Chief Press Officer

The work of the Department for Work and Pensions makes a difference to the lives of millions of people, right across the country .
We are recruiting a Chief Press Officer to be part of our supportive and high-performing press team.
From our drive to tackle economic inactivity and get Britain working to ending child poverty, improving the lives of disabled people and giving pensioners security in retirement - DWP's work is often front-page news.
As a senior leader in the Press Office, you will be responding to breaking news stories, planning proactive press activity and briefing ministers. You will also be responsible for leading your Press team, working closely with your colleagues across the Communications Directorate to promote the Department’s work and services as well as bringing ideas and energy to one of Whitehall’s busiest press offices.
As a Chief Press Officer, you will have faultless news judgement, experience in a fast-paced communications or journalism post and excellent leadership skills. manage a team and be expected journalism role will have given you regular contact with ministers and you should be able to confidently provide them with proactive media-handling advice on announcements, visits and speeches. As well as confidently advising ministers and senior leaders you will play a pivotal role in our Senior Management Team. If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.
This post will be based at Caxton House, London., The successful candidate will support the Head of News, Deputy Head of News and Deputy Head of News: Strategy as one of the Chief Press Officers overseeing a team within the Press Office. Press Office at DWP works closely with our Digital team, External Affairs and Visits so you would continue to foster close links at every step. You will ensure press officers provide strategic media advice, devise, and deliver detailed media plans (reactive and proactive), and build contacts with journalists to promote our messages. Central activities include:
+ Setting the news agenda across national, regional, digital and consumer channels, telling a consistent and compelling story about the department’s work.
+ Building strong relations with Ministers, special advisers, policy officials, key external stakeholders and senior colleagues and offering expert comms advice and guidance.
+ Initiating and developing communication strategies and integrated media campaigns that keep us on the front foot.
+ Demonstrating excellent written communication skills and setting standards to ensure appropriate content, messaging, tone and consistency in all media communication.
+ Directly managing and developing an SIO and supporting a wider team of IOs to deliver communication objectives.
+ Participating in the out-of-hours “back up” weekly duty rota., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Leadership
+ Delivering at Pace

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Insight
+ Ideas
+ Implementation
+ Impact

Benefits
+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
+ 185hrs (25 days) annual leave allowance in year one. This may vary for existing civil servants based on their number of years’ service, This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Selection will be by a written sift, followed by a virtual interview (video).
You will be assessed against experience, behaviours, strengths and Government Communications Service (GCS) technical skills.
We’ll assess both what candidates are good at, as well as what they enjoy, to help us measure candidates’ behaviours, strengths and their potential. The assessment process comprises of a written application and for shortlisted candidates, a short scenario-based exercise and interview.
Written application
You’ll need to complete a CV and Personal Statement when you apply. Your CV should set out your career history with key responsibilities and achievements. Your Personal Statement (max 1250 words) should explain how your personal skills and qualities make you a suitable candidate for this role. Your CV and personal statement will both be assessed against the essential criteria.
Interview
A ‘blended’ interview lasting around 45 minutes to 1 hour will test a mix of behaviours, technical skills and strengths:
It may help to use the WHO or STAR model to explain:
What the task/ work was, How you approached the task/work/situation and what the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? Or What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?
1.Written Application
The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your CV and Personal Statement and will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the advert.
Please note – If there are a high number of applications received, an initial sift may be undertaken based on first three essential criteria listed . Candidates who pass the initial sift may progress to a full sift or may go straight to interview.
2. Interview
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. This will be a video interview. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. The interview will assess:
a. We’ll assess candidates against the following Civil Service Behaviours at G7 level:
o Communicating and influencing
o Leadership
o Delivering at Pace
b. For this professional communications role, you’ll also be tested against the following Government Communications Service (GCS) technical skills at G7 level
o Insight
o Ideas
o Implementation
o Impact
c. You’ll also be assessed against two Civil Service Strengths relevant to the role. These aren’t defined by grade.
d. Shortlisted candidates will be expected to carry out a short scenario-based exercise at the start of the interview. You do not need to prepare in advance this. This exercise will be assessed against Civil Service behaviour Delivering at Pace and GCS technical skill Implementation.
Sift and Interview Dates:
Our anticipated timetable - which may be subject to change - is as follows:
o Shortlisting will take place commencing 22/10/2024.
o Interviews will commence W/C 11/11/2024.
o Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided if you are successful and shortlisted.
o To apply for this post please follow the instructions in this advert.
o Please submit your application no later than 21/10/2024 @ 23:55.
If you’re an existing Civil Servant and want to know more about transferring to another Department, refer to your current department’s guidance on transfers within the Civil Service.
3. Selection and Feedback
We will notify all candidates as soon as possible. Feedback will only be provided following an interview.
Candidates should not resign from their current job until all appropriate checks have been successfully completed.
If you’re an existing civil servant and want to know more about transferring to another department, refer to your current department’s guidance on transfers within the civil service.
If you have questions about the role, DWP or the application process, please contact Lisa.Frascarelli@dwp.gov.uk.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DWP 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
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.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
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 Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.
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:
o UK nationals
o nationals of the Republic of Ireland
o nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
o 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)
o 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)
o individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
o 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 the Civil 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.

+ Experience of working in a fast-paced press office, with highly effective media, rebuttal, and crisis management skills along with excellent political understanding and news judgement.
+ Experience of leading virtual teams and working closely with colleagues in the wider organisation to achieve objectives.
+ A track record of being a strong and supportive leader, with history of managing and developing teams.
+ Clarity of argument and concise writing skills.
+ Experience of developing and leading multi-channel media strategies.
+ Exceptional influencing skills and experience advising ministers and/or senior leaders.
+ Experience of developing strategies and evaluation in a news environment.

+ Playing an active role in Press Office SMT and the leadership of this high-performing team. In return, we will support you and help develop your career as a skilled communications professional.
Please Note: Due to the nature of the role, candidates will be required to work full time hours. Out of hours working is a key feature of this role and you may be included on a duty rota for weekday evenings and weekend service. There is an additional allowance paid for this