External Communications Manager (Homes England)

Job summary

We are MHCLG

Working within the Homes England pillar of the wider Ministry of Housing, Communities and local Government (MHCLG) communications team, you will play a key role in managing and delivering proactive and reactive external communications content, with a key focus on media relations and social media activity. Your contribution will be key to reaching target audiences with impactful messaging via multi-channel content that builds awareness, strengthens reputation and supports Homes England and its subsidiary, the National Housing Bank, to achieve strategic objectives. Alongside core activity, you will be responsible for a regional portfolio, working closely with other portfolio leads and communication specialists as part of a matrix model approach.

By joining a communications team, you will become a member of Government Communications. You will benefit from continuous professional development from our new learning and development curriculum, a network of skilled communicators sharing best practice, mentoring opportunities, and much more. Learn more about how joining the communication profession can support your career and development, and get advice on your application by visiting the GCS careers page.

Job description

Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will identify, craft and deliver effective messaging and content that cuts through a crowded external landscape to reach target audiences, employing a ‘digital first’ ethos to tell compelling, human interest stories through a place-based lens. You will help build strong reactive and proactive relationships with journalists and stakeholders, managing the media desk as required. With line and task management responsibilities, you will support colleagues to deliver high quality content across multiple channels while helping them develop their knowledge and skills. You will build key internal and external relationships to identify opportunities, risks and issues as part of a matrix model approach, contributing to the Agency’s news framework and strategic grid.

Key responsibilities

1. Help devise and deliver news, social media and strategic communication activities that maximise impact, with a particular focus on telling a compelling story through people-focused, place-led content.
2. Play a key role in ensuring effective media and social media channel management, from monitoring and response to reporting and horizon scanning.
3. Help manage the delivery of multi-channel content packages, co-ordinating with other communications specialists to ensure content is of a high quality and can be used for multiple audiences.
4. Be a lead contributor to media and social media content and standards, supporting efficacy of the Agency’s news framework, policies, process and protocols.
5. Contribute to the Agency’s news planning grid, in close collaboration with communications channel leads within the Agency and MHCLG to ensure a joined up approach.
6. Manage the media desk as required, leading on the assessment and triage of queries, development of responses and liaison with colleagues, often on sensitive or controversial subjects.
7. Line manage and provide support to external communications officers, leading by example and supporting a culture of learning and development.
8. Own specific communications portfolios, fostering strong working relationships with colleagues to devise objective led approaches.
9. Help build strong partnerships with regional stakeholders, partners, media contacts and content creators to tell human interest stories about housing and regeneration delivery.

Person specification

Person specification

• Proven experience managing reactive and proactive communications activities under pressure in a complex, national organisation.
• Strong understanding of news, social media and digital content formats and channels, from identification of communications needs and approach to evaluation of impact.
• Skilled at interpreting complex information to produce concise, clear briefing and recommendations to senior levels of the organisation, often on high profile issues.
• Excellent written, verbal and digital communications skills, with proven ability to adapt language and tone to deliver high quality communications outputs for different audiences.
• A proven track record in successfully working with journalists, media organisations and external stakeholders.
• Good knowledge of the media and broader political environment.
• Strong news sense, handling skills and ability to identify risks, dependencies and opportunities.
• Experience of line management and supporting colleagues to positively learn and develop, including setting clear objectives and encouraging high quality performance.
• Skilled at working in a multi-disciplinary way to achieve communications objectives and adapt to Agency needs, with occasional out of hours work required.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,623, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £10,899 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience ,

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)

Experience: In your CV and covering letter of no more than 500 words please set out your career experience and how that meets the essential skills required in this role.

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at [email removed].

If we receive many applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in