evidence/data and draw key conclusions.
  • Actively seek input from a diverse range of people.

Stage 1: Application and Sift

As part of the application process you will need to provide:

  • A CV
  • A statement of suitability of up to 750 words aligned to all elements of the Essential Criteria above. Note that if we get a high volume of applicants we will sift on the Insight competence, so do make sure you include this within your application.

Stage 2: Interview

If you are successful at the sift stage, you will be invited to a blended interview. At interview stage you will be assessed against the behaviours and experience listed in this vacancy, plus strengths.  The interview will take place in person at MOJ’s London HQ. It will include a panel interview, and written activity.


Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further 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.

Flexible working hours

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.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

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.

Pension

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

Training

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

Networks

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.

Support

  • 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. More information can be found on www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

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

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.

Diversity & 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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

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.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

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.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
  • 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

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

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 13986

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 13986

Application form stage assessments

Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability
Statement of Suitability
Guidance for the Statement of Suitability
A statement of suitability of up to 750 words aligned to all elements of the essential criteria in the job description. Note that if we get a high volume of applicants we will sift on the Insight competence, so do make sure you include this within your application.
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
To Be Confirmed
Behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Technical
GCS Insight

- Be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit own and team’s work.
- Develop an understanding of own area’s strategy and how this contributes to Departmental priorities.
- Actively encourage ideas from a range of sources and stakeholders and use these to inform thinking.
- Identify a range of relevant and credible information sources and recognise the need to collect new data when necessary from internal and external sources.
- Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of evidence/data and draw key conclusions.
- Actively seek input from a diverse range of people.

Other Assessments

Which assessment methods will be used?
Written Exercise
Level of security checks required
Security Clearance (SC)

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.