Chief Media Officer - EU and Constitutional Affairs -GCS Press Office

Job summary

The Cabinet Office is seeking an outstanding Chief Media Officer within its busy Press Office, to support the Ministers and develop proactive communications across a range of high-profile policy areas. This will include the UK’s ongoing reset of relations with the European Union, reforming our constitution and improving propriety standards.

You must be an exceptionally talented communications professional with skills in dealing with traditional and new media and a strong political awareness.

This is a unique position which provides exposure to a range of high-profile and sensitive issues and serves, including senior Cabinet Office Ministers and officials.

You will occupy a pivotal leadership role on the Press Office’s Senior Management Team, supporting Press Officers and Senior Press Officers and reporting directly to the Deputy Head of News and Head of News.

You will be responsible for seeking out positive news stories, including how new UK-EU deals are supporting businesses and consumers, building close relationships with senior officials and Ministerial private offices.

You will also provide robust media handling advice on extremely sensitive areas, including proprietary issues in government and supporting the Royal Household on constitutional affairs.

The Press Office explains and promotes the work of the Cabinet Office by turning the department’s activity into compelling stories which engage our target audiences and illustrate our purpose in digital, new and traditional media.

The Office works closely with the department’s external affairs and internal communications teams to provide an integrated communications capability for our Ministers and senior officials. And being part of the centre, we also work flexibly to support the Prime Minister’s communications priorities when needed.

The Cabinet Office has a vital role at the heart of the UK’s government; responsible for the effective running of government, national security and crisis management and critical policies like digital ID and UK-EU relations.

Audience-focused and insight-driven, you will bring storytelling expertise to public service communication. You will have extensive experience of working with traditional and national media and at the same time will boldly champion modern communications - leading the wider cultural shift from reactive, press-first communications to integrated always-on comms, embracing digital innovation, leveraging responsible AI by putting citizens at the heart of our planning and delivery.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Working with the Deputy Head of News and Head of News you will:

• Understand Departmental and Ministerial priorities and communicate their key messages clearly, accurately and creatively across a range of media.
• Develop proactive longer-term handling strategies that deliver high quality outputs across traditional and new media for Ministers, aligning to the Government’s objectives including economic growth and national stability.
• Anticipate and track breaking news stories in order to issue swift, robust and appropriate responses at short notice and under pressure.
• Work effectively with communications colleagues in No.10 and across Whitehall, so that media handling plans are integrated with wider communications strategies.
• Forge strong working relationships with key journalists and build good relations with communicators in key stakeholder organisations to support collaborative working.
• Play a full part in the Media Team senior management team (SMT) to set the direction and contribute to the smooth operation of the whole Office.
• Manage social media output for owned and earned channels - identifying opportunities to visually tell compelling stories about how government policies such as new UK-EU deals are benefiting businesses and consumers.
• Sensitively handle extremely high profile reactive media issues, such as proprietary investigations or constitutional discussions. Represent the Cabinet Office and its communications recommendations to external partners including the Royal Household.
• Play a part in an out-of-hours back-up rota to provide oversight of media handling from duty media officers (an additional duty allowance is provided).

Person specification

In the selection process applicants will need to be able to show that they have the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post.

You must have the following essential skills and experience:

• Demonstrable success as a first-rate media relations operator, with excellent news sense, spot-on judgement, acute political awareness and first rate writing skills;
• Experience of creating joined-up media strategies and plans that contribute to the delivery of complex organisational objectives;
• A proven track record of working in an environment that is subject to intense media attention and public scrutiny and of providing clear, balanced advice and professional leadership at senior management level;
• Experience of leading and developing colleagues to deliver effective proactive and reactive media relations, including crisis management;
• Evidence of strong interpersonal and influencing skills with a demonstrable ability to achieve personal impact in your working relationships, ideally with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including journalists, senior leaders, and ministers; and
• A strategic thinker, you will have the ability to plan and evaluate in the short, medium and long term, alongside the day-to-day demands of a fast-paced news agenda.

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:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

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 and Experience.

Application process

For your application you will need to provide your CV outlining your work history and experience as well as a 500 word personal statement and 2 x 250 word responses to the Behaviours below:

• 500 Word Personal Statement setting out your suitability for the role.
• 250 Word response(s) providing an example of where you have demonstrated each of the following Behaviours:

1. Communicating and Influencing (250 words).
2. Making Effective Decisions (250 words).

It should explain how your knowledge, skills and experience (using examples) meet the requirements for this role in line with the Success Profile element(s) being assessed.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using experience from your CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – TBC
Expected interview date/s – TBC
Interview location - Interviews will be held in London, in-person where a panel will ask questions related to the behaviours required of the role.

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.

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

Further information

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

Any move to Cabinet 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Feedback

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 : Edwina Thomas
• Email : edwina.thomas@cabinetoffice.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 Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)Cabinet Office Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)