Communications Officer (Planning and Insights)

Job summary

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK’s role in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners. We employ more than 17,000 staff in 179 countries and territories, across our diplomatic and development offices worldwide, which consists of 282 officially designated Posts. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street, London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and Hanslope Parkin Milton Keynes.

The Communication Directorate helps the FCDO explain its priorities clearly and confidently to people in the UK and around the world. We support ministers, senior leaders and teams across the department through media, digital, internal and campaign communications, as well as planning, insight and evaluation. Our work helps protect British nationals, strengthen the UK’s reputation, support change across the organisation and make sure staff across the global network are informed, engaged and connected to FCDO priorities. We work at pace on complex issues and use evidence, audience understanding and continuous improvement to deliver clear, effective communications.

Job description

This role sits within the Strategic Planning and Insights team, whose purpose is to ensure the Communication Directorate delivers high‑quality, insight‑driven activity that supports organisational priorities. Working closely with colleagues across internal communications, campaigns, digital teams, senior leaders and corporate partners, we provide advice, evidence, and forward‑look analysis to ensure communications are purposeful, targeted and coordinated.

Roles and Responsibilities

The purpose of this role is to:

• Improve the quality and timeliness of Directorate communications planning by ensuring planning products are accurate, consistent and up to date, enabling teams to coordinate activity effectively.

• Support alignment of communications activity with departmental objectives and ministerial priorities by providing clear insight on emerging risks, opportunities and recommended actions.

• Enable better prioritisation and decision-making by making dependencies, capacity pressures and delivery risks visible to senior colleagues and communications teams.

• Champion the use of evaluation, analytics and audience insight so communications activity is more evidence-led, coordinated and effective across the Directorate and global network.

To deliver this, the successful candidate will:

• Lead the delivery of planning and insight products by gathering, analysing and synthesising information into accurate, timely planning outputs such as grids, weekly and monthly notes, and horizon scanning.

• Provide evidence-based advice using insight, evaluation, analytics and staff or user intelligence to support communications teams in shaping objectives, messages and plans.

• Maintain and improve shared planning tools, digital platforms and resources that support effective coordination across the FCDO.

• Prepare concise briefings, updates and recommendations to inform senior decision-making, prioritisation and strategy.

• Promote data-driven communication by championing evaluation, analytics and audience insight to improve effectiveness and build capability across teams.

• Support the wider Insight function, for example in the delivery of audience research, monitoring or evaluation reporting.

As part of this role, you will also need to cover occasional out of hours work/weekend work and be on a crisis duty rota.

We operate an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.

Person specification

You must be a British Citizen at the time of application and, if invited to interview, you will need to bring proof of identity (British Passport/Driving Licence etc.) with you.

This role requires you to attainDeveloped Vetting (DV) security clearance.

For more information about this process, click here. Attaining DV will require you to have been resident in the UK for five of the last ten years. At least one year of this must have been a consecutive twelve-month period. Serving overseas with HM Forces, in some other official capacity as a representative of His Majesty’s Government or having lived overseas as a result of your parents’ or partner’s Government employment counts as UK residency for the purposes of security clearances.

Essential Criteria

• Strong analytical skills, with experience in gathering, interpreting and presenting insight, data or evaluation.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.

• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with experience managing multiple tasks and producing high-quality outputs at pace.

• Experience working in communications, policy, analytical or planning focused environment.

• Ability to use digital tools, data sources and platforms to support planning and insight work, and experience of using, or assisting with, audience research - or an interest in developing skills in this area.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,000, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £11,588 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• A Civil Service Pension.
• 25 days Annual Leave per annum.
• 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.
• Learning and Development tailored to your role.

See the attached Candidate Pack

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 Ability and Experience.

Application Stage

You will be required to complete a short online application form. You will then be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal test. If you successfully pass this test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application, which comprises of the following:

• A CV detailing your employment history. CVs will be assessed against the Essential Criteria outlined in the Person Specification section above.

• A Personal Statement of up to 1,000 words explaining how you consider your skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with specific reference to the five Essential Criteria. These responses will be explored further during the interview process for shortlisted candidates.

Please ensure that you allow sufficient time to complete the whole application process before the closing deadline.

IMPORTANT: If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and require Reasonable Adjustments in order to complete your application/online test, please ensure Government Recruitment Service (GRS) are aware of this on the date of application and certainly by the closing date.

In the event of a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift on part of your Personal Statement. The aspect that we will prioritise is:

Strong analytical skills, with experience in gathering, interpreting and presenting insight, data or evaluation.

Only candidates who meet the minimum standard in this will have the rest of their application fully assessed.

Interview Stage

At the start of your interview, you will be asked a non-assessed warm-up question about your motivation for applying for the role.

Candidates will be required to give a 5-minute Presentation at the Interview, and the topic will be sent to you with your invite to the interview. This will test the role specific skills of analytical judgement and communication.

You will also be asked questions about your Experience of the Essential Criteria at the interview.

Please note that the FCDO carries out name-blind (anonymised) recruitment to help build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The personal information on your Application form and/or CV will be concealed during the sifting phase, and only the names of those who are being invited for Interviews will be made known to the Panel.

The FCDO has appointed the Government Recruitment Service to manage the process.

Please see the timetable below for indicative dates:

Closing date for completed applications

23:55 on Monday 7th December 2026

Online Testing

Between Friday 6th November 2026 and Monday 7th December 2026

Panel Interview

Week commencing 18th January 2027

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This will be held remotely on Microsoft Teams and details will be given to candidates who are successful at the sift stage.

There may be other opportunities in the future. Candidates who meet the required level at interview, will be kept on a Reserve List for 12 months. Should this, or another substantially similar role arise within this period, we may fill it with a Reserve candidate from this campaign. There is no guarantee that Reserves will be offered a role. If you are conditionally offered, and accept, a role your name will be removed from any other FCDO Reserve Lists.

Reasonable Adjustment

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 fcdorecruitment.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

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

Any move to FCDO 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

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.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems reading the Candidate Pack, such as through screen reader software, please contact our Team via fcdorecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk and we will share a Word version of this.

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.

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 basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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 : FCDO Recruitment team
• Email : fcdorecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

The FCDO’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should, in the first instance, contact External.Recruitment@fcdo.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the FCDO, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners.

Attachments

Hints and Tips 2026-11-02 Opens in new window (docx, 51kB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)FINAL Candidate Pack HEO Opens in new window (docx, 275kB)Communications Officer Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 284kB)