Senior Press Officer

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 379935

**Salary**:

- £54,050 - £60,482
- A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer

**Contract type**:

- Permanent

**Business area**:

- DWP - Communications

**Type of role**:

- Press Relations

**Working pattern**:

- Full-time

**Number of jobs available**:

- 1

Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Westminster

About the job

**Job summary**:
Are you a communications professional looking for a role that makes a difference to people’s lives across the UK? If so, this could be the role for you

DWP is looking to fill Senior Press Officer roles in the Communications Directorate.

The role is fulltime and will be based in Caxton House, London.

Our work is often national news. From cost-of-living support for the most vulnerable and getting people back into work to improving the lives of disabled people and giving pensioners security in retirement. As part of the Press Office, you will be responding for breaking news stories, planning proactive press activity and briefing ministers. You will also work closely with the rest of 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. We are looking for people who have good judgment, a strong understanding of how the news cycle works and an ability to solve problems creatively under pressure. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

**Out of hours working is a key feature of this role and you will be included on a duty rota for weekday evenings and weekend service. There is an additional allowance paid for this.**

**Job description**:
We are recruiting Senior Press Officers to be part of our supportive and high-performing press team. As part of the Press Office, you will be responding to breaking news stories and planning proactive press activity. You will need to be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, engaging with journalists and reacting quickly and confidently to developing issues and breaking news.

You will need excellent news judgment, the ability to be able to think strategically, strong interpersonal skills and an aptitude for digesting complex information quickly which you are then able to explain in plain English. Ideally, you will have a good understanding of the political landscape, the workings of Whitehall, Parliamentary procedure, devolution and propriety.

You will lead and develop a small team, championing them both across the department and the Government’s communications profession.

You will be working in a supportive team and tasked with delivering communications objectives that form a critical part of this Government’s priorities.
- Handling interview requests.
- Developing and managing proactive and reactive press.
- Offering handling advice and potential oversight of a small team.
- Oversee a small team to provide a timely, accurate and professional service to journalists.

This role is also part of an out of hours duty rota.

**Some travel may be required for business purposes. Travel costs will be re-imbursed in these cases.**

**Person specification**:
**Essential Criteria**
- Excellent judgment and understanding of how the news cycle works.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and reacting quickly and confidently to breaking issues.
- Excellent writing skills including, identifying media opportunities and planning stories.
- Leadership and line management qualities and experience suitable for managing a small team of press officers.
- Knowledge of media channels, including the role of digital media.
- Experience of briefing and advising senior officials, executives or VIPs.
- Comfortable managing and prioritising competing demands, often at a fast pace.
- Willingness to be a self-starter and set and maintain high working standards.

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

- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace

**Technical skills**:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

- Insight
- ideas
- Implementation
- Impact

**Benefits**:

- Alongside your salary of £54,050, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £15,658 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 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.

Things you need to know

**Selection process details**:

- This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window