NCSC Speechwriter and External Affairs Manager
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Job Summary
GCHQ, is an intelligence, cyber and security agency with a mission to keep the UK safe. We use cutting-edge technology, ingenuity and partnerships to identify, analyse and disrupt threats. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ you'll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, is the UK Government's lead authority on cyber security. The organisation is at the heart of the Government's cyber security strategy and has the aim of making the UK the safest place to live and work online.
As Speechwriter and External Affairs Manager for the NCSC, you will support the wider Strategic Planning and External Affairs function. This includes:
• Supporting the Head of External Affairs in the delivery of the NCSC's External Affairs strategy, aligned to the overarching communications and organisational strategy, to ensure NCSC engages effectively with government, public and private sector stakeholders ranging from big tech companies and charities, to law enforcement and wider intelligence community colleagues.
• Writing agenda-setting speeches for the CEO and senior NCSC representatives, working with a range of internal stakeholders to ensure speaking engagements and speeches align with the NCSC and wider GCHQ's strategic priorities.
• Building and maintaining effective and proactive relationships with key organisations and teams to support the organisation's objectives.
• Contributing to the development of stakeholder mapping, and development of a detailed two-way engagement plan for each stakeholder group.
• Researching and reporting on opportunities and risks for our relationships with key external stakeholders.
• Contributing to the effective evaluation of activities against the External Affairs Strategy, and assist in the preparation of reports, lessons learned and learning tools for improved delivery.
• Gathering regular feedback, from stakeholders, from a variety of public channels and via direct engagement.
• Assisting in the production of briefings, events and other communications material for key stakeholders to promote better understanding of key issues and initiatives.
• Supporting the External Affairs Manager and the Strategic Planning and Speakers' Officer as required. Working with colleagues across digital, media, advice and guidance, strategic planning and internal communications to ensure communications activity is joined up and messaging is consistent.
Job Description
What will the successful candidate be doing?
Speech writing
• Demonstrating excellent oral and written communication skills, which bring together the bigger picture on national and international cyber security issues.
• Staying informed of emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit our work, and may be relevant to include in high-profile, agenda-setting speeches.
External Affairs
• Building and delivering effective communications strategies, including stakeholder mapping, insight gathering and evaluation.
• Maintaining working level relationships with stakeholders from a wide range of sectors.
• Developing policy-specific knowledge to effectively understand the potential for new and existing stakeholder development.
• Assisting in the production of, and co-ordinating, high-quality presentations, speaking notes and briefing materials for high profile NCSC speakers for conferences, webinars, roundtables etc.
• Championing best practice stakeholder engagement.
• Collaborating with colleagues across the digital content, media, guidance and events teams, and across wider government to gather and share communication activity to ensure alignment and to seek deconfliction where needed.
• Building and maintaining relationships with teams across the organisation to ensure the NCSC continues to land strategic messaging to the right audiences.
• Working closely with colleagues across government to coordinate communications activity.
Person Specification
The successful applicant will need to have:
• Experience working in a fast-moving communications environment.
• Experience of speech-writing, or other written communications for public audiences.
• Experience working with a broad set of stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
• An interest in politics and the work of GCHQ/NCSC.
• A great work ethic and commitment to working in a team environment.
GCHQ Competencies
The NCSC will assess you against competencies used by the UK Intelligence Community and the Government Communications Service (GCS). These competencies are based closely on the Civil Service Behaviours . The Level 3 competencies you'll assessed against are:
• Seeing the Big Picture (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Seeing the Big Picture)
• Communicating and Influencing (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Communicating and Influencing)
• Working Collaboratively (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Working Together)
• Making Effective Decisions (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Making Effective Decisions)
• Delivering Outcomes (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Delivering at Pace)
Further information on Civil Service Behaviours
Benefits and Rewards
At NCSC and GCHQ, we are proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment that's designed to encourage open minds and attitudes. As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we are committed to helping you fulfil your potential. With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we will enable you to flourish in your role and perform to the very best of your abilities.
You'll receive a starting salary of £50,937.
As this role is based in central London, you'll receive an additional £6,250 London Allowance.
Other benefits:
• 25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
• An environment with flexible working options
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave.
• Excellent pension scheme - Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Equal Opportunities
At GCHQ diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website: Diversity & Inclusion | GCHQ Careers (gchq-careers.co.uk)
Disability Confident
GCHQ are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP's Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our 'Offer of Interview' (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:
• Demonstrate the ability to work in a fast-moving, communications environment with tight deadlines - assessed at CV sift.
• Demonstrate the ability to build and maintain relationships with, and map, a broad set of stakeholders in the public and private sectors - assessed at CV sift.
• Demonstrate the ability to write speeches, and other written communications for public audiences - assessed at CV sift.
Selection Process
What to Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
1. Online Application.
2. Application sift, looking at your motivation for the role and the organisation.
3. In person Interview and written assessment.
4. If successful, you'll receive a conditional offer of employment.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
Before You Apply
To work at GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here .
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It's something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here .
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can't take any recreational drugs and you'll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more discretely.
The role is based in Central London , so you'll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
The closing date for this role is: 03/10/2024
Right to Withdraw Statement:
Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.