Deputy Head of Media and Digital (Infected Blood Compensation Authority)

CABINET OFFICE; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 56,000; Full time

Job description

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 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. You’ll be striving for innovation and excellence, with a big job to do as we build the team together.

We’re looking for an experienced, driven and creative communications leader. The job holder will have a deep understanding of modern media and social media outlets and how to harness these to reach marginalised and hard-to-reach audiences to deliver targeted messaging. As IBCA is a community-first organisation, you will be passionate about user centric communications that understands the audience.

Sitting within the Media and Digital Team, this role will set the direction, pace and ambition for IBCA’s external output through dynamic and intelligent media and social plans and products.

This person will be expected to design, deliver and implement short, medium and long-term communications strategies that will support IBCA’s external channels and stakeholders to reach our audience with support, information and news of IBCA’s claim service.

While delivering and building the team’s strategic capability, this role will drive and grow the authority's social media presence, channels and brand ensuring that IBCA is using agile, appropriate and current trends and tools. Alongside responding to media requests and coverage, you will also be responsible for identifying and making media moments and opportunities across a range of media outlets from traditional print such as newspapers and magazines to emerging digital platforms and outlets. You will be unafraid to guide senior leaders through media interviews, and opportunities.

The job holder will be expected to sometimes work out of hours including weekends and evenings, they will understand what is needed to run an out of hours media team.

Main Responsibilities

1. Be responsible for the development and implementation of robust and creative social, press and consumer media communications strategies, implementation plans, scoring evaluation criteria and an evaluation framework (according to the OASIS planning method) to support IBCA’s objectives.
2. Be responsible for the development, management and content strategies of IBCA’s digital and media channels.
3. Lead and oversee responses to live media and digital questions.
4. Work closely with senior leaders to influence and identify communications requirements, including guiding them through media interviews, and opportunities.
5. Evaluate and monitor communications activity and feedback insight and evaluation, ensuring lessons learned are applied and shared in a cycle of continuous improvement.
6. Identify and manage issues and potential risks that pose a threat to IBCA’s reputation or delivery.
7. Focus on your own professional development, with consideration to Government Communication Service (GCS) and other frameworks.

Person specification

Essential criteria

1. A confident and creative communication professional who fully understands the media and social landscape as well as emerging trends. They will be able to use this to inform their strategic advice, counsel and constructive challenge to senior leaders.
2. Able to plan, design and deliver social, press and consumer media communications strategies that meet and deliver on business objectives.
3. Experienced in overseeing channel strategies and producing a range of media and social products for a range of outlets including print, online, radio, broadcast, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
4. Able to lead relationships with external specialist agencies, collaborating to develop joined up communications strategies.
5. Confident in monitoring and evaluating communications activity and able to act on insight to improve outcomes.
6. Comfortable working at a senior level, bringing the voices of people making a claim and colleagues into leadership meetings.
7. Able to identify and handle reputational issues at the highest level.
8. Experience of working in a fast-paced environment and adept at juggling multiple projects and programmes at pace.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience of leading a media and social team as part of Government Communications Service (GCS) or in a regulatory or public sector environment.
2. Journalism experience.
3. Experience of working in a press office.
4. Parliamentary experience.

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. Seeing the Big Picture
4. Leadership

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

1. Communicating and Influencing
2. Delivering at Pace
3. Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

1. Impact
2. Implementation
3. 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.