Deputy Head of Engagement - External Affairs (Infected Blood Compensation Authority)

In recognition of the hurt caused by the infected blood scandal and highlighted by the Infected Blood Inquiry (IBI), compensation will be paid to those infected and affected. This role is an opportunity to join a new Arms Length Body – the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) – as we build a team of Communications and Engagement professionals to put the infected and affected community at the heart of our communications and support them to get the compensation they are entitled to.

The number one goal for this new organisation is to build and maintain trust with its users. Effective, open and transparent communications will play an important part in this.

The Communications and Engagement team sits at the heart of the IBCA to ensure we explain the new compensation scheme with clarity, simplicity and effectiveness.

Job Description

We are building a Communications and Engagement Team unlike any other with one aim: to deliver compensation to the infected blood community. As a team, we collaborate, we lead and we work at pace. With a big job to do you’ll be striving for innovation and excellence as we build the team together.

We’re looking for an experienced, driven and creative communications leader.

Our work requires pace, impact and sensitivity, putting the infected and affected community at the heart of our communications and making it easy for them to get the compensation and support they are entitled to. We are creative, fast-working and encourage collaboration.

Main Responsibilities

The External Affairs and Engagement Team plans, leads and delivers engagement for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, including engagement for senior officials and the Chair and Chief Executive. We are trusted advisors and facilitators who deliver strategic engagement as well as visits, speeches, events and roundtables. We also work closely and directly with stakeholders and members of the infected blood community to help to deliver IBCA’s core mission of paying compensation to every person who is eligible.

The job will require the candidate to:

1. Be jointly responsible (with the Deputy Head of Community Engagement) for the development and implementation of a robust and creative engagement strategy, implementation plans, and scoring criteria and an evaluation framework (according to the OASIS planning method) to support IBCA’s objectives.
2. Be responsible for the strategy and delivery of high quality engagement and visits to support the senior leadership of IBCA with community engagement and engagement with other stakeholders and partners such as MPs, large charities and communications partners.
3. Work with policy experts across IBCA, the Cabinet Office and other government departments to understand policy priorities and use this understanding to inform, develop and evaluate appropriate approaches to engagement that will clearly demonstrate the progress that IBCA is making.
4. Maintain a regular awareness of the news cycle and other relevant stakeholder and community insight to ensure that engagement activity is planned with due regard to potential sensitive issues, and risks.
5. Plan engagement and external affairs activity with due regard to potential sensitive issues, and risks, through effective horizon planning.
6. Deliver insight and analysis products which inform the development of IBCA’s approach and ensure that teams act upon learnings.
7. Own and manage key communications and engagement channels and products (such as the stakeholder and MP toolkits and insight and analysis) to ensure that internal and external stakeholders have timely information with signposts to information and support.
8. Oversee an ongoing programme of engagement with MPs and other parliamentarians, ensuring that they have relevant information to support their constituents and to secure understanding and advocacy over time.
9. Establish and sustain strong, proactive and measurable relationships across IBCA and with external stakeholders which identify risks and opportunities and coordinate the input of all relevant internal and external stakeholders contributing to the successful delivery of all of our engagement.
10. Work with the Deputy Head of Community Engagement to devise and oversee regular stakeholder reviews, including stakeholder mapping, sentiment analysis, engagement strategies and evaluation, in order to inform and iterate our engagement strategies and provide persuasive arguments in favour of approaches.
11. Support the G6 Head of Engagement and External Affairs and deputise where required.
12. Travel will be required.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate will show:

1. Evidence of building and leading teams and creating structure and stability in a fast-paced and changing environment.
2. Proven ability to deliver results in a fast-moving, busy, high profile environment.
3. Proven ability to devise and deliver strategic approaches to engagement and external affairs.
4. Ability to solve problems with tact and discretion.
5. Proven ability to project manage, motivate teams, and ensure delivery to tight deadlines.
6. Excellent attention to detail and written language skills.
7. Demonstrable ability to provide strong and supportive leadership in a busy and high-profile environment.
8. Experience of handling complex internal and external stakeholder relationships at a senior level to identify and achieve agreed outcomes.
9. Ability to analyse trends based on qualitative and quantitative data and use these to inform planning and delivery.

Specialist Skills (desirable)

Strong communication skills, where possible demonstrated through experience of working in a virtual team.

Additional Information

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

1. Communicating and Influencing
2. Delivering at Pace
3. Leadership
4. Managing a Quality Service

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

1. Communicating and Influencing
2. Delivering at Pace

Technical Skills

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

1. Impact
2. Implementation
3. Benefits

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,403, Cabinet Office contributes £16,050 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Learning and development tailored to your role.
An environment with flexible working options.
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Closing date: 20 April 2025.