The team also develops and delivers comprehensive communications plans and supports ministers ahead of media appearances, while working closely with colleagues across government to shape communications activity and forward planning.

In the Communications Directorate our values are critical to delivering on our mission and purpose. We recognise that different people bring different strengths, skills and approaches, which together form a team which is greater than the sum of its parts.

Person Specification

Lead the department's response to breaking news stories, emerging issues and media enquiries, ensuring accurate, timely and effective handling of high-profile and sensitive issues. Develop and deliver robust media handling strategies, rebuttal plans and communications responses to protect and advance the department's reputation. Provide expert communications advice to ministers, special advisers and senior officials on reactive media issues, crises, reputational risks and developing stories. Monitor and assess the news agenda, identifying emerging risks and opportunities while ensuring the department is prepared to respond rapidly and effectively. Demonstrate excellent written and editing skills to deliver high-quality lines to take, press statements, rebuttals, briefing materials and crisis communications under tight deadlines. Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, broadcasters and communications colleagues across government to support effective media handling. Deliver post-incident evaluation and lessons learned from major media issues, crises and reactive handling activity to strengthen future performance. Line manage and support junior team members, helping build capability in media handling, crisis communications and newsdesk operations. Participate in the out-of-hours duty rota, responding to urgent and high-profile media issues as required.

As a line manager, you will be responsible for working with your members of staff to define their objectives, as well as managing their development and performance.

Essential Criteria

Significant experience working in a fast-paced press office, newsroom or communications environment, with a strong track record of reactive media handling. Excellent media handling, crisis communications and rebuttal skills, with sound judgement in managing high-profile and sensitive issues. Strong news sense and the ability to identify reputational risks and opportunities quickly, making effective decisions under pressure. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, accurate and compelling communications at pace. Experience advising senior stakeholders, within government or senior leaders, on complex and sensitive communications issues. Proven ability to manage competing priorities, remain calm under pressure and deliver high-quality work to tight deadlines. Experience line managing and developing communications professionals, raising standards and fostering a high-performing team culture.

Desirable Criteria

Experience using media monitoring, audience insight or performance data to improve communications products, processes and decision-making. Experience driving innovation in media operations, including the use of digital tools, new technologies or improved workflows to enhance effectiveness.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

Alongside your salary of £43,765, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £12,678 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides [here](opens in a new window).

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance [here](opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles [here](opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to outline what makes you the best candidate for the Senior Media Officer role on the Newsdesk.

Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions, as well as a written exercise.

Sift and interview dates

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DESNZ Candidate Guidance. A DESNZ Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can