Home Secretary Speechwriter

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 Chief Operating Officer Group works closely with the Home Office’s policy and operational commands to enable us together to deliver the department’s priorities.

The group is comprised of different teams and professional functions, including Commercial, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Security, Estates and Information and Digital, Data and Technology.

The Home Office is looking for a talented, confident and committed speechwriter to write high profile speeches for the Home Secretary and to lead our speech-writing team.

You will draft speeches for the Home Secretary across the diverse Home Office portfolio, for a wide range of events and audiences. This will involve writing in a variety of styles to reflect the Home Secretaries voice and priorities. You will also advise on and produce other written products as required.

You will work closely with the Home Secretary and Special Advisers to advise on strategic speaking opportunities and develop a compelling narrative. As a strong leader, you will also head up a small team responsible for all Ministerial speeches.

For the right candidate, this is a rare and exciting opportunity to work at the heart of one of Whitehall’s Great Offices of State. Working closely with the Home Secretary, Home Office Ministers, Special Advisers, Private Secretaries and senior officials, you will get the opportunity to deploy and develop your communications skills in a fast paced and high-profile environment. In doing so, you will build your experience and work on some of the most relevant, rewarding, challenging and complex issues of our time.

Job description

This is a fast-paced and exciting role within a busy but dynamic office, which tests your ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines whilst also getting to grips with complex and high-profile policy areas in creative ways. You will be expected to juggle competing demands, to maintain a forward look of speeches, and to produce consistently compelling, accurate and imaginative drafts.

To succeed you should have exceptional communication and organisational skills, as well as a love of writing. The ability to quickly digest complex information, to inspire a team, and to build strong relationships is also crucial.

Key Responsibilities

In this role you will:

• Lead the Home Office speech-writing team, ensuring all Home Secretary and Ministerial speeches form part of a coherent communications strategy.

• Draft high-quality speeches, speaking notes, parliamentary statements, forewords, media articles and other written materials in the Home Secretary’s personal style.

• Research and write speeches which cover major policy issues and are relevant, accurate and tailored to the audience.

• Work with and maintain the confidence of: Ministers; Special Advisers; Private Secretaries; Press Office; and policy teams.

• Attend Home Secretary speaking events and evaluate impact of speeches.

• Provide support to the Direct Communications Unit advising on issues of tone and style for Home Secretary correspondence.

• Assist with the smooth-running of the wider Private Office team.

Working Pattern

Hours can be unpredictably varied. Due to business need, this role is not suitable for part-time or flexible working. You will need to be in the London office at least 4 days a week and at times 5 days.

Travel

This role involves occasional UK travel.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, supported by experience in speech‑writing, journalism, or communications.

• Strong analytical judgement with the ability to rapidly understand and interpret complex issues.

• Skilled at identifying key messages and conveying them clearly, accurately, and effectively.

• Able to thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and operate confidently under high levels of scrutiny.

• Highly flexible and adaptable, comfortable responding to fast‑changing situations and priorities.

• Exceptional organisational ability to manage significant, varied, and time‑sensitive workloads.

Desirable criteria

• Proven leadership skills with the ability to motivate, support, and manage a team, alongside an excellent understanding of media and communications.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

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 and Experience.

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 Sunday 22nd February 2026.

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

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviours 'Communicating and Influencing', 'Delivering at Pace', 'Making Effective Decisions' and 'Working Together' (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

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 – week commencing Monday 23rd February 2026.

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and Behaviours and CV.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement and CV.

Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of the Behaviours.

3. Interview – week commencing Monday 2nd March 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).

The interview will take place in person at 2 Marsham Street, London. Travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

In addition to an interview, you will be asked to undertake a speech writing exercise to assess your suitability for the role. No prior knowledge of Home Office policy will be required to undertake the exercise. Lead candidates will be invited for a discussion with members of the Home Office political team.

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.

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

Home Office Candidate_information_v15_DECEMBER_2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 429kB)2025-11-01 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)