Location

Multi-location from one of our FSA Offices (Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham, London or York), or home based in the UK. Occasional travel across Northern Ireland, United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland may be required. Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.

About the job Summary

The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1300 people, with a big vision – to drive change in the food system so that it delivers “food we can trust”. Our primary goal is to continue to protect public health and consumers’ wider interest in food. As we have now exited the EU the FSA faces a significant period of change and activity.

Job description

As the public-facing representatives of the Agency’s work in Northern Ireland, the Communications Team shapes the public understanding of the FSA’s work, and fuels important conversations around food safety and nutrition.

The FSA has an exciting opportunity for two Communications Managers who can help to protect public health, working with their colleagues to ensure the Agency delivers informative, helpful and accessible messaging to consumers and businesses across Northern Ireland.

Providing specialist communication advice, expertise and guidance to policy teams in Northern Ireland, the post holder will also offer media relations support. Their work will help to maintain consistent messaging, building strong working relationships with a network of journalists, partners and other influencers to enable the Agency to reach as wide an audience as possible.

To this end, the successful candidates will work to create content across the FSA Northern Ireland’s website and social media channels, and work alongside our Digital Team to ensure that all published content meets our content style guide as well as our accessibility standards.

As the FSA works across three nations, the post holder will also work collaboratively to ensure that national priorities and activities are aligned and delivered effectively in Northern Ireland. The successful candidate will have a demonstrable knowledge of the media and political landscape in Northern Ireland to be able to support these areas.

Candidates should be capable of delivering high quality work and making effective decisions in a fast-paced environment. If you are excited by the opportunity to make a tangible impact in the health and food safety of Northern Ireland, be sure to apply for this exciting role.
 

Responsibilities

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process. We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

Things you need to know Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. This will consist of shortlisting against the essential and desirable person specification criteria stated. If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to the final selection stage consisting of a behaviours-based interview and presentation.

In the event of receiving a large number of applications an initial sift may take place on just the identified lead criteria indicated below:
• Demonstrable experience of use of OASIS thinking to deliver communications plans (including media relations, campaigning and digital content development).

We particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within our organisation at this level. All appointments are made on merit.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached terms and conditions statement.

A reserve list will be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Apply and further information

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