Head of Lifestyle and Communities Media

London

Job Summary
In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.

The lifestyle and communities team sits at the very heart of the health and social care debate, working to ensure diverse audiences across the UK understand the government's vision for a healthier nation through targeted consumer, multi-ethnic and regional media engagement.

From breaking news on NHS reforms to proactive activity on policy that will change lives, the team translates complex health policy into compelling stories that resonate with millions of people across consumer lifestyle publications, multicultural communities and regional media outlets throughout the UK.

Our media experts provide the communications support that ensures every policy announcement delivers maximum impact across diverse media landscapes and audiences, away from the more traditional outlets.

The team help shape how health stories are told, working across consumer lifestyle media, multi-ethnic community publications and regional outlets to ensure the government's health priorities reach every corner of the country.

They thrive on collaboration, working seamlessly with consumer publications, broadcasters, podcasts, multi-ethnic media outlets and regional media partners organisations to create powerful communications that drive real change and resonate with diverse audiences.

The team actively shape the news agenda across consumer, multicultural and regional media, using deep relationships with journalists, influencers and community stakeholders, and understanding of diverse media landscapes to ensure that vital public health messages reach the people who need them most.

Job Description
Our award-winning communications directorate is looking for an exceptional Head of Lifestyle and Communities Media, with experience of working in a complex environment that engages diverse audiences across consumer, multicultural and regional media landscapes.

As the leader of this developing team, you will be responsible for building capability and creating the strong media relationships that are essential for success in this expanding area of government communications.

You will need to quickly establish credibility with lifestyle editors, multicultural community media leaders and regional journalists, understanding their unique editorial cycles, deadline pressures and content requirements.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in an area demanding strategic oversight of consumer engagement, multicultural communications, regional media relations, innovative partnership development and creative storytelling approaches.

We can offer you a competitive package, an excellent range of training and development opportunities, a friendly and supportive team and, above all, the chance to play a key role in communicating some of the most important health issues to diverse communities across society today.

Once you become a member of our team, we are not only interested in what you can bring to communications, but also our culture and values, including commitments to staff health and wellbeing, and our diversity & inclusion working group.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares the communications directorate's and wider department's commitment to diversity and inclusion, while ensuring candidates who apply through the Disability Confident Scheme requiring adjustments are supported during our recruitment process.

Our award-winning communications directorate is looking for an exceptional Head of Lifestyle and Communities Media, with experience of working in a complex environment that engages diverse audiences across consumer, multicultural and regional media landscapes.

As the leader of this developing team, you will be responsible for building capability and creating the strong media relationships that are essential for success in this expanding area of government communications.

You will need to quickly establish credibility with lifestyle editors, multicultural community media leaders and regional journalists, understanding their unique editorial cycles, deadline pressures and content requirements.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in an area demanding strategic oversight of consumer engagement, multicultural communications, regional media relations, innovative partnership development and creative storytelling approaches.

We can offer you a competitive package, an excellent range of training and development opportunities, a friendly and supportive team and, above all, the chance to play a key role in communicating some of the most important health issues to diverse communities across society today.

Once you become a member of our team, we are not only interested in what you can bring to communications, but also our culture and values, including commitments to staff health and wellbeing, and our diversity & inclusion working group.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares the communications directorate's and wider department's commitment to diversity and inclusion, while ensuring candidates who apply through the Disability Confident Scheme requiring adjustments are supported during our recruitment process.

Person specification

Key Skills And Experience Required For The Role

• Demonstratable experience of leading and developing teams in a fast-paced communications environment, with particular strength in building team capability, establishing operational processes and creating effective working relationships with new stakeholders.
• A track record of building effective relationships and contacts across diverse media landscapes, including lifestyle publications, multi-ethnic community media and regional outlets, with deep understanding of their editorial calendars, deadline pressures, lead times and content preferences.
• Proven knowledge of consumer lifestyle media, multicultural community publications, regional media outlets, digital platforms and influencer networks, with an ability to quickly spot opportunities across diverse media sectors and comprehensive understanding of different editorial cycles and audience consumption patterns.
• Experience in developing and delivering proactive communications strategies that enhance organisational reputation across consumer, multicultural and regional media landscapes, as part of an integrated communications function.
• Established credibility and authority in gaining the confidence of and influencing senior stakeholders, community leaders, regional media partners and multicultural organisations, with proven ability to represent a new or expanding team effectively to external partners.
• Experience in developing creative partnerships, influencer strategies and innovative content approaches that resonate with diverse audience segments and cultural communities, whilst maintaining strong editorial relationships and understanding commercial media requirements.
• Highly developed written and verbal communications skills with demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to adapt messaging for different audience segments, editorial styles and varying media format requirements.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

Alongside your salary of £74,962, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £21,716 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 employer contribution of 28.97%

Selection process details

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

Applications will be sifted W/C: 10/11/2025

Interview date: W/C 24/11/2025

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 details and interview slots will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.

Applications will be sifted on your CV and personal statement.

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the 'key skills and experience required for the role' section of the advert.

Please use your personal statement to (in no more than 1000 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours & Strengths.

Candidates will be asked to give a presentation which will assess the
lead behaviour – Communicating and Influencing
. Details of the presentation question will be issued to candidates with the release of the sift scores.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service careers website and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service careers website

Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available.

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.

Candidates must ensure that all information provided in their application is factually accurate. Any examples provided must be taken from personal experience. The Civil Service abides by honesty and integrity as part of its core values, if evidence of plagiarism is found, applications may be withdrawn.

Please note that applicants will require
BPSS
clearance.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Terms and Conditions
Candidates should note that DHSC's Terms and Conditions of employment changed from
1 October 2013
. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.

New Entrants to the Civil Service
New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC's modernised terms and conditions:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
• Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King's birthday
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months' full pay and five months' half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Probation: 6 month probation period

Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion
All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC's modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

Existing DHSC staff, appointed on promotion
If DHSC's modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC's pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC's modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DHSC 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 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 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.

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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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

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.

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

• 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.

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).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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 : Steven Vaughan
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact