Press Officer

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 Corporate Services Group works closely with the Home Offices policy and operational commands to enable us together to deliver the departments priorities. The group is comprised of different teams and professional functions, including Commercial, Communications, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Private Office, Security, Estates and Information.

The Communications Directorate is a multi-disciplinary team delivering the Home Offices 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.

Our work as Home Office communicators is never far from the front pages, making this a fast-paced and hugely exciting and creative team to join.  

Whether its helping to reduce dangerous boat crossings or making the UKs streets safer, the Communications Directorate supports the government to deliver on its priorities. Led by audience insight, we help build awareness and drive behaviour change across our internal and external communication teams, including media, digital and marketing. At the centre of all this is the News desk. 

The role holders will be responsible for responding to media queries from journalists, liaising with all parts of the department to agree an approach, crafting the departments response and shaping coverage. They will be responsible for alerting and providing analysis of news coverage as it breaks, identifying and rebutting inaccurate reporting and ensuring that the departments position is reflected.

Key Responsibilities

• Respond to enquiries from national, international, regional, consumer and digital media outlets to enhance and protect the reputation of the Department and Ministers.
• Ensure the Departments position is accurately reported.
• Work closely with colleagues, including policy officials and operational teams, to advise on the role communications can play.
• Produce proactive communications plans to announce policies or successes.
• Provide a high quality proactive and reactive media relations service, including developing strong working relationships with key journalists, writing responses and press releases, monitoring media and taking the initiative to rebut inaccuracies.
• To be a committed member of the national media team and support colleagues working in other regions.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of these roles, they are only available on a full-time basis.

The roles will involve some weekend working. Successful candidates will be placed on a rota with colleagues which spans seven days a week with five working days and two non-working days spread across the seven.

Essential Criteria

• Experience working in a fast-paced media-facing role or equivalent, juggling competing priorities, exercising good judgement, and keeping calm under pressure.
• Strong news sense and understanding of current affairs, as well as the political and media landscapes, including how to identify and mitigate reputational risks.
• An ability to communicate effectively (excellent written and speaking skills), and develop trusted and productive relationships with colleagues, journalists and stakeholders.
• Creative communications skills, including some awareness and application of digital channels.
• Proven ability to distil large amounts of complex information into clear key messages suitable for specific audiences.
• Understanding of how insight and evaluation can be used to inform communication strategies and activity, including how to maximise reach among target audiences. 

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of building strong relationships with and briefing journalists.
• Experience of using media monitoring platforms.