Head of Communications and Engagement

Vacancy Information

Division / Department - Media and Communications
Grade - M4 
Status - Full Time 
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - £85,359 - £101,163
Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - No
Politically Restricted - No
Location - Sussex Police Headquarters, Lewes 

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time. 

Chief Constables' Message

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.

We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner

The Role & Key Responsibilities

This is an exciting time to be joining Sussex Police. Having been assessed by our independent Inspectorate as a well performing force, we continue to improve the service we deliver to the public – we are answering calls quicker than any other force, we are bringing more offenders to justice, and we are a force that many are seeking to join.

Sussex Police is looking for a dynamic, creative and highly experienced communications and engagement specialist to lead the force’s Corporate Communications and Engagement team. This role is critical in maintaining the trust and confidence of our communities and you will be pivotal in ensuring that Sussex Police deliver an outstanding service to the public.

Reporting into the Deputy Chief Constable, you will be an integral member of our extended Chief Officer team. As the Head of Profession and the strategic advisor to our Chief Officers you will experience unique leadership challenges which will see you leading the delivery of external communications ranging from organisational issues such as the force’s ambitious transformation strategy through to operational issues arising from major incidents. You will also be responsible for the effective management of internal communications to ensure that our workforce is highly engaged and motivated to deliver the Chief Constable’s strategy to Protect, Catch, Deliver.  Finally, as a collaborated force, you will seek to build upon the close relationships with counterparts in Surrey Police to ensure a joined-up approach to those staff working within joint functions.

Based at Police Headquarters in Lewes, East Sussex, you will be expected to travel throughout Sussex and outside of county as required. You will also be required to work evenings and weekends when operational commitments determine. In return we offer a competitive benefits package which includes an excellent pension scheme, mileage allowance, opportunities for flexible and agile working, and executive health checks.

Skills & Experience

For this strategically important role we are looking for candidates who possess the following:

• Public-service centred individual with a track record in building public trust and confidence within communities.
• Exceptional leadership skills with extensive experience of leading outcome-focused teams.
• Substantial experience in a communications discipline or degree-level education or equivalent professional qualification with a commitment to Continued Professional Development.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering major communications projects across multiple channels.
• Exceptional influencing skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships within complex operational environments and across organisations.
• Experience in delivering crisis management responses to emerging and ongoing critical incidents.
• Political acumen to ensure the effective stakeholder management during complex local and national structural changes.
• Strong ability to balance and manage conflict between short- and long-term priorities and reactive/proactive work.
• Effective budgetary management to excellent deliver value for money.

Why Work With Us?

Policing is an exciting 24/7 business and we all have commitments outside work. We’re invested in supporting people to balance their life with work and we encourage flexible working. We are open to conversations about job shares and part time working. We encourage agile working, giving you the opportunity to manage your own diary and work wherever you give the best service to the public. This may include flexi-time and home working.

We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;

• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme

Please use the following links for more information on the benefits of working with Sussex Police

Further Information

The process

We are seeking the very best applicants for this critical position. The recruitment process will consist of:

• Application evidencing relevant career history and achievements.
• Panel interview chaired by the Chief Constable, with panel members including the Deputy Chief Constable and an external communications professional. The interview will consist of a presentation (topic given following shortlisting) followed by structured competency questions including an operational scenario. The interviews will be held on Friday 3rd July.
• The successful candidate will require SC clearance prior to appointment into the role.

Any further questions or queries, please contact Julie Rackley (Julie.Rackley@surrey.police.uk), Lyubov Rackham (Lyubov.Rackham@sussex.police.uk) or Max Brown (Maxine.Brown1@sussex.police.uk).

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people.  It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police

Additional Information

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly.  You may wish to consider adding noreply@policejobssurreyandsussex.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.

This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes.  Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference.  This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;

• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.