Welsh Parliament Human Resources
Head of Engagement Information Pack
SC-014-20
Welcome from the Director of Communications and Engagement
Arwyn Jones, Director of Communications and Engagement
Thank you for your interest in this exciting opportunity. We’re looking for someone who can connect the Senedd with the people of Wales. We’re really proud of our innovative work in reaching out to citizens. Now we’re looking for someone who can build on our physical, face-to- face activities and deliver ground-breaking digital and virtual engagement.
We’re looking for a candidate who has insight and experience of effecting behavioural change in terms of communities who have historically been disengaged with the Welsh Parliament. For us, it’s not enough to inform citizens; we want meaningful engagement which leads to the public influencing and directly informing our work.
I spent sixteen years as a journalist covering Welsh politics and have seen how the Senedd and its work can help to shape policies which impact on all our lives. It was a privilege last year to be appointed to a role overseeing how we share our work with the public. During the Covid-19 pandemic there is more awareness and focus on what we do; therefore, we are seeking someone who is as passionate and committed as we are in making sure the Welsh Parliament is listening to those new voices.
2 Post Reference: SC-014-20
Job Title: Head of Engagement
Salary: £66,001 – £77,184 (Executive Band 1 – G6)
Duration: Permanent
Service: Communications and Engagement Directorate
Location: Senedd, Tŷ Hywel, Cardiff Bay
We’re currently homeworking. Once we can return to the office safely, this role can either be based in Cardiff Bay or can be home-based with occasional attendance at Cardiff.
Pattern of Working: This is a full-time post although flexible working arrangements will be considered, subject to meeting the needs of the Senedd and its Members.
Security Clearance: This position has been assessed as requiring a ‘SC’ level of security vetting. For candidates who do not currently possess this level of clearance, appointment would be subject to the successful completion of this level of security vetting.
Purpose of the post:
We have an exciting opportunity for a talented and experienced Head of Engagement to join our Communications and Engagement Directorate and shape our offering at this unprecedented time. We are looking for a highly capable and enthusiastic leader to shape and drive forward our engagement strategy andrelated activities . This role is perfect for someone with exceptional leadership and strategic communications skills and for someone to develop their senior level experience and continue their career path within the Senedd Commission.
As one of the three Senedd Commission directorates, the Communications and Engagement directorate is engaged in a range of activity designed to ensure that the Senedd is playing the lead role in developing engaged citizens from across Wales and an informed and participative democracy.
As Head of Engagement you will be responsible for driving the development and delivery of all strategic engagement plans and stakeholder activities across the Senedd Commission, this includes:
– Community engagement – Education and youth engagement – Citizen engagement – Welsh Youth Parliament – Audience insights – Public Information and customer service – Engagement delivered on the estate
3 Working collaboratively with the Head of Communications and the Director of Communications and Engagement, this role will be responsible for ensuring that the Senedd understands the diversity of Wales and engages all its communities inclusively via the most effective means, and across varying platforms. They will also ensure that our engagement activities fit with our other corporate strategies including our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
You’ll sit on our Leadership Team and have vital strategic input into delivering the Commission objectives, adding your in-depth, insight and experience to ensure the Senedd is playing the lead role in developing engaged citizens from across all communities in Wales. The aim is to make sure we are an informed, engaged and participative democracy, and that the pariticpation is meaningful to people.
You will also have a shared responsibility for embedding the organisation’s corporate values and its approach to continuous improvement. You will maintain a consistent and effective approach to the management of people, processes and resources bringing teams to work together as a cohesive unit and provide a streamlined engagement service to the organisation.
This is a key role in winning the hearts and minds of the people of Wales and embedding an understanding of our Senedd democracy across the population in Wales. We need a person who thrives on challenge, variety and influencing senior figures on a daily basis.
Core Responsibilities:
Key tasks:
Reporting to the Director of Communications and Engagement you will be responsible for: -
• providing expert leadership and advice on public relations, stakeholder engagement, visitor journey and our education and learning functions. The post holder will be expected to continually develop and deliver an engagement and stakeholder strategy on behalf of the organisation, thereby promoting public confidence in the Senedd and its role in Welsh democracy, building upon the established effective communications channels and ensuring regular and effective two-way dialogue with stakeholders.
• You will ensure there is a comprehensive pan-Wales, multi media customer journey to convert the dis-interested or un-engaged into informed and engaged citizens thereby facilitating a participative democracy. You will develop a
4 compelling narrative through a variety of platforms, both traditional and technical, about Senedd Cymru using a story-telling, real life approach where appropriate.
• You and the team will promote of the Senedd building as an iconic venue of National significance; the home of Welsh democracy and Welsh excellence; and a prime destination venue. You will also further the ambition of reimagining the engagement potentials of the Senedd estate (including Siambr Hywel, Pierhead and Colwyn Bay).
• Working closely with the Head of Communications, you will develop and maintain Senedd Cymru’s reputation, public profile and enhance understanding of its work and to drive a citizen-focused culture throughout the organisation and lead the development and implementation of messages around the Senedd’s four key functions:
- representing Wales and its people
- making laws for Wales
- agreeing Welsh taxes
- holding the Welsh Government to account.
• You will play an active role in the Leadership Team, offering constructive challenge to ensure engagement is proactive, innovative and planned and considered at an early stage in Senedd activities.
• You will provide of regular, evidence based reports to the Executive Board and Leadership Team on stakeholder feedback, issues identified and engagement effectiveness, using a system or a process that you will develop, that ensures all our activities are backed by robust data modelling.
• Oversee all Service Area governance and budgetary activities to ensure adequate controls are in in place and risks are managed with effective administration, including recording relevant statistics, and KPIs.
Job Specific skills and Competencies:
This section states which skills and experience are deemed to be essential for this role, and also which are considered desirable.
You should refer to these job specific criteria in your application form.
5 Job Specific criteria:
1. Experience of working working closely with, and providing clear, balanced advice to, an executive group, along with experience of leading and managing teams through a coaching and mentoring style to motivate different individuals, maximise performance and grows the skills of the team.
2. Experience of quickly developing strong working relationships with key individuals internally and externally, with proven ability to take the initiative, fostering innovation to bring forward new ideas and come up with innovative solutions to problems, taking into account business context and constraints.
3. Significant experience of delivering innovative engagement activities across a diverse organisation with different audiences, priorities and pressures and activity across multiple platforms is essential, along with a good understanding of the importance of language, heritage and culture, as would an understanding of political issues.
4. Expert knowledge in marketing and engagement best practice, having added measurable value to organisations through application of these principles and in response to customer requirements, along with knowledge of the latest evaluation techniques to measure the effectiveness of communications and external relations activities delivered, including digital engagement activities.
5. The ability to proactively manage budgets and undertake financial analysis, reporting and forecasting procedures.
6. A relevant professional qualification such as Membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Membership of the Chartered Institute of Marketing or equivalent. Candidates with relevant experience to be able to apply for and obtain membership will be considered and supported to do so.
Welsh language criteria:
The language skills for this post have been assessed as Courtesy Level Welsh.
Candidates should have the ability to:
. To pronounce Welsh names, answer the telephone, greet people or make introductions bilingually
. To understand and use proactively familiar, everyday, expressions
. To understand very short texts where people are giving basic information about themselves or others in correspondence, on forms or to interpret content using the technology available.
6 These skills will be assessed as part of the selection process. If the successful candidate does not possess these skills, they will be expected to commit to learn them during an agreed period.
Examples of what to expect for a courtesy level Welsh assessment are provided on our resources web page
Level Competency Areas and Behaviours:
These are the specific competencies that you will be expected to demonstrate in this role.
Competency areas and Behaviours will be assessed at interview stage and do not need to be addressed within your application form.
Leadership (Giving purpose and direction to ensure people are motivated and inspired to deliver change and our Vision and Values).
• strong leadership qualities with the ability to communicate strategic purpose and direction and drive change;
• the ability to make a strong and constructive contribution to the Leadership Team.
Working With and Valuing Others (Getting the best from people through good management and by valuing diversity)
• the ability to develop high performing, inclusive and innovative teams with a strong customer ethos;
• the communication skills, tact and personal impact to win the trust and confidence of Senedd Members, other senior figures and colleagues.
Learning and Improving - Continuously improving the way we work by learning from experience and encouraging creativity and innovation to provide fresh solutions.
• flair, creative thinking and the ability to manage change and considered risk;
• resilience and the ability to overcome obstacles calmly and to find pragmatic solutions to problems.
Delivering Results to our Customers - Focusing on outcomes and a high quality service to customers and partners.
• exceptional personal drive and impact;
7 • essential judgement to balance the differing requirements of committee chairs, Members, committees and the Senedd Commission and implement appropriate services to meet those actions.
Development Opportunities Offered by the Post:
The Senedd Commission has achieved platinum standard Investors in People status. You will have opportunities to learn from and share experiences with your counterparts in UK and overseas legislatures.
As the advertised position has management responsibilities, the successful candidate will be required to complete the Senedd Commission’s Manager Programme. This programme will provide the successful candidate with the essential skills and knowledge they need to become a high performing line manager in the Senedd.
If you would like to discuss this role, please contact Arwyn Jones, Director of Communications and Engagement on 0300 200 6491.
8 Working at the Senedd The Senedd is an exciting place to work. We have progressive policies and a commitment to training and development.
When you work here, you’re entitled to:
■ 31 days annual leave per year ■ Incremental pay rise ■ 11 days Public and Privilege ■ Principal Civil Service holidays per year pension scheme
■ Access to occupational health ■ Family friendly policies, including career break, part- ■ Access to Employee time working, job share, term Assistance Programme time working and special leave ■ Supportive work place ■ Generous maternity, foster, equality networks adoption, and shared parental leave
9 Our Values:
Our values are part of everything we do. Together, we’ve created a set of values that celebrate the way we work together, and remind us of who we are and what we stand for.
RESPECT PASSION PRIDE
We are inclusive, We are purposeful in We embrace kind, and value each our support of innovation and other’s contributions democracy and pull celebrate our in delivering together to make a achievements excellent services difference for the together as a team people of Wales
WE ARE ONE TEAM
We look forward to seeing how your values align with ours, so you can help nurture a positive and inclusive culture with us.
10 Our official languages (Welsh and English):
We are fully committed to continuously enhancing and improving our exemplary bilingual services and to being a truly bilingual organisation so that Members of the Senedd, the public and staff can choose to work or communicate naturally in either or both of our official languages, with the use of both languages proactively encouraged and facilitated.
Though we do not require all our staff to be fluent in both our official languages, our expectation is that they are all committed to the delivery of services in both our official languages. To that extent, we expect all Senedd appointees to have, or to acquire during an agreed period, courtesy-level skills in Welsh. All posts are assessed in the context of the service area’s ability to deliver bilingual services to our customers and some posts, therefore, require a higher level of Welsh to facilitate that, such requirements are expressed above.
Diversity and Inclusion: We want to foster an inclusive organisational culture, attracting and retaining the widest range of talent and ensures that all our employees realise their full potential, irrespective of their background. We want our workforce to be more representative of all sections of society at all levels in the organisation.
We welcome applications from a diverse range of people, from all backgrounds and with many different skills, experience and perspectives. We particularly encourage applications from disabled people and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. Find out more about our approach to diversity and inclusion on our website.
All appointments will be made on merit.
How to Apply
Submission of an application form and CV detailing education/professional qualifications and full employment history, including resources managed and relevant achievements/outcomes in recent roles.
Closing Date for applications: 10.00 27 October 2020
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