7321 - Judicial Appointments Commission - Strategic Communications Manager
| Posting date: | 30 June 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £38,661 to £42,019 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 15 July 2025 |
| Location: | SW1H 9AJ |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7321 |
Summary
Judicial Appointments Commission – Strategic Communications Manager (HEO)
Are you a creative communicator with a passion for communicating with diverse audiences? Are you comfortable working across a range of communication channels and platforms? Can you help our teams reach new audiences by bringing our stories to life? If the answer is yes, you could be exactly who we are looking for.
The Role
We’re looking for a Strategic Communications Manager to help us communicate our work and connect with our audiences. As an independent public body, the Judicial Appointments Commission is responsible for designing, planning, and running recruitment campaigns to select judges in the courts and tribunals, up to and including the High Court, as well as non-legal tribunal members. You can read more about our work on our website.
With a new recruitment campaign launched every couple of weeks, and statutory responsibilities to make sure we select candidates on merit and through fair and open competition, it’s essential that our processes are robust, inclusive, and attractive to candidates from the widest possible backgrounds. It’s also essential that our audiences and stakeholders understand our work and our commitment to support a diverse judiciary that represents the society it serves.
Our Strategic Communications Manager plays a vital role in helping us to achieve that ambition. The role works closely with the Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach Manager, Diversity Policy Manager and operational teams to deliver communications campaigns that explain and promote our busy programme of selection activity. From developing case studies that inspire new audiences, to demystifying our applications processes and helping candidates access the support they need to consider a judicial career, our Strategic Communications Manager is at the heart of bringing our work to life.
Working across a range of channels, the Strategic Communications Manager will deliver outreach activities, support media enquiries, monitor and analyse our media coverage and ensure our website, social media channels, newsletters and internal communications products meet the needs of our audiences.
You should relish the challenge of working in a small but dynamic team, collaborating with colleagues who are passionate about the JAC’s mission.
Main Responsibilities
Reporting to the Senior Strategic Communications Manager, your main responsibilities will be to:
Provide communications advice and support for JAC colleagues including managing the website and intranet, collating newsletters, supporting the handling of media enquiries, and media monitoring.
Working closely with the Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach Manager, advise on effective communication approaches and support the delivery of outreach and engagement campaigns for JAC selection exercises, using a variety of channels to suit the audience. This includes measuring and evaluating outreach campaigns, ensuring lessons learned are recorded for future campaigns.
There may also be a requirement to support the delivery of outreach and engagement campaign for selection exercises, particularly those that have historically seen limited underrepresentation of the JAC’s target group candidates.
Create and publish written and visual content for JAC operations and policy teams across digital (including social media), print and internal channels.
Leading and delivering projects outlined within the Communications and Engagement Strategy.
Contribute towards regular evaluation of communications campaigns and activity, analysing findings and making recommendations for change and improvement.
Identify the best channels and formats for information and suggest ideas to reach relevant audiences.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.
Essential Criteria
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills and ability to build good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to prioritise a busy workload and manage multiple priorities to agreed timelines while ensuring a high-quality service.
Knowledge of different communications channels and tools and ability to provide advice on the most appropriate channels depending on context and user needs.
Experience of producing content for a range of channels including digital, social and/or print.
Strong team working skills and ability to work flexibly to support a small team.
Strong IT and digital skills, including the ability to quickly learn to use unfamiliar software to a good standard, with appropriate training.
Desirable Criteria
Knowledge of campaign planning methodology.
Knowledge of evaluating communication campaigns, including using web analytics tools, and how to use this data to improve communications.
Experience in project management.
What we can offer you
We offer a range of benefits including an attractive annual leave allowance, flexible and hybrid working opportunities, and choice of pension schemes. We actively encourage all staff to undertake learning and development as part of their personal objectives and have a range of networks to support and promote inclusivity, wellbeing, and dignity at work among other things.
Are you a creative communicator with a passion for communicating with diverse audiences? Are you comfortable working across a range of communication channels and platforms? Can you help our teams reach new audiences by bringing our stories to life? If the answer is yes, you could be exactly who we are looking for.
The Role
We’re looking for a Strategic Communications Manager to help us communicate our work and connect with our audiences. As an independent public body, the Judicial Appointments Commission is responsible for designing, planning, and running recruitment campaigns to select judges in the courts and tribunals, up to and including the High Court, as well as non-legal tribunal members. You can read more about our work on our website.
With a new recruitment campaign launched every couple of weeks, and statutory responsibilities to make sure we select candidates on merit and through fair and open competition, it’s essential that our processes are robust, inclusive, and attractive to candidates from the widest possible backgrounds. It’s also essential that our audiences and stakeholders understand our work and our commitment to support a diverse judiciary that represents the society it serves.
Our Strategic Communications Manager plays a vital role in helping us to achieve that ambition. The role works closely with the Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach Manager, Diversity Policy Manager and operational teams to deliver communications campaigns that explain and promote our busy programme of selection activity. From developing case studies that inspire new audiences, to demystifying our applications processes and helping candidates access the support they need to consider a judicial career, our Strategic Communications Manager is at the heart of bringing our work to life.
Working across a range of channels, the Strategic Communications Manager will deliver outreach activities, support media enquiries, monitor and analyse our media coverage and ensure our website, social media channels, newsletters and internal communications products meet the needs of our audiences.
You should relish the challenge of working in a small but dynamic team, collaborating with colleagues who are passionate about the JAC’s mission.
Main Responsibilities
Reporting to the Senior Strategic Communications Manager, your main responsibilities will be to:
Provide communications advice and support for JAC colleagues including managing the website and intranet, collating newsletters, supporting the handling of media enquiries, and media monitoring.
Working closely with the Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach Manager, advise on effective communication approaches and support the delivery of outreach and engagement campaigns for JAC selection exercises, using a variety of channels to suit the audience. This includes measuring and evaluating outreach campaigns, ensuring lessons learned are recorded for future campaigns.
There may also be a requirement to support the delivery of outreach and engagement campaign for selection exercises, particularly those that have historically seen limited underrepresentation of the JAC’s target group candidates.
Create and publish written and visual content for JAC operations and policy teams across digital (including social media), print and internal channels.
Leading and delivering projects outlined within the Communications and Engagement Strategy.
Contribute towards regular evaluation of communications campaigns and activity, analysing findings and making recommendations for change and improvement.
Identify the best channels and formats for information and suggest ideas to reach relevant audiences.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.
Essential Criteria
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills and ability to build good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to prioritise a busy workload and manage multiple priorities to agreed timelines while ensuring a high-quality service.
Knowledge of different communications channels and tools and ability to provide advice on the most appropriate channels depending on context and user needs.
Experience of producing content for a range of channels including digital, social and/or print.
Strong team working skills and ability to work flexibly to support a small team.
Strong IT and digital skills, including the ability to quickly learn to use unfamiliar software to a good standard, with appropriate training.
Desirable Criteria
Knowledge of campaign planning methodology.
Knowledge of evaluating communication campaigns, including using web analytics tools, and how to use this data to improve communications.
Experience in project management.
What we can offer you
We offer a range of benefits including an attractive annual leave allowance, flexible and hybrid working opportunities, and choice of pension schemes. We actively encourage all staff to undertake learning and development as part of their personal objectives and have a range of networks to support and promote inclusivity, wellbeing, and dignity at work among other things.