Communications Officer – No10 Newsdesk

Job summary

The Prime Minister’s Office enables the Prime Minister 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, No10 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 a Communications Officer to the No10 Newsdesk.

You will help to shape how the No10 Communications Team deals with the reactive news agenda, using your excellent news judgement to spot stories and advise how best to respond to emerging and live communications issues.

You will be part of a high-performing team that helps to prepare and brief the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesperson and Deputy Official Spokesperson for the daily lobby briefings, working closely with colleagues in No10 and press offices across Whitehall to explain the government’s agenda.

You will work with the digital team to identify emerging news stories and opportunities to respond quickly across social channels.

You will also help build and maintain relationships with online news outlets, digital-first publishers and the digital teams within traditional media organisations, ensuring we are using these channels strategically to communicate government news and priorities.

Main duties will include:

• Supporting the daily lobby process and briefing the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesperson and Deputy Official Spokesperson
• Providing a first-class media monitoring and reactive comms service across broadcast, print and online, and responding to emerging stories with speed.
• Working with Special Advisers and officials to develop appropriate handling strategies and rebut inaccuracies in reporting.
• Liaising closely with other departments to manage media and communications materials relating to a specific reactive brief
• Supporting the logistics of Downing Street press conferences and Prime Ministerial visits and events
• Taking an active part in providing an out-of-hours press office service as part of a duty rota system, including weekends, where you’ll act as the main point of contact for all journalists, Ministers and departments, for which you will be remunerated.
• Working closely with colleagues across the digital team, you will support the development of a clear strategy for engaging online news outlets and content creators, to help tell the government’s story in a way that reaches audiences where they are.
• Responsibilities may flex according to business need.

Person specification

Essential Skills & Experience;

• Be able to spot breaking news on broadcast and online, and issue quick and insightful monitoring reports.
• Have sharp news judgement and experience recommending and delivering media handling for high profile issues.
• Understand and prioritise complex issues and work to tight deadlines, including in crisis situations.
• Be adept at broadcast monitoring and comfortable with contacting news editors/producers to ensure the Government’s position is reflected in reporting.
• Be able to influence colleagues and form strong working relationships with other departments, journalists, and special advisers.
• Be proactive about suggesting ideas to improve the ways of working on the desk and have the confidence to execute them
• Play an influential role in the Government Newsdesk profession and work closely with other departments to ensure the prime minister’s priorities are reflected in communications.
• Have a clear understanding of digital channels, including which content is best suited to which platform, and will be proactive in identifying where stories and messages should be placed.
• Be creative and ambitious in developing new ways to work with online news outlets and content creators, helping us reach wider audiences and communicate government news in more engaging and effective ways.

The post will appeal to experienced communications professionals who enjoy working with and advising Ministers and officials on presentation of policy development; are able to understand complex issues quickly; and have sound news judgement.

Working in the Prime Minister’s Communications Team frequently involves working under pressure and to immovable deadlines, as well as routine out of hours rota work and some travel.

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
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,974, Cabinet Office contributes £11,870 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 (max: 1000 words) 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.

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

Applications will be sifted against the CV and personal statement using the Success Profiles Framework.

Selection process

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

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – June 2026

Expected interview date/s – June 2026

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Feeedback

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) Opens in new window (pdf, 344kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External (1) (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 82kB)