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. We are looking for two media officers to join the team, with the potential for further roles in the future.

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.

If applicants are not appointable at this grade they may be considered for positions at the grade below.

There is potential for a further fixed term contract role soon.

Job description

Working across the department’s diverse portfolio, the media officer would:

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

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

• Develop a good understanding of the business priorities for each Ministerial portfolio and identify and flag risks and issues identified;

• Monitor and evaluate media to improve future media handling;

• Use media and audience insight to inform your approach and adapt messaging and narratives based on the audience;

• 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;

• Create and implement communication strategies and integrated media campaigns that keep us on the front foot;

• Demonstrate excellent written communication skills and set standards to ensure appropriate content, messaging, tone and consistency in media communication;

• Represent the DfE in cross-government meetings, and work with external stakeholders to gain insight, to influence where necessary, to suggest joint initiatives where appropriate and to contribute to the existing or proposed initiatives of others; and

• Participate in the out-of-hours duty rota providing an on-call service to members of the media.

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):

Strong written communication skills across a variety of platforms, from blogs to more formal writing, as well as strong verbal communication skills.

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

Initiate and lead the development of both reactive and proactive, integrated media campaigns that build on insight and tracking data.

Comfortable handling high-profile and sensitive media issues. Adhere to confidentiality and provide a clear, trusted brief to media and other partners.

Knowledge of the media landscape, particularly popular and emerging online and digital trends. Review communication and media plans to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda.

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

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 adaptability and organisation is 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