Head of Social Media

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

The Communications Directorate is a multi-disciplinary team delivering the Home Office’s communications strategy. We are insight-led and results-driven, and our marketing campaigns support strategic objectives using a wide range of channels. We seek to provide high quality media, rebuttal and social media services. Our Internal Communications team supports employee engagement and business transformation.

This is an incredibly exciting, high profile and challenging job in government communications, providing a unique opportunity to work at the heart of an incredibly busy department which has an impact on everyone’s lives.

As Head of Digital Communications, you will oversee one of the most innovative digital teams in Government. From working with some of the world's biggest content creators and social publishers, to overseeing some of the fastest growing owned social media platforms in all of government, this role will give you the opportunity to be at the forefront of insight-driven digital communications outputs. Over the last year alone, these have allowed the department to reach hundreds of millions of additional users online.

Job description

The Head of Social Media is a vital role within the Communications Directorate. You will be responsible for the overall Home Office digital media strategy, charged with pushing the creativity and innovation of our output and working collaboratively with colleagues to leverage third parties and new media outlets.

We want a proven leader to set the strategic direction and lead on content and channel strategies which reflect our target audiences, while demonstrating continuous improvement in quality and engagement. You will lead the team to develop stretching KPIs, ensuring that all digital activity is data driven with actionable insights and regular reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of impactful communications across owned and earned digital channels, ensuring clear, audience-focused messaging on complex policies.
• Own brand and content output, using audience segmentation and insight to tailor communications across multiple platforms.
• Build and manage partnerships with external digital stakeholders (e.g. police forces, influencers, and digital media outlets) to extend reach and maximise impact.
• Stay ahead of digital trends, analytics, and platform algorithms to inspire innovative, high-performing content.
• Combine hands-on content creation (e.g. filming, asset production) with strategic leadership and team direction.
• Manage senior stakeholder relationships, including government departments and ministerial teams, providing trusted digital communications expertise.
• Advise on risks, challenges, and opportunities in the digital landscape, including during crises and periods of ambiguity, while upskilling colleagues to enhance digital capability across the wider communications team.
• Play a key leadership role within the Communications Directorate, deputising for the Deputy Director and leading teams through high-pressure situations and crises.
• Ensure ever-closer collaboration in planning and delivery with the wider Communications Directorate.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.

Person specification

Successful applicants will be highly motivated, adaptable, innovative, dependable and collaborative digital communications professionals, prepared to work on some of the most challenging, high profile and interesting issues in government.

Essential Criteria

• Creative excellence – Proven track-record leading a team in developing and executing insight-led and audience-focused digital strategies. Ability to oversee parallel, high-profile projects to meet challenging delivery targets, thinking creatively and driving innovative approaches to digital communications.
• Expert technical ability and knowledge –Expert-level usage of Adobe Creative Suite, directing edits, professional camera and other technical equipment, including lighting and audio setup. Knowledge of social media landscape, strong analytical skills and previous experience managing high-profile social media accounts.
• Sharp political and news antennae –Deep understanding of digital news and how opportunities can be leveraged, while navigating the political landscape. Delivery plans must reflect wider strategic priorities of the Home Office and Government.
• Leadership –A leader who can operate outside their specialism to influence people across the Home Office, Government and beyond. Strong leadership and line management skills, adept at building supportive and high performing teams and networks, and a driver of effective cross-team collaboration.
• Resilience – Demonstrable poise and authority under pressure and when managing ambiguity. Ability to create structure and narrative and set direction during periods that lack clarity.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of handling significant budgets and ensuring value for money is applied to communication campaigns, research and contracts.
• Ability to set clear and concise KPIs and experience of managing a team to deliver on performance targets.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

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

• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Insight
• Impact
• Implementation
• Ideas

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.

See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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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, Experience and Technical skills.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

1. Application – by Monday 25th May 2026.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 750 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour 'Managing a Quality Service' (maximum of 250 words).

Your CV should consist of your career history, qualifications and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

2. Sift - Wednesday 27th May 2026.

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV, Behaviour 'Managing a Quality of Service, as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted CV and Lead Behaviour. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

3. Interview – Wednesday 17th June 2026.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert), Experience based questions and Technical Skills based questions. All Behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place in person at London – 2 Marsham Street.

For guidance on the Technical skills, please refer to the Competency Framework - technical specifications - GCS.

Presentation testing Experience

In addition, candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation that will be delivered at interview. The presentation question/scenario will be disclosed closer to the interviews.

The presentation will be assessed against 'Behaviours' on the 'Success Profiles' and will be specifically assessed against the Behaviour 'Communicating and Influencing'

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Location Preference

You will only be able to select a single location preference so please ensure this is a location that you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at your preferred location and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours and technical skills, experience have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional Security Checks

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. The level of Criminal Record Check required for this role is Basic. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.

Further Information

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.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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.

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.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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : horccampaignteamcorporateenablers@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)Candidate_Information_v17_April_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 207kB)