Publications Officer - Law Commission (Ref: 22719)

Please refer to Job Description

Publications Officer

HEO

Corporate Services Team

Intro: The Law Commission is recruiting permanently for a HEO Publications Officer in the Communications team. This is a role for someone who takes pride in getting things right — who understands the importance of a well-designed, produced, and accessible document.

About the Law Commission

The Law Commission offers an unrivalled opportunity to work on some of the most complex legal and policy questions facing our society. It offers stretching, high quality work, the chance to make a positive difference to our society, access to fulfilling learning and development, and a positive work-life balance.

The Commission has, for 60 years, had a unique role – independent, but at the heart of Government. Its aims are:

• To ensure that the law is as fair, modern, simple and cost-effective as possible.
• To conduct research and consultations in order to make recommendations for reform.
• To codify the law, eliminate anomalies, repeal obsolete and unnecessary enactments and reduce the number of separate statutes.

The Law Commission is an independent non-departmental body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. It has a judicial Chair, four Commissioners, and around 80 members of staff. Its work is organised into four areas: Property, Family and Trust Law; Commercial and Common Law; Public Law and the Law in Wales; and Criminal Law.

Further information about the Law Commission and its work can found at www.lawcom.gov.uk/.

Further information can be found at https://lawcom.gov.uk/working-at-law-commission/.

About the Communications Team:

The Communications Team sits within the wider Corporate Services Team. It is a small, friendly, expert team working across all communications channels; website, intranet, social media, press and media. We work closely with teams across the Law Commission to advise and implement communications plans. In the team, ideas are heard, and the work is genuinely interesting.

The Role

As Publications Officer, you will be the central point of expertise for publication production across the Law Commission's project teams. You will guide colleagues through the full production lifecycle, often to tight timescales from finished text to final printed or digital product working closely with external designers, translators and printers to deliver high-quality, accessible publications on time and within budget. This is a role that requires creativity and the ability to work with autonomy.

The Law Commission produces a wide range of publications reports, consultation papers, summaries — each with its own timeline, and requirements for different formats. You'll be the person who holds all of that together, guiding colleagues through the process with confidence and keeping everything on track even when timelines are tight.

Our publications need to meet brand guidelines and accessibility standards. You'll work closely with external designers, translators and printers to ensure every publication is something we're genuinely proud of, and you'll help embed that same ambition across the organisation.

Some of our most significant publications are laid before Parliament, which brings specific procedural requirements and little margin for error. You'll own the relationship with the Ministry of Justice Parliamentary team and their printers, making sure every report that goes before Parliament is exactly as it should be.

Our internal guidance and production processes are functional — but you'll have the opportunity to review them critically and propose improvements. If you can see a smarter way to do something, we want to hear it.

This is primarily a publications role, but we're a joined-up communications team and there will be real opportunities to get involved in the wider work — whether that's digital, media, press relations and, especially, our growing programme of communications in Wales.

This is a varied, collaborative role that requires strong organisational skills, sound judgement and a working knowledge of design and print production processes.

Essential experience:

• A grounding in project or account management in a publishing, communications or creative production environment.
• Demonstrable knowledge of the publication production process — working with designers, printers and translators.
• Experience of managing multiple concurrent projects essential.

Desirable criteria:

• A working understanding of design software (Adobe InDesign and/or Photoshop).
• Experience of parliamentary or government publication processes.
• Familiarity with government accessibility requirements.
• Background in a legal, policy or research environment.
• Awareness of AI and how it can improve processes.

Ways Of Working

At the Law Commission we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:

• Full-time or the option to job share
• Flexible working patterns

The Law Commission operates flexible working arrangements including a flexi-time scheme and the opportunity to work compressed hours, subject to business needs.

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: Diversity and inclusion – Law Commission

Location:

This position is based at 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AG

This position is eligible for hybrid working. All full-time Law Commission staff are expected to attend the London office at least 2 days a week. This hybrid working arrangement is not contractual and as a result staff could be asked to attend their base location more frequently.

Salary

This role is graded at Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Grade. New staff will normally be appointed at the starting point of the scale; higher starting salaries will be considered in exceptional circumstances.

If you are already a civil servant and are successful in an external recruitment competition for a role with us, your starting pay will be the better of:

• promotion terms or transfer terms, as appropriate; or
• pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)

Duration

The post is full-time.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

Experience

You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process. This will be used to assess your career history, achievements and any demonstrable experience relevant to the role.

You will also be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements set out in the job description and why you are interested in the Publication Officer role.

Behaviours

During the application process you will be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviour (see Annex A for more information):

• Managing A Quality Service — You take ownership of the publication production process, seeking continuous improvement and ensuring the needs of both internal clients and external audiences are consistently met.

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Managing a Quality Service. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing behaviours.

If you have any questions about the role or have any reasonable adjustments, please email: recruitment@lawcommission.gov.uk. Please quote the Job Role in the subject line.

If you require any assistance, please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or email: Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com

Candidates invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely.

During the panel interview, you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of, and to also explore what you enjoy, and your motivations relevant to the job role.

In addition to the Behaviour(s) listed in the application form, you will be asked by the interview panel to provide examples of how you meet the additional behaviours listed below.

• Delivering at Pace — You manage your workload effectively, balancing competing priorities across multiple live projects to ensure publications are delivered on time and to a high standard.
• Working Together — You build strong, productive relationships with project teams, external suppliers and colleagues across government, communicating clearly and collaboratively to achieve shared goals.

Interviews are expected to take place in Early November 2026.

If your application is successful, you will receive a formal letter offering you an appointment that will explain your terms and conditions of service in detail. Your appointment will include a period of probation.

If appointed, you will become a civil servant and will be subject to the Civil Service Code and there will be restrictions on your ability to undertake private practice.

Suitable candidates who are not successful will be held on a reserve list for future posts; such posts may be available in the next 12 months and offered to suitable candidates on the reserve list.

Near Miss

At interview stage, if candidates do not score high enough to be appointed to the HEO role, but have passed the minimal requirements, they could be offered a role at EO.

Contact information

Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about the role or what it is like working in our team recruitment@lawcommission.gov.uk

Annex A - The STAR method

Using the STAR method can help you give examples of relevant experience that you have. It allows you to set the scene, show what you did, and how you did it, and explain the overall outcome.

Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.

• Where are you?
• Who was there with you?
• What had happened?

Task - The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.

• What was the task that you had to complete and why?
• What did you have to achieve?

Actions - What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information on what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.

Results - Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures. Explain how the outcome benefitted the organisation or your area. Make the outcomes easily understandable.

• What results did the actions produce?
• What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?
• Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience?

Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.