The Cabinet Office has created a new permanent secretary-level role which will lead a "radical" transformation of government communications.
The director of government communications will replace Simon Baugh, who is currently chief executive of the Government Communication Service – a director-general level position – and who announced his departure yesterday.
Writing on LinkedIn, Baugh said it was "time for a new challenge" after more than 10 years in government and nearly four leading the GCS.
He said: “It has been an absolute privilege to lead such a fantastic group of communications professionals. I am very proud of the work we have done together to deliver a more modern, efficient, and joined up service."
Baugh added: "There has probably never been a more challenging time to work in government. If you had told me before I started that I’d see six prime ministers, Brexit, a global pandemic, and a war in Europe, I might never have joined! But these are the most important and purposeful comms roles anyone gets a chance to do.
"If you want to work with great people, hone your craft at the highest level and do work that matters then spend some time in government. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the last ten years. I will always be extremely grateful.”
Baugh said he will "see through the transition before returning to the private sector".
Baugh earned a salary of £180,000 as of March 31, while the advert for the new and more senior director of communications position sets out a salary £180,000-200,000 for external candidates. For current civil servants, the salary will be agreed in line with the civil service pay rules in place on the date of appointment.
The job advert says the director of government communications “will play a pivotal role overseeing major reform of how the UK government communicates with the public” and will “deliver a step change in the impact of the Government Communication Service”.
It says the communications leadership team in No.10 is delivering a “new comms strategy to reflect the changed comms landscape, and the government’s commitment to running lean, agile and focused machinery of state”.
The director of government communications “will be driving and delivering the radical redesign of the way the Government Communication Service operates in line with this strategy”, the advert says.
It adds: “The position will modernise and coordinate the Government Communication Service’s output across all departments and agencies. The DGCS will be instrumental in ensuring that government communications is clear, coherent, and delivering the government’s priorities.”
Alongside driving a radical redesign of government comms, key responsibilities for the role include:
- Ensuring that the communications strategy set by the centre is “delivered across government and associated agencies, reflecting the government’s objectives and effectively engaging with all parts of society, using a variety of communication channels and approaches”
- Overseeing the implementation of a “unified communications approach, ensuring that messaging is consistent, strategic, and delivered effectively across all platforms”.
- Alongside the political communications team in No.10, advising all cabinet ministers to ensure all departmental communications are consistent with the wider cross-government comms strategy.
- Strengthening HMG’s online and social media offering, “utilising cutting edge analytics to develop, target and improve comms campaigns”.
The director of government communications will also be asked to design, deliver and implement a “rigorous” performance management approach for departmental communications, working closely with departmental directors of comms to agree associated key performance indicators.
And they will be tasked with strengthening media relations by “improving standards and practices across departments, ensuring proactive engagement and responsive communication with media organisations”.
They will also be responsible for the capability of the Government Communications Profession, including “innovation and adoption of new technologies to ensure a diverse audience for government communications and ensuring that the government communications profession reflects a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds”.
The candidate pack says the Cabinet Office is seeking individuals with “extensive experience in a senior communications role within a complex organisation, ideally with experience of engaging with the public sector or delivering impact on matters of public interest”.
Candidates should also have a “proven track record of leading large-scale communication strategies that have successfully engaged diverse audiences and delivered positive outcomes, with an exceptional understanding of the media landscape and political context”.
Given the role demands the ability to drive major reforms, the Cabinet Office is also looking for candidates with the “capacity to develop and implement innovative communication processes and initiatives, with a focus on continuous improvement and adaptation, combined with experience of change management and organisational transformation, ideally within a communications context”.
Other essential criteria include strong news judgement and experience of managing media interactions; and demonstrable experience of fostering collaboration and coalition-building across various stakeholders, including senior leaders and governmental officials, with excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.
The candidate pack also says the successful candidate will hold this post for up to five years from the date of appointment and that there is no presumption in favour of renewal, “but renewals for a shorter period than five years may be possible where performance has been strong, following consultation with the cabinet secretary and at the discretion of the prime minister”.
Candidates have until 23:55pm on 15 June to apply. Shortlisted candidates will undertake assessments, followed by a panel interview chaired by the first civil service commissioner, Gisela Stuart, in early July. The panel will include the cabinet secretary, Sir Chris Wormald.