Head of Media

Responsibilities

• Lead teams to deliver innovative communications strategies for the Secretary of State and ministers, aligned with government priorities and using new media.
• Advise ministers and senior policy officials as policy develops, using audience insight to identify reputational risks and ensure coherent communications plans for government and Secretary of State priorities.
• Build teams that identify emerging online conversations, respond quickly to risks and use trends to reach new audiences with government messages.
• Maintain a strong approach to reactive communications and rebuttal, correcting inaccuracies through clear messaging, proactive media, partner briefings and owned digital channels.
• Support the Director of Communications by advising the Secretary of State, ministers and officials.
• Build a network of communicators across government, arm’s-length bodies, partner organisations and local authorities to support collaboration and rapid responses.
• Manage resources effectively to deliver excellent reactive, proactive and crisis communications.

Requirements

• Demonstrable success in developing and implementing compelling communications strategies in a complex organisation to enable and drive organisational objectives and priorities.
• Using recognised insight and evaluation techniques to shape communications and provide measurable results.
• A proven track record of providing clear, balanced advice and professional leadership to senior leaders on a wide range of strategic, operational, sensitive and complex communications issues.
• A proven track record of leading a busy media relations team and building relationships with journalists to inform coverage.
• A record of successfully developing high-performing teams, leading, managing and motivating others, especially during periods of change, and a record of driving continuous improvement within the communications function.
• An understanding of your role as part of the GCS leadership.
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

• Civil Service Pension Scheme: The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.
• Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays. This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.
• Staff Wellbeing Flexible working including part-time or time-term working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.
• Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.
• Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here.
• Onsite facilities Opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable).