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Job summary

What is the Government Media Unit?

The Government Media Unit (GMU), part of the Government Communication Service in the Cabinet Office, has been established as part of a fundamental transformation of government communications to ensure we are able to operate effectively in a highly fragmented and unstructured media landscape. Established in April 2026, the GMU has a clear goal to reach, connect and rebuild trust with UK citizens 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 communications which is more joined-up and better reaches our audiences to build awareness, understanding and trust in the Government.

The GMU will proactively deliver on priority campaigns and lead on cross government communications strategy, coordination, and planning. We need people who think differently and who can respond in a flexible way to the ever-changing media landscape. The GMU will collaborate across the wider GCS, No 10 and departmental communication teams across government. We are focused on real-world impact over volume. This team prioritises evidence-based strategies, audience-led insights, and rigorous performance measurement to combat misinformation and drive meaningful engagement. We execute a modern, integrated communications ecosystem, and operate using a structured 'Long, Short, and Live' model, connecting the whole government communications landscape to deliver high-impact, data-driven narratives that turn promises made into promises kept.

This is a really exciting time to be joining the GMU as we look to expand our activity, test and learn different approaches and deliver communications which make a difference to people’s lives. Join us as we transform government communications, moving beyond reactive announcements to build genuine trust through competence, integrity, and benevolence. We are a strategic strategy & delivery centre, designed to bridge the gap between traditional press offices and behavioural marketing, ensuring government actions resonate with the citizens who need them most.

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 are passionate about delivering outstanding communications for the public.

We value colleagues who embrace change, think outside the box, and thrive in a dynamic environment. 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 well-established network of professional 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.

Job Description Overview

As the Head of Social Creative and Production within the Government Media Unit, you will be one of the most senior creative voices in the team, responsible for setting and maintaining the standard of social video content produced directly for citizens. You will bring together strategic vision and hands-on craft, leading the GMU's creative and production output from initial concept through to final delivery across owned social channels.

You will lead a diverse team of creative and production professionals, overseeing complex, fast-moving production workflows while maintaining an unrelenting focus on quality, relevance and impact. Your work will directly shape how the public experiences and understands government, redefining what it means for government to communicate authentically and compellingly in a social-first world.

Working closely with colleagues across strategy, campaign and wider creative disciplines, you will ensure that everything the GMU social team produces is grounded in audience insight, responsive to the cultural moment and ambitious in its execution. This is a rare opportunity to lead creative change at the heart of government communications, at a time when the GMU is expanding its reach and testing bold new approaches to direct-to-citizen storytelling.

We are looking for a leader who combines creative ambition with production rigour and expert editorial judgement, who can inspire a team while staying close enough to the work to shape it, and who is genuinely excited about the opportunity to make government communications more human, more engaging and more effective.

Person specification

Responsibilities & Duties

• Creative Excellence in Social Content: Drive a step-change in the quality and ambition of the GMU's social output, setting high creative standards across the team and getting hands-on when needed to produce engaging visual stories that inform, educate and fundamentally shift how citizens see and relate to government.
• End-to-End Production and Project Management: Lead complex, fast-moving production workflows across the full production lifecycle, from pre-production planning and shoot logistics through to post-production and final asset delivery, ensuring projects are delivered to the highest standard, on time and within budget.
• Creative Horizon-Scanning: Continuously monitor and interpret government delivery, emerging cultural and media trends, identifying risks and opportunities that will keep the GMU's direct-to-citizen storytelling innovative, authentic and relevant to the audiences it is trying to reach.
• Editorial Judgement: Experience setting the editorial tone, with a strong understanding of what makes a story stand out on socials and how to translate it into compelling digital content.
• Cross-Discipline Leadership: Provide clear, confident leadership across all owned social content production, effectively managing diverse creative disciplines and keeping projects on track while creating the conditions for the team to do their best and most ambitious work.
• Embrace AI as a collaborative and creative tool, utilising it within your workflows; experimenting, testing and implementing new tools to increase productivity and deliver at pace.

Person Specification - Essential Criteria

Experience / Ability

• Significant experience in a senior creative leadership role, ideally within an agency, in-house creative team or government communications environment.
• A proven track record of leading and developing multidisciplinary creative teams to deliver high-quality, engaging content on social media.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex briefs or objectives into clear, compelling and culturally resonant creative ideas that connect with diverse citizen audiences.
• Experience championing a social-first, audience-led approach to creative development, with a strong understanding of how content performs across different platforms and formats.
• Ability to use performance data, audience insight and always-on measurement to continuously improve creative approaches and drive smarter, more effective work.
• Experience introducing innovation and new technology into creative workflows, modernising how a team works and raising the standard of output.
• Strong track record of partnering with strategy, insight and creative functions to deliver social content that balances creative ambition with operational delivery.
• Experience operating at a senior level within a large or complex organisation, contributing to broader organisational strategy and ways of working.
• Familiarity with government communications, public sector or regulated communications environments is desirable but not essential.
• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Business, Design, Creative Industries, or a related field (or equivalent practical industry experience).

Technical

• Deep understanding of creative production and the craft skills required across video, design and production disciplines.
• Expert knowledge of digital content production across channels, including paid and organic social media.
• Strong understanding of social-first content strategy and how creative ideas must be built to perform natively across platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Meta.
• Ability to interpret and apply performance data, audience research and behavioural insight to inform and iterate creative approaches.
• Familiarity with AI and emerging creative technologies, with the ability to assess and introduce tools that improve team capability and output quality.
• Working knowledge of brand and visual identity principles, and the ability to uphold and evolve creative standards across a broad portfolio of work.
• Understanding of accessibility requirements and inclusive design principles as they apply to government-facing communications.
• Comfortable using project management and collaboration tools to oversee a busy creative department and maintain visibility of workload and output.
• Understanding of on-set legal and safety standards and requirements and legal responsibilities related to usage/licence agreements and contributor and location consent.

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:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Task to be shared in advance of the interview slot (once shared) if the candidate is successful in their application. The candidate would then be asked to present the task in the Presentation portion of the interview within a limited time.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £69,308, Cabinet Office contributes £20,078 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 your CV, which should outline all of your employment history, your experience, and any qualifications that are relevant to this role. You will also need to complete a 750-word personal statement, explaining what makes you suitable for the role and highlighting any experience, qualifications, and skills relevant to this role

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using experience from your CV.

Selection process
If you are successful and invited to interview you will be asked questions on the following behaviours as well as your experience.

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

You will also be asked to prepare a short presentation.

Task to be shared in advance of the interview slot (once shared) if the candidate is successful in their application.

The candidate would then be asked to present the task in the Presentation portion of the interview within a limited time.

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.

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 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 an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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.

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 with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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.

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

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

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)