Senior Web Content Manager - Government Media Unit

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 peoples 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.

What were 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 arms length bodies. Youll 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.

Overview

This is a hands-on content development role responsible for the day-to-day production and publishing of citizen-focused content on GOV.UK, the UK's central digital home for public information. Working within the GMU's Creative team and in close collaboration with the GOV.UK platform team, you will play a vital role in translating complex government information into clear, accessible and engaging content that builds public understanding and trust.

You will bring strong editorial instincts and a genuine commitment to plain language, ensuring every piece of content you produce meets the highest standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility. Working at pace in an agile team environment, you will help maintain a consistent and high-quality publishing presence on GOV.UK while using data and user insight to continuously improve the content you manage.

Responsibilities & Duties

• Write, edit and optimise high-quality, accessible copy for GOV.UK that translates complex policy and government information into clear, engaging and citizen-focused content. Ensure all output adheres to GOV.UK style guidelines and accessibility standards, maintaining an authoritative yet approachable tone that builds public confidence in government communications.
• Manage the daily production and publishing workflow, creating written and multimedia assets tailored specifically for the GOV.UK platform. Work closely with the GOV.UK Content Lead to maintain a consistent, high-impact publishing schedule that delivers relevant, useful content to citizens in a timely and reliable way.
• Collaborate directly with technical and editorial teams across GOV.UK to make effective use of platform features, templates and publishing infrastructure. Ensure the GMU's storytelling approach is well-suited to the user interface and that content is structured and formatted to maximise readability and findability for citizens.
• Monitor GOV.UK page analytics and user-journey data to understand how citizens are interacting with content, identifying patterns, drop-off points and opportunities for improvement. Use these insights proactively to edit, update and refine existing content, improving readability, reach and overall user experience on an ongoing basis.
• Embrace AI as a collaborative and creative tool, utilising within your workflows; experimenting, testing and implementing new tools to increase productivity and deliver at pace.

Experience / Ability

• Proven Editorial Excellence & Plain Language Mastery: Extensive experience writing, editing, and optimising high-quality digital content, with a proven track record of translating complex policy or technical information into clear, citizen-focused copy.
• Agnostic to Pace / Agile Workflow Experience: Demonstrated ability to manage end-to-end production and publishing workflows within fast-paced, agile team environments, consistently delivering accurate content against tight schedules.
• Platform & Accessibility Expertise: Deep understanding of digital publishing standards, user-interface structuring, and accessibility guidelines (such as WCAG), with experience utilising platform features and templates to maximise content readability and searchability.
• Data-Driven Content Optimization: Strong analytical capability with experience monitoring digital page analytics and user-journey data to identify areas for improvement and proactively refine content for a better user experience.
• Collaborative Stakeholder Management: Excellent interpersonal skills with a history of collaborating effectively across multi-disciplinary teams (such as technical, creative, and policy leads) to deliver cohesive, high-impact public communications.
• Education & Experience: Bachelors degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Business, or a related field (or equivalent practical industry experience).

Technical

• Experience with designing and uploading content to CMS platforms such as Wordpress. Google Analytics.

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.