NCSC Communications Officer Ref. 2409

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Operational and Surveillance
Cheltenham, London, Manchester
Permanent
Full Time
GC10/EO- £28,642 or GC09/HEO £35,450 (Plus London weighting allowance of £5,500 if applicable)
No

At GCHQ, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodiverse conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce.

Short Summary of role

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK Government’s lead authority on cyber security. The organisation is at the heart of the Government’s cyber security strategy and has the aim of making the UK the safest place to live and do business online.  
 
To help us ensure the NCSC continues to be at the centre of the national conversation around cyber, we are looking for talented and energetic professionals to join our communications team.   

What will the successful candidate be doing?

The national conversation around cyber is growing – and we want to ensure that the NCSC is driving it.
 
Cyber opportunities will help to usher the UK into a prosperous new age – and cyber threats are one of the biggest risks to the country. GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre was set up by the UK Government to make the UK the safest place to live and do business online – and communicating advice to the public is central to our mission.
 
The NCSC is looking to recruit for a number of communications roles which could include driving engagement with the NCSC on social media channels and through our website, briefing journalists on the latest cyber threats to the UK, delivering the NCSC’s flagship Cyber Aware marketing campaign and running the NCSC’s high-profile annual conference, CYBERUK.
 
One day will never be the same as the next, so the successful applicant will need to forge strong relationships with colleagues across the NCSC, Whitehall, the intelligence agencies and the private sector.  You will be based in Cheltenham, Manchester or London, and will join a communications team of over 40, largely based in London and Cheltenham.  
 
This role will be as varied as it is exciting and will require confidence to help deliver communications on behalf of the UK’s national authority on cyber security.
 
The successful applicant will be working in a team who are committed and come from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds, making the organisation a vibrant energising place to work where individuals’ ideas are championed.
 
If you’re a self-starter with a flair for the creative then this could be the job for you.

Who are we looking for?
 
Key responsibilities:

-    Experience of working in at least one communications discipline is desirable but not essential. Fields of interest include media relations, digital, marketing, external affairs, social media, internal communications or strategic communications;
-    Excellent communication and writing skills and ability to deliver under the pressure of tight deadlines;
-    Experience of developing and delivering creative ideas;  
-    Excellent organisational skills for use internally and externally;
-    Excellent influencing skills, stakeholder management skills and the ability to use evidence to make a convincing argument often in the face of competing agendas;
-    Ability to foster relationships and provide expert advice, guidance and input proactively
 
If you’re excited about working with us but don’t think you have all the experience we’re looking for, don’t be put off – tell us instead how you’ll work in role to fill any gaps with adaptability and enthusiasm!  

Competency Requirements (subject to grade)

• Communication and Knowledge sharing – Intermediate/Higher
• Corporate Vision and Efficiency – Fundamental/Intermediate
• Change and Innovation - Intermediate
• Analysis and Decision Making – Fundamental/Intermediate
• Contribution to Delivery - Intermediate
• Managing the Customer Relationship – Intermediate/Higher
• Working with and Leading Others – Intermediate



You can familiarise yourself with the general competencies we use to assess the aptitude of candidates here - Recruitment Process

Training and Development

At NCSC and GCHQ, we are proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment that’s designed to encourage open minds and attitudes.  As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we are committed to helping you fulfil your potential.  With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we will enable you to flourish in your role and perform to the very best of your abilities.

Benefits we offer

•    Access to learning and development tailored to your role and support to gain professional qualifications and certifications.
•    An environment that supports a range of flexible working options (including a flexible working hour scheme and much of NCSCs work can be done remotely).
•    A culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
•    A civil service pension
•    25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days based on length of service.

Salary

Salary of £28,642 (on a pro rata basis) for GC10/EO role.
Salary of £35,450 (on a pro rata basis) for GC09/HEO role.

Plus London Weighting allowance of £5,500 if applicable.

Location

London, Cheltenham, Manchester

Selection Process

To apply for this position, you must meet our nationality, residency requirements. You’ll find more details here – www.gchq-careers.co.uk/recruitmentprocess

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. This is known as the Offer of Interview (OOI).
To secure an interview for this role, candidates applying under this scheme must meet the minimum criteria for this role.
The criteria will be related to previous experience, competency based, and attitude and aptitude demonstration.

Be prepared to dedicate 60-90 minutes to completing your application. We’re conscious this might be more time than you expected, so our system will allow you to save your application at any time and come back to it later. But remember to submit your full application before the closing date.
 
Once we’ve established that you meet our eligibility criteria, the next steps of this selection process are:
 
-Business sift
- Personal interview - in person (London) or virtual dependent on preference. Interviews to be held early 2022.
- Drug test

If you successfully complete these stages, you’ll receive a job offer, conditional upon you completing our developed vetting (DV) process which enables you to obtain the level of security clearance required to perform this vital role.

The closing date for this role is 11:55 pm 1st December 2021.

Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

This Program / Vacancy is closed to applications.