Strategic Communications Lead (Census 2031)

This role requires strong leadership, management, and influencing skills. You will develop the delivery model for the communications and marketing strategy as well as leading day to day activity across a range of disciplines. You will work closely with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including other census-taking bodies across the UK, ensuring our messages reach the whole of Scotland.

You should note that Scotland’s Census is a time limited project which will run until 2031 depending on the role. Staff who are on permanent contracts will remain with NRS after this time whilst a new, suitable role is found. Please contact the line manager named in this advert if you have any further questions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the strategic communications and marketing delivery model for Scotland’s Census in 2031 and the rehearsal in 2029.
• Lead the development and implementation of the Scotland's Census brand and ensure consistency across all channels, products and partner communications.
• Coordinate and lead day to day communications activity across a range of disciplines to ensure integrated delivery.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including public sector partners, and other census-taking bodies.
• Set clear, measurable communications objectives and lead evaluation efforts.
• Lead a team of communications practitioners and support their professional development.

Success Profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.

Experience:

1. The role requires demonstrable experience of leading the development and delivery of a large-scale, multi-channel communications or marketing campaign, ideally one requiring audience segmentation to reach a whole population or a similarly broad and diverse audience, and evidence of translating strategic objectives into an operational delivery plan across multiple communications disciplines.
2. Evidence is also required of building and leading productive working relationships with partner organisations, including working across organisational boundaries in areas such as central or local government, arm's-length bodies or delivery partners, and of influencing and securing buy-in for communications strategy from senior stakeholders, including at board or director level.

Behaviours:

• Leadership - Level 4
• Making effective decisions – Level 4
• Delivering at pace – Level 4

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 1500 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation.

Initial review of the applications (sift) is planned for the week after the advert closes but may be subject to change. Assessment date still to be scheduled.

Skilled Worker Sponsorship not being offered

Skilled worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require skilled worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About us

We are the trusted producer of Scotland’s population statistics, including taking the Census of Scotland’s population every 10 years. The next Census is in 2031 and will be delivered in partnership with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA). This is one of the largest digital programmes delivered in Scotland, gathering data from every household across a population of c.5.7m. Census data is used by government, local authorities, health boards, the third and private sectors to plan national and local services and informs the allocation of billions of pounds of UK and Scottish Government public funds each year.

NRS is a Non-Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government & and our staff are part UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week, and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role.

Candidates should note that office attendance will be needed at points for collaboration sessions but there are currently no fixed set days in addition there will be occasional travel to other UK agencies. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Equality statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

Scotland’s Census is a time limited project which will run until 2032 depending on the role. Please contact the hiring manager if you have any further questions.

This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only. External candidates and staff from UK Other Government Departments are not eligible to apply for this vacancy.