AMS PSR

On behalf of The Ministry of Justice, we are looking for a Communication and Engagement Support Officer -(Inside IR35) for a 6-month contract working on a hybrid basis and with an expectation of 2 days attendance in the Leeds or London offices

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) priorities include improving public safety and reducing reoffending by reforming prisons, probation and youth justice, and building a justice system which makes access to justice swifter and more certain for all citizens whatever their background. Project professionals in the MoJ help to improve the government’s ability to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public.

The Project Delivery Function (PDF) provides project professionals and project delivery services to the business. As the Communications and Engagement Support officer for the PDF you will sit within the Project Delivery Function Management Office (PDFMO), reporting to the Comms and Engagement Manager, People Lead, Head of Business and Corporate Services and Chief Operating Officer. You will pivotal role in supporting all the Function’s internal and external comms and engagement. In our Functional model our ability to communicate, engage and influence effectively across the business at all levels is key to successful delivery and you will be responsible for supporting the Comms and Engagement manager in delivering this. You will support in the delivery of the Comms and Engagement strategy and delivery plan and ensuring effectively communication and engagement on key Project Delivery information and support improved project performance and improved compliance with Government Project Delivery Standards.

Although the role will nominally be attached to a specific workstream, you will be exposed to a wide range of activity across the PDFMO and also the Department’s portfolio of projects and programmes through your work across the Function. You will be key to the ongoing development of the PDFMO, maintaining and enhancing systems and processes for the smooth-running of the PDF. You will have the opportunity to build relationships with Senior Leaders within the Function, colleagues across the department and with other Government Departments.

You will be joining an evolving Function in a time of change and will be in the centre of delivering that change. You will need to be prepared to work collaboratively as an enthusiastic and active team player, adopting a flexible approach to the role whilst having effective interpersonal and communication skills.

This is an operational and corporate-facing role, focused on improving how information is shared, understood and used across the Function. You will help plan, draft and deliver internal communications across a range of channels, including bulletins, intranet content, visual products and senior leader briefings, supporting engagement with the Project Delivery Profession and key stakeholders across the Ministry of Justice. You will support the continuous improvement of internal communications and engagement channels, using insight and data to understand what works well and where changes are needed. This includes contributing to the development and maintenance of engagement reporting and dashboards, working with colleagues to analyse engagement data, and helping to translate insight into practical recommendations.

In addition, you will support the coordination and delivery of internal engagement activity, such as Stand-ups, events, awareness days and profession-wide sessions. This will include forward planning, agenda management, inbox management and providing clear, timely communications to support participation and engagement across the Function.

The PDFMO are currently based across London and Leeds, therefore regular travel and flexible working is required to suit the needs of the business.

MoJ expects its leaders to show openness, honesty and commitment, and, of course, to deliver results.

As a Communication and Engagement Support Officer -(Inside IR35), your main responsibilities will be:

Improvement of profession engagement 

• Support the development of a bi-monthly Project Delivery Profession bulletin to improve engagement and information sharing.
• Assist with SRO engagement and wider profession communications.
• Drive continuous improvement through evaluation, user testing, and implementation of recommendations.

Reviewing and development Comms and Engagement channels

• Support with the creation and maintenance of an Engagement Data Dashboard using Power BI to provide senior leadership with insights on channel effectiveness.
• Support the review and enhancement of engagement channels across the Function.
• Design and produce visual communications to improve clarity and accessibility.
• Collaborate with central teams with the development of a centralised PDF Corporate Hub.

Senior Leader Engagement

• Support effective stakeholder management, including engaging with senior leaders, Service Transformation Group and profession-wide networks.
• Draft concise, strategic briefings for senior leadership forums, including Stand-up meetings, SRO Roundtables, and G6 events.
• Draft clear, impactful communications that convey key messages aligned with Functional strategy, Ministry of Justice priorities, and wider cross-government objectives.

Managing Function Comms and Engagement processes 

• Coordinate logistics for PDF Stand-up and PDG events, including forward planning and agenda management.
• Maintain and update the Function’s Comms & Engagement Plan to ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
• Plan and deliver cross-Function events such as awareness days, away days, and conferences.
• Organise regular team-level engagement activities (e.g., Let’s Talk sessions and Teach-ins).
• Provide administrative support and maintenance the PDFComms inbox, ensuring timely and accurate responses.
• Provide guidance and oversight to Band D colleagues on comms and engagement tasks.
• Deputise for the Comms & Engagement Manager when required.
• Support communications for the PDF Transformation and Business Plan.
• Contribute to broader team priorities including capability, workforce planning and other cross-cutting projects.

Skills and Experience

• You will have experience of drafting comms and support change delivery in Government. Your skills and experience should include:
• Strong digital capability, with proficiency in Microsoft 365 tools (including Teams, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Outlook).
• Demonstrable experience coordinating activity, establishing and maintaining processes, and working to deadlines.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Clear and confident written communication skills, with the ability to draft accessible, engaging communication products for diverse audiences.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience building relationships across teams and senior leadership.

Essential 

• Experience of drafting comms
• Understanding of delivering change in government
• Strong digital capability including Microsoft tools such as PowerPoint
• Experience coordinating engagement activities,
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong written Skills
• Stakeholder management experience

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, MOJ guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

The Ministry of Justice guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".