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About the job
Job summary
We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Are you a confident and enthusiastic individual with experience of communications, journalism, news or PR?
Do you have excellent news sense and first-rate media handling skills?
Do you want to work at the heart of one the Governments most high-profile departments and shape the news agenda?
If so, then we would love for you to apply!
Job description
As a Press Officer you’ll be helping shape the news agenda every day, securing broadcast coverage across national news bulletins as well as front-page splashes on key Government announcements.
Whether it be helping to co-ordinate the Government’s response to industrial action across the country’s railways; reacting to travel disruption; or promoting our work to achieve net zero, and encouraging the switch to electric – at the Department for Transport you will be working on some of the most important issues facing the country.
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 stories and being proactive to get them corrected swiftly, building relationships with key journalists, shaping the narrative around breaking news, and defending and promoting the department’s reputation.
We believe that different perspectives and experiences improve the calibre of work we produce. Our press office 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.
Find out what it's like working at the Press Office at DfTC
Responsibilities
Key accountabilities 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.
- This will involve drawing up creative media handling and leading on ministerial visits and planning interviews and opportunities in a way that maximises positive coverage.
- You will play an important role in a 24-hour press office 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 and opportunities for flexible working.
- 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.
- All members of the Media Team are expected to take part in the out of hours duty rota, for which overtime is paid.
For an in-depth insight into the role please refer to the Role Profile.
Person specification
- You will be creative when it comes to media opportunities, but also able to handle reactive media work, providing first-rate media advice and support to ministers, senior officials and stakeholders.
- You are a proactive, confident individual, with excellent organisational skills, to manage the department’s grid of upcoming announcements and forward planning activities.
- You are someone with a strong attention to detail, particularly when under pressure, have excellent communication skills and the ability to build good relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels.
Additional Information
A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.
Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required.
All members of the Media Team are expected to take part in the out of hours duty rota, for which overtime is paid.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Insight
- Ideas
- Impact
- Implementation
Benefits
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.
Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to apply
When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following:
- Experience in communications, journalism, news or PR.
- Excellent news sense and first-rate media handling skills.
- Demonstrate they can effectively rebut inaccurate or misleading reporting.
- Experience and effective at spotting proactive media opportunities.
- Experience of offering high quality advice on media handling for contentious issues and offering creative solutions to problems and leading the media agenda.
Your personal statement will be limited to a maximum of 750 words.
The sift is due to take place from w/c 29th January 2024
Interviews/assessments are likely to be held w/c 12th February 2024
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
- an interview with a written exercise
This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile and the Government Communications Framework, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.
The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.
Please see attached candidate notes for further information about our recruitment process.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, DfT is committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Document Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.
Further Information
For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.
Pre-employment Checking
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here
