Media Officer

Job summary

As a media officer at the Department for Transport (DfT) you could be helping shape the national news agenda every day, creating headlines from transport policy and showcasing the latest announcements through creative communications approaches and visuals.

No two days are the same in the communications directorate. You might be communicating our reform of the railways, highlighting the department’s work to improve bus services, or promoting transport’s key role in encouraging the transition to electric vehicles.

You’ll need to be a confident and talented writer and at ease working in a fast-paced environment. You’ll also need to show a flair for spotting when there are factual inaccuracies in media stories and be able to build strong relationships with key partners, including journalists, stakeholders, Ministers and Special Advisers.

You will need to be organised, proactive, and confident in taking the lead when it comes to handling news stories. Strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills are a must.

We are a modern communications team and are looking for someone with a good understanding of new media, including online outlets and podcasts, social media, and the ability to build partnerships with content creators to extend the reach of campaigns.

We believe that different perspectives and experiences improve the calibre of the work we produce. Our communications directorate represents a variety of backgrounds and previous careers, and those who join our team are supported every step of the way as they learn about government communications, develop their skills, and kickstart an exciting career with us.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DfT Communications: Communications - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

The communications team work closely with Private Offices, Special Advisers, policy officials and external stakeholders. Key responsibilities of the role include:

• You will play an important role in responding to media enquiries, working with policy and Ministerial teams to inform and educate the public.
• You will also work proactively on government announcements on a range of significant transport policies and campaigns, using insight and creative communication handling to speak to our audiences on the platforms they use, including new media and social media.
• This will involve exciting Ministerial visit opportunities, planning interviews and maximising positive coverage.
• You will play an important role in a 24-hour communications team and will be part of a duty rota able to respond to enquiries out-of-hours. This includes working weekends and evenings and comes with a competitive remuneration package.
• Our communications are based around campaigns, and you will employ a range of skills and channels to deliver our messages. This includes working alongside strategic communication colleagues to set the direction for the department and creating social media content to tell our stories in the most effective way.

Colleagues are expected to work with a degree of flexibility, meaning responsibilities may change to support priority delivery.

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

Required experience:

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Experience of working within communications and/or media
• Experience of developing proactive and reactive communications approaches.
• Experience of working collaboratively with others to deliver at pace and manage competing demands.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full-time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Sponsorship is not offered for this role. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the United Kingdom.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,663, Department for Transport contributes £10,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agenc