Senior Digital Strategist - NMU - GCS

Job summary

What is the New Media Unit?

The New Media Unit (NMU) is part of the Government Communication Service (GCS) and sits within the Cabinet Office. The NMU was established in November 2024 with the clear goal to reach, connect and rebuild trust with audiences in the most effective way possible. Our aim is to provide the public with relevant, useful and authentic content when and where they want to receive it and communicate in an entirely new way.

The government has signalled a clear intention to focus on ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that deliver better outcomes for citizens. This requires a new way of doing government which is more joined-up and better reaches the public to build awareness, understanding and trust in the government’s delivery. The New Media Unit is a critical lever in achieving these long-term aims, bringing together the specialist skills required to reach citizens with content they want to consume at a time and place they want to consume it.

The team is evolving, and works in an agile way proactively delivering priority campaigns and responding to nation-wide communications. We need people who think differently and who can respond in an agile way to the ever-changing media landscape. At its core this team is focused on flexibility and collaboration across the three pillars (Strategy, Campaign and Creative), working closely with the GCS Strategy & Campaigns and Applied Data & Insight teams, alongside No 10 and departmental communication teams across government.

This is a really exciting time to be joining the NMU as we look to expand our activity, test and learn different approaches and deliver communications which make a difference to people’s lives. This is a rare chance to be part of something truly groundbreaking, where your ideas will directly influence the future of digital communications at the heart of government.

Job description

What we’re looking for.

We're seeking innovative minds and creative talents to help craft our evolving vision. This is a unique opportunity to grow, learn and share your talent with a team of diverse experts with passion and a genuine curiosity to innovate government comms. Most importantly, we want people who care passionately about delivering outstanding communication for the public.

We value colleagues who embrace change, think outside the box, and thrive in a dynamic environment where responsibilities evolve with our ambitions. We welcome applications from the widest range of people of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. If you're passionate about making your mark and flourishing in an atmosphere that champions fresh thinking and adaptability, we want to hear from you.

About the Government Communication Service

By joining a communications team, you will become a member of the Government Communication Service (GCS), a profession of around 7000 communicators working in government departments, agencies and arm’s length bodies. You’ll benefit from continuous professional development from our new learning and development curriculum, a network of skilled communicators sharing best practice, mentoring opportunities, and more!

For more information on how becoming a part of the Communications Profession can support your career and development please visit our careers page.

For our top tips on how to write your application, please take a look at our recruitment top tips for candidates guide.

To find out more about how we will use your personal data in managing, registering and preparing for the recruitment event, please follow this link to the Personal information charter for the Cabinet Office and look under ‘Government Communication Service privacy notices’.

Digital Strategy

This team uses research, data and behavioural insights to ensure an audience-first approach to all our activity. This team is responsible for setting the direction for the creative and media outputs of the New Media Unit, and for the measurement and evaluation of all our activity.

Job Description overview

As a Senior Digital Strategist within the New Media Unit, you will play an important role in supporting the UK government's long-term goals of increasing public understanding, trust, and confidence in its work.

In this role you will support the development of digital-first programmes to communicate, support and build public confidence in the government delivery. You will do this by using research, data and behavioural insights developed in partnership with GCS and cross-government strategy and insight teams to help identify barriers to audience understanding and action, and how to overcome them.

You will work collaboratively with government departments and 10 Downing Street to align activity, contribute to insight-driven strategies, and help translate complex information into engaging digital content that informs, explains and inspires the public.

In partnership with your Insight colleagues you will support the development of robust measurement and evaluation frameworks to report on campaign performance, identify learnings and insights, and apply them to the next wave of activity.

With a focus on maximising reach and impact, you will help the New Media Unit stay at the forefront of digital engagement by applying best practices and adopting new trends to support effective communication with citizens.

Person specification

As a Senior Digital Strategist, your key responsibilities will include:

• Contributing to digital communication strategies that support government priorities, focusing on increasing understanding, trust, and public engagement.
• Supporting the setting of campaign goals, target audiences, and measurable outcomes, ensuring alignment with wider government communication objectives.
• Working closely with teams in government departments and 10 Downing Street to align digital plans with broader policy and communication strategies.
• Advising departments on effective use of digital channels and supporting them to produce consistent, citizen-focused messaging.
• Using data insights to shape and optimise digital strategies, ensuring campaigns are tailored to audience needs and deliver measurable results.
• Gathering and synthesising external insight to inform campaign propositions and creative direction, including desk research, marketing trend reports, and cultural landscape monitoring drawn from sources such as GWI, Ofcom, Reuters Institute, and agency partner research
• Interpreting internal audience segmentation and sub-segmentation data, drawing on cross-government research to inform channel selection, messaging priorities and targeting Monitoring key performance indicators, analysing campaign performance metrics, and using findings to inform future strategies.
• Supporting content planning and creation to ensure digital messaging is clear, engaging, and accessible to a wide audience.
• Working with content teams to integrate digital plans across channels, helping ensure consistency and relevance.
• Staying informed of digital trends and emerging technologies to identify new opportunities for public engagement.
• Recommending and supporting the piloting of innovative approaches to enhance digital communication, promoting transparency and inclusivity.

Experience / Ability

• Experience of developing or supporting digital strategies within an organisation, agency, or public sector setting.
• Experience of insight gathering via primary research (qualitative & quantitative) and secondary research.
• Good knowledge of digital communication channels and how to use them to effectively engage target audiences.
• Experience of working on project workstreams and contributing to the delivery of campaign outputs.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, building strong relationships to ensure alignment in communication approaches.
• Experience in supporting teams across functions and contributing to digital engagement best practice.
• Good analytical skills, with experience using data to inform strategies, messaging and measure campaign effectiveness.
• Experience writing briefs and strategic proposals.
• Experience and proficiency in creating compelling presentations and presenting work to stakeholders.
• Familiarity with digital analytics tools and the ability to interpret insights to inform digital plans.
• Experience in supporting content planning and digital messaging across channels to achieve cohesive communication.
• Awareness of accessibility standards and best practices for inclusivity in digital content.
• Familiarity with trends in digital engagement, including social media, multimedia content, and new digital tools.
• Background in communications, marketing, or a related field.

Desirable

It would also be beneficial if you demonstrate any of the following skills or experience:

• Academic or professional qualification in marketing or strategic communications.

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:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• We will ask you to prepare and present a short presentation as part of the interview. Details will be sent to candidate who are invited to interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,760, Cabinet Office contributes £12,677 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).

• 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

For your application, you will need to provide an up-to-date CV and a personal statement of no more than 750 words outlining what makes you a suitable candidate for the role from the information provided in the job description. Your personal statement should also outline what you would bring to the role of digital strategist and how you will help grow trust in government through digital communications.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using your personal statement.

Selection process

You will be assessed on the following during your interview

Interview

• Experience
• The Following behaviours
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Seeing the Big Picture

Tests/activities at the interview

• We will ask you to prepare and present a short presentation as part of the interview. Details of which will be sent to candidates who are invited to innterview.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – tbc

Expected interview date/s – tbc

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.

Further Information

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.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 UK residency in the past 5. 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.

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/Disclosure Scotland 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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.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.

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.

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.

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

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.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 : nmu@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
• Email : nmu@cabinetoffice.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 Opens in new window (docx, 762kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)