Senior Media Officer (Ref:5321)

Ministry of Justice UK; London; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

An established government department is seeking a Senior Media Officer to lead a dynamic team in shaping public narratives and influencing media coverage. This role offers the opportunity to engage with ministers and manage media strategies on high-profile issues. With a focus on proactive communication and crisis management, you will play a crucial role in promoting departmental priorities and ensuring effective media relations. Join a vibrant team committed to delivering impactful communication in a fast-paced environment, where your insights and leadership will directly contribute to the public's understanding of justice and policy matters.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Civil Service pension

Annual Leave

Public Holidays

Access to learning and development

Family-friendly organization

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy communications role with regular contact with ministers.
• Strong editorial skills for drafting press releases and statements.

Responsibilities

• Manage media strategies and provide advice to ministers on sensitive issues.
• Develop proactive media campaigns and handle high-profile media issues.

Skills

Media Relations

Crisis Communication

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Digital Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Communications or related field

Experience in Government Communication

Tools

Media Monitoring Tools

Press Release Software

Job description

This position is based at 102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ

Job Summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job Description

Senior Media Officer

From keeping drugs out of prisons and cutting crime, to overhauling sentencing laws and delivering justice for victims – the Ministry of Justice is one of only a handful of Government departments that can truly dominate the news agenda.

And our press office, bursting with talent, is widely recognised as the gold standard within government for shaping stories and influencing news across print, broadcast, and online. With a diverse remit including prisons and probation, family justice, legal aid and modernising the courts system, our office is always busy and no two days are ever the same.

We want insightful, highly-motivated people with excellent news judgement to throw themselves into our busy, friendly team.

As a senior media officer, you will help manage a team and be expected to provide leadership for the wider office. Your experience in a busy communications role will have given you regular contact with ministers and you should be able to confidently provide them with proactive media-handling advice on announcements, visits and speeches. You will set up and manage media facilities, organise interviews, draft sharp reactive statements and brief journalists in order to generate and influence our coverage.

About The Role

We currently have one senior press officer vacancy available.

Some of our team work on announcements on specific policy areas, for example our Prisons Desk and Courts Desk, and others work on our Newsdesk, reacting to most incoming calls from journalists across everything the MoJ does.

While the exact balance of responsibilities will depend on the desk you join, all senior press officers are expected to:

• Develop proactive longer-term handling strategies and provide regular media handling advice on policy briefs to the Lord Chancellor, ministers, senior officials and colleagues on sensitive, complex and high-profile issues.
• Anticipate and spot breaking news stories and issue swift, robust and appropriate responses at short notice and under pressure.
• Use the full range of channels to promote our priorities, maximising digital tools and using relevant insight to get the best possible results.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with ministers, private offices, special advisers, senior officials, journalists, stakeholders and other government departments.
• Work effectively with the wider press office team and with communications colleagues in all disciplines across the department, so that press handling plans are joined up with wider communications strategies.
• Understand the departmental and ministerial priorities so you can communicate key messages clearly, accurately and creatively to media.
• Manage a team, providing strong leadership, support and guidance to team members.
  
  

You would also contribute to the press office’s out-of-hours service to the department and to the media, for which overtime is paid.

Application process

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement of suitability. Your statement of suitability should be between 500 and 750 words, explaining why you are interested in the role and how your experience makes you the best candidate. Civil service experience is preferable but not required.

Please illustrate using examples how you meet the behaviours and technical skills below. For the two behaviours, these can include relevant activities outside of the workplace.

Behaviours

Communicating and Influencing

Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact. Encourage the use of different communication methods, including digital resources and highlight the benefits, including ensuring cost effectiveness. Ensure communication has a clear purpose and takes into account people’s individual needs. Share information as appropriate and check understanding. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same. Ensure that important messages are communicated with colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, taking into consideration the diversity of interests.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

Understand the strategic drivers for your area of work. Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities. Remain alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area. Seek out and share experiences to develop knowledge of the team’s business area. Understand how the strategies and activities of the team create value and meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders. More details on these can be found in the Civil Service behaviours (PDF).

Technical Skills

Insight - Review communication and media plans to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda

Ideas - Initiate and lead the development of both reactive and proactive, integrated media campaigns that build on insight and tracking data. Work constructively with policy colleagues and partners to gain expert opinions.

Implementation - Handle high-profile and sensitive media issues. Adhere to confidentiality and provide a clear, trusted brief to media and other partners. Demonstrate strong editing skills to ensure quality and timely press releases, rebuttals and lines to take in response to developing stories.

Impact - Analyse media monitoring results to assess the effectiveness of media strategies and inform future proactive and reactive media campaigns.

More details on these can be found in the Government Communication Professional Competency (Technical Skills) Framework (PDF).

Salary

The salary range for this post is £47,657-£52,040 plus generous overtime payments for participation in the out of hours rota. Existing civil servants on level transfer will retain their level of pay unless this is lower than the starting salary as per MoJ T&Cs.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working hours system. Like most government press offices, our jobs mean working hours can be unpredictable at times, but you will not be expected to work overtime regularly and ensuring everyone has a healthy work-life balance is a priority for us.

We are a family-friendly organisation, with a number of parents on the existing Senior Management Team, and welcome applications from parents and caregivers.

Security clearance and residency

If you are successful at interview, we will work with you to acquire security clearance. This is a straightforward process for most people but does, generally, require you to have been resident in the UK for at least the last five years.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or email [e-mail]

If you want to speak to someone about what the role entails or what we are looking for from applicants, please email Anna Rutter, Deputy Head of News, [e-mail].

Technical 3

Implementation - Handle high-profile and sensitive media issues. Adhere to confidentiality and provide a clear, trusted brief to media and other partners. Demonstrate strong editing skills to ensure quality and timely press releases, rebuttals and lines to take in response to developing stories.

Senior Media Officer

From keeping drugs out of prisons and cutting crime, to overhauling sentencing laws and delivering justice for victims – the Ministry of Justice is one of only a handful of Government departments that can truly dominate the news agenda.

And our press office, bursting with talent, is widely recognised as the gold standard within government for shaping stories and influencing news across print, broadcast, and online. With a diverse remit including prisons and probation, family justice, legal aid and modernising the courts system, our office is always busy and no two days are ever the same.

We want insightful, highly-motivated people with excellent news judgement to throw themselves into our busy, friendly team.

As a senior media officer, you will help manage a team and be expected to provide leadership for the wider office. Your experience in a busy communications role will have given you regular contact with ministers and you should be able to confidently provide them with proactive media-handling advice on announcements, visits and speeches. You will set up and manage media facilities, organise interviews, draft sharp reactive statements and brief journalists in order to generate and influence our coverage.

Technical Skills

Insight - Review communication and media plans to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda

Ideas - Initiate and lead the development of both reactive and proactive, integrated media campaigns that build on insight and tracking data. Work constructively with policy colleagues and partners to gain expert opinions.

Implementation - Handle high-profile and sensitive media issues. Adhere to confidentiality and provide a clear, trusted brief to media and other partners. Demonstrate strong editing skills to ensure quality and timely press releases, rebuttals and lines to take in response to developing stories.

Impact - Analyse media monitoring results to assess the effectiveness of media strategies and inform future proactive and reactive media campaigns.

More details on these can be found in the Government Communication Professional Competency (Technical Skills) Framework (PDF).

Salary

The salary range for this post is £47,657-£52,040 plus generous overtime payments for participation in the out of hours rota. Existing civil servants on level transfer will retain their level of pay unless this is lower than the starting salary as per MoJ T&Cs.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working hours system. Like most government press offices, our jobs mean working hours can be unpredictable at times, but you will not be expected to work overtime regularly and ensuring everyone has a healthy work-life balance is a priority for us.

We are a family-friendly organisation, with a number of parents on the existing Senior Management Team, and welcome applications from parents and caregivers.

Security clearance and residency

If you are successful at interview, we will work with you to acquire security clearance. This is a straightforward process for most people but does, generally, require you to have been resident in the UK for at least the last five years.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or email [e-mail]

If you want to speak to someone about what the role entails or what we are looking for from applicants, please email Anna Rutter, Deputy Head of News, [e-mail].

Technical 3

Implementation - Handle high-profile and sensitive media issues. Adhere to confidentiality and provide a clear, trusted brief to media and other partners. Demonstrate strong editing skills to ensure quality and timely press releases, rebuttals and lines to take in response to developing stories.

Person specification

Please Refer To Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
  
  

Technical skills

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

• Insight - Review communication and media plans to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda
• Ideas - Initiate and lead the development of both reactive and proactive, integrated media campaigns that build on insight and tracking data. Work constructively with policy colleagues and partners to gain expert opinions.
• Please refer to job description
• Impact - Analyse media monitoring results to assess the effectiveness of media strategies and inform future proactive and reactive media campaigns.
  
  

Alongside your salary of £47,657, Ministry of Justice contributes £13,806 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance
  
  

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Selection process details

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

https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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 undergo a criminal record check.

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 undergo a criminal record check.

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 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.

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 : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : [e-mail]
• Telephone : [phone]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. I you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL ([e-mail]) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/5321?entityId=5321