About the job

Summary

We are striving for world-class education, training, care for everyone whatever your background – with a focus on skills, schools and families. For a more productive economy and so everyone has the chance to reach their potential and live a more fulfilled life.

We have a strong culture of inclusion and diversity and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We aim to develop all our staff to enable them to make a full contribution to meeting the department's objectives, and to fulfil their own potential. We promote and support the use of a range of flexible working patterns to help staff to balance home and work

We support this culture though our 11 staff networks, including the BAME, LGBT+ networks to the Carers and EU/EEA Nationals networks.

We need an imaginative, intellectually curious and politically savvy person to join our media team and help us tell the public and media about our work to transform schools, colleges, universities and children’s services in an exciting, innovative way.

The Department for Education has an exciting, diverse brief that is full of key priorities for Number 10 and you will help to bring these stories and policies to life through the media.

You'll need to be able to combine creativity with the organisational skills to manage numerous different projects to tight deadlines, as well as enjoy pitching to journalists, bloggers and commentators.

In return, we can offer you the opportunity to work closely with the department’s ministers, special advisers, communications professionals at Number 10 and with communications teams across Whitehall. You will be part of a motivated team with a track record of helping people progress to the next level – and we can offer you a highly competitive package.

If this sounds like the role for you and you feel you are the candidate for us, then please apply detailing examples and your experience.

Job description

Working across the department’s diverse portfolio, the AIO would:

• Produce excellent written communication and ensure appropriate content, messaging, tone and consistency in media products;

• Monitor media and provide analysis of coverage. Use social media listening tools to spot and react to emerging trends on the main social media channels;

• Identify risks and provide reactive communications with the ability to write concise statements and rapid rebuttals to media stories;

• Create, research, develop and draft media handling for a range of channels to promote key announcements and policies from the department;

• Monitor and evaluate media to improve future media plans;

• Establish and maintain key relationships with journalists, keeping them across future announcements from the department, briefing them on reactive stories and regularly pitching ideas to them to ensure coverage;

• Maintain media contacts and keep the database up to date;

• Produce media briefing packs covering key issues and Q&A; and

• Build confidence to provide advice – and constructive challenge where required – to policy teams, the Permanent Secretary, ministers, and special advisers on the communication implications of new, developing and existing policy.

In return for all of this, we will ensure that you are fully supported and have the opportunity to develop your career as a skilled communications professional.

Responsibilities

About you (essential criteria):

Excellent written communication skills with experience of writing in various styles such as blogs, press notices and statements.

Demonstrate a good understanding of the media landscape including how to tell a story and adapt messaging for different audiences. Ability to digest complex information and communicate concisely.

Experience in building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, media and senior colleagues.

Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise and deliver multiple tasks to short deadlines. This is a busy office and the role will require you to handle several tasks at once so flexibility and organisation are essential.

We are looking for candidates who are equally comfortably using the full range of social and digital channels – Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn - to innovate and communicate the DfE’s key messages. This could include basic filming and editing although this can be developed within the role.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• GCS Ideas: Press and Media
• GCS Impact: Press and Media
• GCS Implementation: Press and Media
• GCS Insight: Press and Media