Head of Media

Job summary

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) supports ministers in leading the nation’s health and social care to help people live more independent, healthier lives for longer. Our work supports major government commitments and attracts significant public interest.

Our award-winning communications is now looking for an exceptional Deputy Director, Head of Media Relations, with experience of working in a complex environment that is subject to significant public, political and media scrutiny. You will lead a team of communications professionals in promoting DHSC’s policies and priorities. We are looking for an experienced communicator who will bring energy, experience and dynamism to the role.

You will oversee management of a 24-hour media service managing risk and reputation, delivering real time rebuttal as well as creative, original proactive media moments. You will understand the importance of choosing the right channel and tactics in delivering messages and ensure your team engages with, and builds support from, partners across the health and social care sector, charities, science and business to support communication objectives, in addition to working closely with ministers, government stakeholders and the media.

As part of the Senior Management Team you are responsible for designing and delivering effective multi-channel communications campaigns that are based on insight and help deliver organisational objectives. You will also play a part in working with the Director of Communications and head of profession in driving performance and delivery across the directorate.

We offer a competitive package, excellent development opportunities, a supportive team and the chance to communicate on some of today’s most important issues.
Experience in health or social care is not essential, but you will need a strong record of communications leadership in high-profile areas and the ability to handle complex stakeholder issues at pace. If you are excited by the opportunity and ready for the challenge, we want to hear from you.

Job description

Key responsibilities

As Deputy Director, Head of Media Relations your key responsibilities will include:

• Lead teams to deliver innovative communications strategies for the Secretary of State and ministers, aligned with government priorities and using new media.
• Advise ministers and senior policy officials as policy develops, using audience insight to identify reputational risks and ensure coherent communications plans for government and Secretary of State priorities.
• Build teams that identify emerging online conversations, respond quickly to risks and use trends to reach new audiences with government messages.
• Maintain a strong approach to reactive communications and rebuttal, correcting inaccuracies through clear messaging, proactive media, partner briefings and owned digital channels.
• Support the Director of Communications by advising the Secretary of State, ministers and officials.
• Build a network of communicators across government, arm’s-length bodies, partner organisations and local authorities to support collaboration and rapid responses.
• Manage resources effectively to deliver excellent reactive, proactive and crisis communications.

Person specification

It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:

The role requires someone with the full range of modern communications skills – the ability to use insight and evaluation to drive campaigns, experience of fully integrating digital into proactive and reactive work and an understanding of the current media landscape.

However, even more critical to your success in this role will be your outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills, your ability to lead and fully integrate teams across the communications spectrum and to prioritise and resolve issues.

It is essential in your application you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following selection criteria below. Your responses will be developed and discussed if you are invited for interview.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Demonstrable success in developing and implementing compelling communications strategies in a complex organisation to enable and drive organisational objectives and priorities.
• Using recognised insight and evaluation techniques to shape communications and provide measurable results.
• A proven track record of providing clear, balanced advice and professional leadership to senior leaders on a wide range of strategic, operational, sensitive and complex communications issues.
• A proven track record of leading a busy media relations team and building relationships with journalists to inform coverage.
• A record of successfully developing high-performing teams, leading, managing and motivating others, especially during periods of change, and a record of driving continuous improvement within the communications function.
• An understanding of your role as part of the GCS leadership.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £24,914 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).

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.

We have strong and proactive staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.

Pension

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package.

A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. Visit Civil Service Pension Scheme for more details.

Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance
25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays. This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.

Staff Wellbeing
Flexible working including part-time or time-term working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.

Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.

Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here.

Onsite facilities Opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable).

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.

The Recruitment Process Application Process

To apply for this post please submit the following documents no later than 23:55 on Sunday 8th November 2026.

1.A CV (which is for information purposes only) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.

2.A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Applications will be sifted against personal statements. Please note that your CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored. Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer by 2025.

Please note that we are unable to provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted for interview. Written feedback will be made available (on request) to those candidates who attend interview.

If you are unable to apply online please contact scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Selection Process

A panel chaired by Rachel Carr will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Rachel Carr will be supported by a selection panel made up of other senior stakeholders for the role, full details of this panel will be
shared with shortlisted candidates.

Alongside other departments, DHSC is committed to making the Civil Service more inclusive and recognises the value of diverse interview panels. Helping candidates, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, to feel comfortable and at ease during the interview process, to reduce bias and increase the objectiveness of decisions. In line with the Civil Service’s Inclusive Board initiative we aim to ensure that, as well as being gender diverse, DHSC’s interview panels for Senior Civil Service will include at least one panellist who is from an ethnic minority background and/or who has a physical or non-physical disability (which may not be visible).

Shortlist

You will receive an acknowledgment of your application through the online process.

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which will include a staff engagement exercise. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Discussion with Junior Ministers and Secretary of State

Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to speak to Junior Ministers and/or Secretary of State prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation at interview on a scenario issued to them 30 minutes ahead of their panel interview. This presentation will be designed to assess each candidate’s experience with briefing Ministers. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.

You will be asked a series of questions at interview around the following behaviours and the essential criteria earlier in this pack.

Behaviours:

1. Leadership
2. Seeing the Bigger Picture
3. Making Effective Decisions
4. Communicating and influencing

Interviews will take place in person at 39 Victoria Street, London, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

A reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, which we may use to fill future suitable vacancies for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.

Expected Timeline

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Closing Date 23:55 8th November 2026
Short List Meeting Week commencing 16th November 2026
Assessments – Staff Engagement Exercise (SEE) Week commencing 30th November 2026
Final Interviews Week commencing 7th December 2026

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 at: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you 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: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.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.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 : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Civil Service Commission Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; DHSCSCSrecruitment@dhsc.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk and more information can be found at www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Attachments

2026-10-26 Head of Media DHSC Candidate Information Pack 487619 Opens in new window (pdf, 268kB)2026-10-26 Head Of Media DHSC Candidate Accessibilty pack - 487619 Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)