Job Title

Senior External Affairs Manager

Grade

Senior Executive Officer / SIO

Department

Ministry of Justice

Reports to:

Grade 7 / G7

Job Outline

About the Ministry of Justice

From keeping drugs out of prisons and cutting crime, to overhauling sentencing laws and delivering justice for victims - the Ministry of Justice is doing important work to make our streets safer as part of the Government’s Plan for Change. It’s a large department, often at the forefront of the news agenda and our relationships with stakeholders across the justice system are crucial.

Our small External Affairs team plays a key role helping to build and maintain those relationships to enhance policy development and improve the delivery of our services. The team supports colleagues across the department navigate the complex landscape of agencies, charities and advocates which it interacts with.

The team provides regular updates to our stakeholders and a route into policymakers. It also has a renewed focus on collaborating with our stakeholders to communicate government policy and initiatives. This involves working with other communications colleagues in the press office, digital, visits and internal communications.

And with a diverse remit including prisons and probation, family justice, victim support and the courts system, no day is ever the same in this busy office. 

About the role

Working as a Senior External Affairs Manager within this team is an exciting challenge and will certainly develop you as a professional communicator.

We are looking for a proactive and skilled individual to drive high-quality stakeholder engagement and produce plans which help mitigate criticism and boost third-party support in the media. In this role you will build, develop and maintain effective relationships with a diverse range of key stakeholders, contribute to strategic communications planning, and support senior civil servants, Ministers and the Lord Chancellor in their engagement activities.

You will work within a fast-paced environment, responding quickly to changing priorities while maintaining strategic focus. This role requires excellent judgement, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to navigate complex policy landscapes while building trusted relationships.

The Communications Team at the Ministry of Justice prides itself on its supportive, collaborative culture and diversity, and is often highlighted for its innovative, impactful work. Ensuring our colleagues have a good work-life balance is important to us and our flexible working policy helps those with caring responsibilities.

About the GCS

By joining a communications team, you will become a member of the Government Communications Service, a profession of around 6000 communicators working in government departments, agencies and arm’s length bodies. You’ll benefit from continuous professional development from our new learning and development curriculum, a network of skilled communicators sharing best practice, mentoring opportunities, and more!

For more information on how becoming a part of the Communications Profession can support your career and development please visit our careers page.

For our top tips on how to write your application, please take a look at our recruitment top tips for candidates guide.

Key Responsibilities

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Identifying influential stakeholders across the justice system, monitoring their positions on key issues, and producing regular reports.

• Developing and implementing comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategies that align with departmental priorities and policy goals.

• Managing relationships through direct engagement, events, visits and tailored communications while building advocacy for government initiatives.

• Contributing to cross-cutting communications campaigns, ensuring stakeholder perspectives are integrated into planning and delivery.

• Collaborating with stakeholders to find communications activity we can link-up to build the case for changes the government is making.

• Working with the press office and digital communications teams to find ways to involve our stakeholders in MoJ communications plans.

• Coordinating with colleagues across government, in particular those involved in the Safer Streets mission, to ensure a joined-up approach to external engagement.

• Evaluating the impact of stakeholder engagement activities to demonstrate value and inform future approaches.

• Supporting the development of an External Affairs Manager (HEO grade).

With the support of an experienced network of peers and a strong focus on professional development, you will continue to develop skills in these areas. Your work with colleagues across different communications disciplines places you in a good position to build a wide-range of communications expertise.

Person Specification

Government Communications is determined to ensure that the profession is representative of the audiences we are communicating with and welcomes applications from the widest range of people of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. You can find out more by visiting https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/

Essential Criteria:

• Experience in stakeholder engagement, external affairs or public relations, with proven ability to build and maintain strategic relationships at all levels

• Understanding of the political landscape and experience in navigating complex stakeholder environments

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write clear briefings for a diverse range of stakeholders and audiences

• Experience of managing multiple projects, prioritising competing demands and managing sensitive information

• Good understanding of strategic communications and stakeholder management principles

• Collaborative working, a proactive team player with sound problem solving abilities, an ability to interpret complex information and deliver clear and engaging content.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of using stakeholder management systems and tools

• Leadership and team management capabilities, including setting clear direction, supporting team members, and adopting an inclusive leadership style that values diversity and inclusion.

• Understanding of the media landscape, from traditional print and broadcast to social media and influencer-based communications.

Behaviours

We will be assessing you on the following behaviours which link to the Civil Service Success Profile:

• Communicating and Influencing

Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact.

Ensure communication has a clear purpose, is respectful and takes into account people’s individual needs.

Share information as appropriate and check understanding. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same.

• Working together

Encourage joined up team work within your own team and across other groups

Establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders

Collaborate with stakeholders to share information, resources and support

Invest time to develop a common focus and genuine positive team spirit where colleagues feel valued and respect one another

• Seeing the bigger picture

Understand the strategic drivers for your area of work

Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities

Remain alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area

Technical Skills

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

Insight

• Gather, analyse and apply understanding of stakeholder perspectives and the political landscape to inform communication strategies and anticipate potential challenges or opportunities.

Ideas

• Come up with creative ways to involve stakeholders in communications activity to strategically advance policy objectives.

Implementation

• Execute stakeholder engagement plans through skilled relationship management, coordinated outreach activities and collaborative working with colleagues.

Impact

• Evaluate and demonstrate how stakeholder engagement work has enhanced policy development, amplified the department’s external communications, improved the department's reputation and contributed to achieving government objectives.