23457 - Communication Manager

The Wales Office, part of the Ministry of Justice, is looking for an experienced communications professional to join their team in London or Cardiff. The role sits at the intersection of policy and public storytelling, helping ministers and senior officials explain UK government priorities to audiences in Wales. It’s a permanent, full-time post with hybrid working arrangements and a focus on delivering clear, evidence-led messages that land with diverse audiences.

The Wales Office Communications Team is a small, high-performing group that partners with colleagues across Whitehall and the Government Communication Service to shape and share government work in a way that matters to Welsh audiences. The successful candidate will blend strategy, media handling, digital content, and stakeholder relations to keep ministers connected with communities across Wales, and will do so from either Cardiff or London, with travel between sites sometimes required.

A day in the life of a Wales Office communicator

You’ll help shape longer-term communication strategies that align with ministerial priorities and policy goals, working closely with the Head of Communications to turn insight into practical plans. The role mixes creative and analytical work: developing audience insight, evaluating how campaigns perform, and reporting on what’s working to senior leaders. You’ll support both proactive and reactive media activity, assist with major announcements, and contribute to events and ministerial visits, while maintaining resilience during busy periods and handling out-of-hours media calls as part of a rotating on-call system. Building and sustaining strong relationships with ministers, private offices, senior officials, and journalists sits at the core of the job, and you’ll need to translate complex issues into clear, accurate, and engaging messages across multiple channels.

The essentials you’ll bring

• Experience in crafting long-term communications plans that support ministerial aims and organisational priorities.
• Ability to turn data, audience insights, and research into campaigns and to measure their impact.
• Track record of providing strategic communications guidance to senior stakeholders.
• Skill in spotting risks and opportunities and turning complex topics into clear messaging.
• Strong grasp of the national news agenda, social media trends, and media handling, with solid news judgment and political awareness.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills, with experience producing high-quality content for various audiences and channels.
• Proven ability to draft statements, press releases and briefings for different stakeholders and audiences.
• Good organisational and planning abilities, comfortable juggling priorities and meeting tight deadlines.
• Strong networking skills and the confidence to build and maintain a broad contact base.
• Team player mindset, able to collaborate effectively and support colleagues to meet shared goals.

• A Welsh-language ability is desirable for this post.

Pay, benefits and practical details

The salary landscape includes a national range of £42,914 to £46,182, with a London range of £49,325 to £53,081. Your exact salary will depend on your base location. The role is permanent and full-time, with a working pattern that can include hybrid arrangements. The successful candidate will be based in Cardiff or London, with travel between sites and possibly elsewhere to nurture relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. A Civil Service National Security Clearance (SC) is required, and applicants must meet the residency requirements for SC. The Wales Office notes that staff are MoJ employees who provide employment services on behalf of the office, and it requires office presence, with a minimum 60% of time spent in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Additional benefits include a pension choice within the Civil Service schemes, training opportunities, and flexible working options where feasible. The role involves an on-call element for media-related out-of-hours activity, with training provided.

Closing date for applications is 02-Nov-2026. For nationally advertised roles, successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office to their home postcode, on its pay scale and site type (HQ, Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office).

Advice for applicants

Lead with a concrete example in your application that shows you shaped a strategic communication plan aligned to ministerial priorities. Focus on a scenario where evidence, insight and policy objectives came together to produce a clear outcome.

Highlight a campaign or project where you used audience insight and performance data to steer activity and demonstrate impact. Include concrete metrics or outcomes if you can.

Be prepared to discuss how you’ve advised senior stakeholders on a high-stakes issue, including your approach to media relations, stakeholder briefings, and any out-of-hours responses.

If you have Welsh language skills, bring a bilingual example to illustrate how you’d communicate with Welsh audiences; if not, point to other cross-border or cross-stakeholder communications you’ve produced and your readiness to operate across Wales.

How to apply

MoJ contact for assistance: 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or [email protected]. Please quote the job reference: 23457.