About the job

Job summary

The Cabinet Office is seeking an ambitious new Media Officer to join its communications team, to help it execute targeted media campaigns around a wide range of key Government policies.

You must be a talented, proactive and creative communications professional with experience of working with traditional and digital media to secure favourable coverage and manage negative reporting. 

This is a unique position which provides exposure to senior officials and Ministers across a range of high-profile and sensitive issues. Including for example, the government’s response to national emergencies like extreme weather, national cyber security, Government efficiency and civil service reform.

You will also support the team’s delivery of a quality 24/7 media relations operation for our Ministers and will seek out positive news stories from across the Cabinet Office’s broad policy remit. 

You will be comfortable speaking to national media, including political and Whitehall correspondents, and have a passion for creating creative and engaging news stories to explain Government work to the public.

Job description

The Media Team explains and promotes the work of the Cabinet Office by turning the department’s activity into compelling stories which engage our target audiences and illustrate our purpose and can be used in digital and traditional media.

The press office works closely with the department’s external affairs and internal communications teams to provide an integrated communications capability for our Ministers and senior officials. And being part of the centre, we also work flexibly to support the Prime Minister’s communications priorities when needed.

The Cabinet Office has a vital role at the heart of the UK’s government, responsible for the effective running of government and taking the lead in certain critical policy areas. More information about our work can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office/about

Working under the guidance of a Senior Media Officer and team-lead Chief Media Officer, you will:

• Deliver creative news stories and media content that engages our audiences and the public on the vital work of the Cabinet Office and cross-Government priorities. 
• Work constructively with senior policy colleagues and partners to hunt out good news stories within the Cabinet Office’s extensive policy areas. 
• Provide considered communications advice to ministers, special advisers and senior officials on new, developing and existing policy.
• Support Ministers on external visits to manage media interviews and help create photo and video content for social media. 
• Demonstrate excellent written and editing skills to deliver quality and timely press releases, rebuttals and lines to take in response to developing stories.
• Deliver strong evaluation of media output to inform future proactive and reactive media campaigns.
• Participate in the out-of-hours duty rota (for which an overtime allowance is paid) and respond to emerging news stories in a timely manner, rebutting inaccuracies and supporting more accurate coverage. 
• Support the delivery of engaging digital media content, ensuring our announcements play out across social media platforms. 
• Working on our weekly ‘grid’ of communications activity, seeking necessary approvals for proactive communications and planning activity to ensure maximum impact. 

Person specification

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Experience of working in a fast-paced media-relations team, with highly effective media, rebuttal and crisis management skills.
• Experience dealing directly with journalists in national and trade or consumer media. 
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Sharp news sense, excellent judgement, strong political savvy and outstanding communications skills.
• An ability to turn complex information into newsworthy and digestible stories that engage media outlets and the public. 
• Strong organisational skills, and an ability to handle and prioritise multiple competing tasks. 

Desirable:

• Experience creating digital content to amplify announcements or campaigns on social media platforms. 

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,250, Cabinet Office contributes £10,327 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 500 word personal statement as well as three 250 word behavioural statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

We are assessing the behaviours Working Together, Communicating and Influencing and Seeing the Big Picture. 

Please outline any work history, experience and qualifications that make you suitable for this role within your Personal Statement.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Working Together. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience and behaviours that are contained within this advert.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 5 February
Expected interview date/s – w/c 19 February
Interview location - In person at 70 Whitehall

Further information

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

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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

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.

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. 

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.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

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.