Chief Communications Officer, No10 Communications Team

Job summary

The Prime Minister’s Office enables the Prime Minster to deliver the Government’s overall priorities and to communicate the Government’s policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences. From the Policy Unit and the Communications Team, Switchboard and Custodians, to the Events & Visits team and the world class Private Office support; the diverse Downing Street team draws on varied expertise from across the Civil Service and beyond. The teams come together to deliver excellent service to the Prime Minister while also making No10 a great place to work.

Job description

The Prime Minister’s Press Office is looking to appoint two Grade 7 Communications Officers:

• 1x Chief Communications Officer for the Newsdesk
• 1x Chief Communications Officer for Home Affairs.

These posts will appeal to experienced communications professionals who enjoy working with and advising Ministers; are able to understand complex issues quickly; and have highly-tuned news judgement.

Chief Communications Officer for the Newsdesk

Reporting to a Deputy Official Spokesperson, this is an excellent opportunity to join a high-performing communications team managing high-profile news stories on a daily basis.

The post-holder should have strong media handling skills and extremely good news judgement. Experience working on a busy newsdesk is highly desirable.

The demands of this post are high. You will:

• have first-rate media handling skills and enjoy shaping and responding to the news agenda
• be able to draft compelling, concise and clear media materials to very tight deadlines
• have experience delivering high-profile announcements
• have excellent crisis communications skills, with the ability to foresee and mitigate communications risks
• have excellent interpersonal skills as you’ll be expected to work closely and at ease with senior and junior colleagues across No10 and other government departments
• be an excellent manager who encourages continual professional development

Chief Communications Officer for Home Affairs

Reporting to a Deputy Head of News for Foreign and Home Affairs, this is an excellent opportunity to join a high-performing communications team creating and managing high-profile news stories and delivering creative communications plans on a daily basis.

The Home Affairs desk in the Prime Minister’s press office leads on high-profile, complex and sensitive issues including immigration, crime and justice, the environment and national security. The team oversees both the Prime Minister’s engagements and public communications on these issues, and overarching HMG activity and messaging.

The demands of this post are high. You will:

• have strong media handling skills and extremely good news judgement.
• be an adept writer, able to draft compelling and clear media materials and communications advice to very tight deadlines.
• need excellent interpersonal skills as you’ll be expected to work closely and at ease with senior and junior colleagues across Number 10 and other government departments.
• be a capable briefer, being ready to brief the Prime Minister’s Official spokesperson on a breaking news story ahead of lobby, to representing the Prime Minister’s view at senior cross-Government meetings, to accompanying the Prime Minister on a visit and briefing him on media engagement, to coordinating the Government’s response to an emerging national crisis.
• be flexible to support the wider work of the team, providing support to the Foreign Affairs desk and the wider press office in order to deliver on the PM’s priorities.

Working in the Prime Minister’s Press Office frequently involves working under pressure and to immovable deadlines, as well as routine out of hours work, including duties, and some travel.

Responsibilities

Chief Communications Officer for the Newsdesk

Main duties of the post includes:

• Responsibility for managing the newsdesk team within No10.
• Develop and advise on strategic media plans on the union, including proactive media interventions and visits by the Prime Minister.
• Build and maintain excellent relations with key contacts within No10 and Government departments. This includes maintaining close working relations with political communications colleagues within the bounds of propriety.
• Guide and advise government departments on the presentation, planning and delivery of high profile news events to ensure they’re in line with the PM’s priorities.
• Assess communications risks and advise on media handling of breaking news stories, managing crisis communications as necessary and leading multi-Department activity.
• Prepare the PM’s Official Spokesman for the daily briefings of political correspondents, including drafting pertinent lobby scripts and quality-controlling the scripts of others.
• Staff and run logistics for Prime Ministerial visits, supporting the wider office where necessary.
• Line manage the Senior Communications Officer on the newsdesk
• Playing an active part as a senior member of the communications team, embedding best practice, promoting a positive and collaborative culture, and ensuring the smooth running of the team.
• Provide out of hours duty press officer cover overnight and at weekends on a duty rota basis.

Chief Communications Officer for Home Affairs

Main duties of the post includes:

• Responsibility for overseeing the media work on PM priority issues, including immigration, and for departments including the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice.
• Developing and advising on strategic media plans for the Prime Minister for issues in your portfolio, working closely with the No 10 digital team and using insight and evaluation to deliver across a range of channels.
• Managing the day-to-day output of the Home Affairs press team, including line management of two Senior Communications Officers.
• Building and maintaining excellent relationships with key contacts in Number 10 and across Whitehall. This includes maintaining close working relations with political communications colleagues within the bounds of propriety.
• Guiding and advising government departments on the presentation, planning and delivery of high-profile news events to ensure they’re in line with the PM’s priorities.
• Assessing communications risks and advising on media handling of breaking news stories, including leading xWH responses to major crises.
• Preparing the PM’s Official Spokesperson for daily briefings – drafting lobby scripts and quality controlling the scripts of others.
• Deputising for the Deputy Head of News as required, including at cross-Government calls and meetings.
• Playing an active part as a senior member of the communications team, embedding best practice, promoting a positive and collaborative culture, and ensuring the smooth running of the team.
• Providing out of hours duty press cover overnight and at weekends on a duty rota basis.

Person specification

Essential Skills & Experience;

• First-rate media handling skills and the proven ability to shape and respond to the news at pace
• Excellent leaderships skills and the ability to motivate a team.
• Experience of delivering high-profile announcements and media events;
• Excellent crisis communications skills and the ability to identify and mitigate risks
• Confidence and expertise to brief the Prime Minister and their senior advisers;
  Interpersonal skills to negotiate and influence with a range of interlocutors, from departments and political advisers to foreign governments;
• Demonstrable interest in and knowledge of the topics covered by the role of choice.
• Strong corporate management awareness to plan for a team’s future needs and staffing.

Desirable Skills & Experience;

• Strong newsdesk/press office experience
• Experience leading briefings and visits for senior ministers

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,988, Cabinet Office contributes £18,247 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

Application process

Please include a CV and use the Personal Statement (1000 words max) to explain how you meet the Behaviours outlined in the job description and how your skills and experience make you a suitable candidate for the role.

The Behaviours listed are the following:

Leadership

Communicating and Influencing

Managing a quality service

Delivering at Pace

Selection process

Applications will be sifted using the CV and Personal Statement against the Success Profiles Framework.

Candidates successful at sift will be invited to Behaviour and Strength based panel interview.

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – April
Expected interview date/s – April
Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable adjustments
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to Cabinnet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : No10 Recruitment
• Email : No10Recruitment@no10.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Employee Offer (1) (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External (1) (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 82kB)