Communication Officer (News)

Serious Fraud Office; London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000; Full time

Job summary

The Serious Fraud Office is seeking a Communication Officer (News) to enhance its media presence and engage stakeholders. The role requires a proactive individual with excellent press relations skills and experience in high-profile communications to further the SFO's agenda. You will work in a dynamic team and develop engaging content while maintaining professional relationships across various media outlets.

Benefits

Generous annual leave provision

Discretionary performance-related bonus scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Opportunities for learning and development

Qualifications

• Experience in handling high-profile communication.
• Strong understanding of the UK media landscape.
• Proven ability to build relationships with media.

Responsibilities

• Developing understanding of the SFO's agenda and media profile.
• Maintaining relationships with various media outlets.
• Drafting press lines and engaging in media monitoring.

Skills

Press relations

Communication strategies

Relationship building

Job description

Join to apply for the Communication Officer (News) role at Serious Fraud Office (UK)

Join to apply for the Communication Officer (News) role at Serious Fraud Office (UK)

The role will be based at our offices at 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y 5BS, in central London. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Informal hybrid working arrangements apply and there is an expectation that staff will attend the office regularly. Work pattern and office attendance will be agreed with successful candidates.

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced Communication Officer, with skills in press relations, to join our multidisciplinary communication. You will be a proactive self-starter with a sharp news sense, strong relationship building skills and demonstrable experience of landing positive stories to further an organisation’s agenda.

We are looking for a team player, who can work alongside other Communication Officers, reporting to the Communication Manager for News. Working with the whole team and engaging closely with our expert lawyers, investigators and intelligence teams, you will help to raise the profile of the SFO’s efforts, to creatively tell our story and maintain a trusted and respected brand.

You will understand the UK media landscape, you will enjoy getting to know journalists and helping to shape their stories. We are also looking for someone with experience of supporting the communication handling of high profile and/or sensitive news stories. You will take part in our out-of-hours News desk rota, for which an allowance is paid, and be willing to attend court regularly.

You will also have the opportunity to support the development of our social media channels, devising relevant and engaging multimedia that speak to our audience.

A relatively small team by Whitehall standards, we all pitch in where necessary meaning we are looking for a fast learner who is keen to improve their proficiency in all areas of communication. Our team is responsible for press and media relations, digital and internal communications and information management.

Job Description

As a Communication Officer (News) you will be responsible for:

• Developing a good understanding of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), its media profile and spotting communication opportunities that further the SFO’s agenda
• Maintaining professional relationships with national, international, regional and specialist media outlets and building strong links with colleagues across the SFO
• Providing timely media monitoring and recommended handling, interview advice and briefing materials to Board members and other senior staff
• Working to short deadlines to draft press lines in response to journalist queries
• Working with our specialist legal, investigative and intelligence teams to draft interesting, easily-consumable and news-centric press releases that demonstrate the SFO’s unique capability
• Devising engaging digital content that enhances the SFO’s brand and speaks to our audience
• Building excellent, professional relationships with all stakeholders both inside and outside the SFO
• Providing wider communication support to all areas of the team where needed
  
  

For more information about the role and for a full list of key responsibilities, please see attached Job Pack.

As a Communication Officer (News) you will be responsible for:

• Developing a good understanding of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), its media profile and spotting communication opportunities that further the SFO’s agenda
• Maintaining professional relationships with national, international, regional and specialist media outlets and building strong links with colleagues across the SFO
• Providing timely media monitoring and recommended handling, interview advice and briefing materials to Board members and other senior staff
• Working to short deadlines to draft press lines in response to journalist queries
• Working with our specialist legal, investigative and intelligence teams to draft interesting, easily-consumable and news-centric press releases that demonstrate the SFO’s unique capability
• Devising engaging digital content that enhances the SFO’s brand and speaks to our audience
• Building excellent, professional relationships with all stakeholders both inside and outside the SFO
• Providing wider communication support to all areas of the team where needed
  
  

For more information about the role and for a full list of key responsibilities, please see attached Job Pack.

Person specification

See above and attached Job Pack.

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
  
  

Technical skills

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

• Government Communications Service (professional competency framework): Ideas
• Government Communications Service (professional competency framework): Implementation:
  
  

Alongside your salary of £34,437, Serious Fraud Office contributes £9,976 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Option to join the Civil Service pension scheme. For further details, click here http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/pensions

Generous annual leave provision of 25 days which increases to 30 days after five years’ service plus an additional day in recognition of the King’s Birthday and the option to buy or sell up to five days’ leave per year. Different terms may apply if you are already a Civil Servant.

Discretionary performance-related bonus scheme.

Interest-free season travel ticket, bicycle loan and cycle to work scheme.

Access to the Rental Deposit Salary Advance Scheme which assists employees in meeting the costs of deposits for privately rented homes.

Opportunities for learning and development.

Flexible working arrangements and family-friendly policies.

Voucher for eye care and discounted spectacles.

Access to a range of discounts through membership of the Civil Service Sports and Social Club, CSSC Sports and Leisure. http://www.cssc.co.uk/

Maternity and paternity leave provision over and above the statutory entitlements.

Access to My CPS Rewards Gateway. My CPS Rewards offers staff a range of rewards and savings including:

• Discounts with high street retailers
• Savings on grocery shopping at a range of supermarkets
• Special salary sacrifice and recognition schemes
• Reloadable gift cards and e-cards
• Instant vouchers
  
  

Any move to the Serious Fraud Office 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/

Selection process details

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

Application stage

As part of the application process you will be required to provide:

• A supporting CV outlining your job history.
• A personal statement of no more than 500 words that explains how you meet each of the experience and technical criteria as listed in the job pack.
  
  

Please note, in the event of a large number of applications, ‘An experienced communicator with a track record of handling high profile or controversial issues’ will be assessed first as a lead criteria and candidates who do not meet the required standard will not have the remainder of their application considered.

It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.

Interview stage

Behaviours as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview.

Candidates invited to interview will also be required to complete an assessment, assessing the technical criteria.

Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.

Sift to take place from 16 June 2025.

Interviews are expected to take place from 23 June 2025.

All dates are indicative and subject to change.

For permanent civil servants joining the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on a Fixed-term Appointment:

Please note if you accept a Fixed-term Appointment with the SFO the preferred option is for you to transfer from your home department on a loan basis to ensure you can return to your home department at the end of the Fixed-term Appointment. Exceptionally, if a transfer on a loan basis cannot be agreed by your home department, you would transfer to the SFO on the basis that you would lose your permanent Civil Service status but retain your continuity of employment. However, if you face a redundancy situation at the end of the Fixed-term Appointment you will be treated as a permanent civil servant for redundancy and redeployment purposes only. You must have two years’ service to be eligible for redundancy benefits under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

Therefore You Should Be Aware That When Your Fixed-term Appointment At The SFO Comes To An End, Your Employment In The Civil Service Will End, Unless

• an extension to your Fixed-term Appointment has been agreed by the SFO.
• a conversion to permanent status has been agreed by the SFO.
• you are successfully redeployed into a suitable alternative post
• you secure another Civil Service post through a recruitment process.
  
  

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

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 : People and Culture
• Email : [e-mail]
• Telephone : [phone]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Further information

For external competitions there is no appeal against the selection decision. However, individuals have a right to appeal if they feel that the principle of appointment on merit through fair and open competition and the Civil Service Commissioners’ recruitment principles have not been met. Individuals who want to appeal should do this by setting out their grounds for appeal in an email for the attention of Head of People to [e-mail]. If, after an internal appeal, you still believe that the Civil Service Commissioners’ Principles have not been met, then you can contact the Commission directly: Complaints should be sent in writing to: Civil Service Commission, Room G08 ,1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ. Email [e-mail]

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing/Editing

• Industries

  Law Enforcement

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