9008 - Head of Recruitment and Retention Communications
| Posting date: | 13 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £81,000 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 31 August 2025 |
| Location: | UK |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 9008 |
Summary
The Role
This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional communications leader to join the Ministry of Justice’s Communications Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in a new role as Deputy Director, Recruitment and Retention Communications, reporting into the Director of Communications.
In this senior leadership position, you will deal with some of the department’s highest priority issues. You will lead two teams in the Communications Directorate, which both play a critical role in the department’s delivery of frontline services.
Firstly, you will lead the Recruitment Marketing Team - setting the direction for recruitment marketing campaigns across our portfolio. These can range from multi-million-pound campaigns to recruit thousands of staff, such as our prison and probation officer recruitment campaigns, to smaller campaigns to recruit niche, hard-to-fill roles. The team’s work is critical to making sure that MoJ can deliver its priorities of delivering swift access to Justice, protecting the public and reducing reoffending.
Secondly, you will lead the Prisons Resourcing Communications Team which delivers high-impact communications to help build recognition for the work professionals do in prisons and support the retention of critical frontline staff.
The team has a central hub, as well as dispersed regional teams charged with building positive PR for prisons at a national, local and hyper-local level; supporting prisons in their local outreach and candidate communications; and working with HMPPS Communications to help prisons to improve their local internal communications and engagement activity.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the Recruitment Marketing Team, setting the direction for recruitment marketing campaigns across our portfolio
Develop campaigns which, as well as, driving the right number of applications, focus on delivering numbers in the right locations in the country, and that diversity of applicants is representative of the communities we serve
Lead the procurement and management of a number of agencies who we work with on elements of campaign activity, including creative, channel planning and media buying. You will ensure these agencies are being held to account for delivering against our objectives, and delivering value for money for the taxpayer
Lead the Prisons Resourcing Communications Team which delivers high-impact communications to help build recognition for the work professionals do in prisons and support the retention of critical frontline staff
Lead on advice to seniors and Ministers, developing the team’s strategic approach, advising on budget breakdown, and ensuring evaluation is in place to ensure you can learn from what’s working and adapt your approach accordingly, as well as showcasing the team’s ROI
Ensure necessary approvals are in place for communications spend, both within the department and from Cabinet Office where required
Ensure the work of your team is executed to brilliant standards, fostering a culture of improvement and innovation, and evaluating performance on an ongoing basis
Develop strong networks, including engaging across the Government Communications Service
Lead a team of approximately 35 people, setting direction and ensuring high standards are met.
This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional communications leader to join the Ministry of Justice’s Communications Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in a new role as Deputy Director, Recruitment and Retention Communications, reporting into the Director of Communications.
In this senior leadership position, you will deal with some of the department’s highest priority issues. You will lead two teams in the Communications Directorate, which both play a critical role in the department’s delivery of frontline services.
Firstly, you will lead the Recruitment Marketing Team - setting the direction for recruitment marketing campaigns across our portfolio. These can range from multi-million-pound campaigns to recruit thousands of staff, such as our prison and probation officer recruitment campaigns, to smaller campaigns to recruit niche, hard-to-fill roles. The team’s work is critical to making sure that MoJ can deliver its priorities of delivering swift access to Justice, protecting the public and reducing reoffending.
Secondly, you will lead the Prisons Resourcing Communications Team which delivers high-impact communications to help build recognition for the work professionals do in prisons and support the retention of critical frontline staff.
The team has a central hub, as well as dispersed regional teams charged with building positive PR for prisons at a national, local and hyper-local level; supporting prisons in their local outreach and candidate communications; and working with HMPPS Communications to help prisons to improve their local internal communications and engagement activity.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the Recruitment Marketing Team, setting the direction for recruitment marketing campaigns across our portfolio
Develop campaigns which, as well as, driving the right number of applications, focus on delivering numbers in the right locations in the country, and that diversity of applicants is representative of the communities we serve
Lead the procurement and management of a number of agencies who we work with on elements of campaign activity, including creative, channel planning and media buying. You will ensure these agencies are being held to account for delivering against our objectives, and delivering value for money for the taxpayer
Lead the Prisons Resourcing Communications Team which delivers high-impact communications to help build recognition for the work professionals do in prisons and support the retention of critical frontline staff
Lead on advice to seniors and Ministers, developing the team’s strategic approach, advising on budget breakdown, and ensuring evaluation is in place to ensure you can learn from what’s working and adapt your approach accordingly, as well as showcasing the team’s ROI
Ensure necessary approvals are in place for communications spend, both within the department and from Cabinet Office where required
Ensure the work of your team is executed to brilliant standards, fostering a culture of improvement and innovation, and evaluating performance on an ongoing basis
Develop strong networks, including engaging across the Government Communications Service
Lead a team of approximately 35 people, setting direction and ensuring high standards are met.