Head of Media

Sussex Police; Lewes; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career progression

LGPS pension

Generous annual leave

On-site gyms

Parental leave

Job summary

Sussex Police invites applications for Head of Media to lead the Media Team, delivering a 24/7, 365-day service to local, national and international press. You will build relationships with journalists and broadcasters, shape the Sussex Police story, and guide risk communications to protect the public and maintain trust.

As a key member of the senior leadership team, you will advise Chief Officers, manage a high-performing team, ensure lawful and cost-effective communications, and develop

Qualifications

• Degree and NCTJ qualification or equivalent professional experience in journalism, media relations or PR.
• Significant experience in managing a news media or media relations function in a high profile and fast paced environment.
• Detailed knowledge of media law as applied across offline and online communications.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering effective organisation-wide and localised corporate communications strategies.
• Experienced line manager with strong evidence of nurturing the professional and personal development of teams.

Responsibilities

• Build, develop and maximise the performance of the Media Team, delivering against strategic objectives.
• Maintain and nurture relationships with media organisations and stakeholders.
• Direct and manage the media team’s processes and people for 24/7 coverage.
• Oversee media training and provide expert communications advice to senior levels.
• Act as Silver Communications in major incidents and oversee crisis communications.

Skills

Degree & NCTJ qualification

Media relations leadership

Media law knowledge

Corporate communications strategy

People management

Problem solving

Verbal & written communication

Negotiation skills

MS Office (Word/Excel/SharePoint)

Education

Degree in journalism or related field

NCTJ qualification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

SharePoint

Job description

Division / Department - Media and Communications
Grade - M1
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - £49,716 - £54,696
Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - No
Politically Restricted - Yes
Location - Sussex Police Headquarters, Lewes

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.

Chief Constables' Message

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.

We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

The Role & Key Responsibilities

Are you an exceptional media and communications professional looking for an opportunity to lead a fast paced and in demand team?

We’re looking for an experienced Head of Media to lead our Media Team, who provide a 24/7 365 day a year service to local, national and international press.

This is a role for someone who knows how to make news, not just respond to it. You will be experienced in building effective relationships with journalists and broadcasters, and able to spot opportunities to tell the Sussex Police story, whilst anticipating, managing and responding to risks and challenges.

We require a strong leader who is accessible, knowledgeable and inspires the team to provide an outstanding service that builds the public’s understanding, trust and confidence in the force’s work whether its responding to a major incident or highlighting the everyday work undertaken to Catch, Protect and Deliver for our communities.

As a crucial member of our senior leadership team you will act as a trusted communications advisor, providing expert advice to others in the Force, including Chief Officers, bringing sharp judgement and a deep understanding of the media landscape.

• Build, develop and maximise the performance of the Media Team, ensuring it is delivering against strategic and departmental objectives and maximising opportunity, via communications, to keep people safe, prevent and detect crime and provide public reassurance.
• Maintain and nurture positive relationships with media organisations and other key stakeholders, both in personal interactions and the style and approach adopted by team members, maximising opportunities to promote policing activity that reinforces the Force’s values, or reassuring and explaining if activity falls short of them, whilst helping to deliver our corporate narrative themes.
• Direct and manage the media teams’ processes and people, ensuring sufficient capability, capacity and resilience to provide a 24/7 media and communications service including its ability to flex across communications disciplines.
• Provide direction and expertise to the media team and colleagues across the department; overseeing their day-to-day approach and longer-term development to ensure all our communications are lawful, consistent, innovative, and cost and operationally effective. Take personal responsibility for the highest risk issues.
• Oversee media training delivered by the department to others in the Force; working closely with the Learning and Development Department on a structured annual programme of courses and providing ad-hoc training when required.
• Provide expert communications advice to others in the Force, most often at senior levels. This includes providing advice on higher-risk reactive incidents, including at Gold Groups, and setting the communications approach for longer-term more complex planned issues.
• Act as Silver Communications (or Gold if required) in the context of a major or critical incident, develop and direct the implementation of communications tactics, working to the Gold strategy, often in liaison with several partners and external stakeholders, to ensure public safety and confidence under our statutory warning and informing requirements, and assist operational tactics.
• Represent the media team in relation to HMICFRS inspections and provide input on behalf of the department.
• Budgetary responsibility, reporting to the Head of Department.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and character or work as may be reasonably required, including specific duties of a similar or lesser graded post, including deputising for the Deputy Head of the department.

Skills & Experience

The requirements for this role are:

• Degree and NCTJ qualification or equivalent professional experience in journalism, media relations or PR.
• Significant experience in managing a news media or media relations function in a high profile and fast paced environment.
• Detailed knowledge of media law as applied across offline and online communications.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering effective organisation-wide and localised corporate communications strategies.
• Experienced line manager with strong evidence of nurturing the professional and personal development of teams, motivating others and managing relevant business and HR processes.
• Ability to autonomously and creatively problem-solve to create and deliver strategic solutions.
• Excellent formal and interpersonal communications skills, both verbal and written.
• Proven ability to negotiate and influence at all levels – including senior colleagues and key external stakeholders – with an ability to persuade under time or other pressures.
• Proactive, self-disciplined approach to tasks, with an ability to be flexible and work under pressure with minimal management direction.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft products including Word, Excel and SharePoint.
• Applicants will be required to obtain and maintain vetting status for the required level of this post.
• This role requires travel to meetings and locations, sometimes at short notice or out of hours, for which public transport may not be suitable. Therefore the post-holder must have their own means of transport and be insured for business use. Where the transport involves the driving of police vehicles, you must have a full driving licence and the ability to attain a Force Police Driving Permit.

Why Work With Us?

We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;

• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme

While the role is based at Sussex Police HQ in Lewes, hybrid working options including home working or working from local police stations are also available.

Due to the critical nature of communications in a major or high risk incident, there is an expectation that all team members work from head office or can travel to other locations across Sussex, at short notice, if required.

Interviews will be held in early May, in person, at Sussex Police HQ, Lewes. Candidates successful at shortlisting stage will receive a presentation topic to prepare and present on the day of their interview.

We are only as good as our people. It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. You may wish to consider adding [e-mail] to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.

This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes. Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference. This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;

• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.

Reference number SYSX STAFF05024

Date posted 23/09/2026

Location Sussex Police Headquarters, Lewes