Senior Communications Officer
| Posting date: | 07 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £42,902 to £53,289 per year |
| Additional salary information: | + £5,250 communications allowance + benefits. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 31 August 2025 |
| Location: | SW1A 2BQ |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | 421011/1 |
Summary
We’re looking for an experienced, driven and creative Senior Communications Officer to join our small, friendly integrated team where you’ll get the chance to build your skills across all areas of DCMS work.
We work closely with Ministers, private offices, policy teams and special advisors to identify proactive media opportunities for Ministers and to promote the department’s work, plan media events and manage reactive media enquiries. We also work with our sectors to ensure we provide stakeholder and third-party support for specific announcements.
This is a hugely rewarding role which will provide a fascinating challenge for the right candidate.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has an exciting opportunity for two highly skilled Senior Communications Officers in one of the most interesting, varied and fast-paced departments in Whitehall.
The DCMS Communications Directorate supports a wide range of industries - including our world-class sport, arts, culture and media industries - and has the power to make a huge difference to people’s lives.
Since the general election we have:
- Delivered a Creative Industries Sector Plan which is set to drive innovation and regional growth across film and TV, music, performing and visual arts, video games and advertising - doubling business investment to £31 billion by 2035.
- Announced a multi-billion Universal theme park and resort investment in Bedfordshire, set to generate 28,000 jobs and deliver a £50 billion boost to the economy.
- Hosted a major event at the Royal Shakespeare Company where the Culture Secretary announced a £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund to boost local economies and increase opportunities to gain creative skills
- Led communications for the 80th anniversary of VE Day - the biggest community event in recent history - and the Covid-19 Day of Reflection.
As a DCMS Senior Communications Officer, no two days are the same. The successful candidates will be working on either our media, creative industries and tourism press desk, or our sport, gambling, civil society and youth press desk.
For a small department we deliver with impact. Our work regularly leads the news agenda.
From supporting the establishment of an independent football regulator, the roll out of a £900 million investment for grassroots sport and major sporting events, the publication of a new National Youth Strategy for outside the school gates, and ensuring our public service broadcasters such as the BBC are financially sustainable, you will be part of a small team devising and delivering creative, compelling and integrated communication strategies.
About You
You will play an important role in shaping how the public understands and interacts with DCMS policy areas. You will have an excellent news sense, proven experience of working in a busy communications environment and first-rate media handling and digital skills.
You will have strong leadership skills, and the ability to foster and maintain good relations with a wide range of contacts, from journalists and industry to ministers, senior policy officials and special advisers.
You will know how to get our messages out through the media, engage our audiences through digital content and develop exciting campaigns which feed into the government’s Plan for Change, including the aim for our sectors to be positioned at the heart of economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity.
The right person will benefit from working in a high profile and diverse role, in a team that is multi-talented, committed, fun and that strives for the best. If that sounds like a challenge you relish then we want to hear from you.
Reporting to the desk’s Chief Communications Officer, the successful candidates will:
- Line manage a Communications Officer to devise and deliver targeted media plans across all channels and provide an authoritative, effective and professional service to the media.
- Handle breaking news stories and planned announcements, and producing creative, proactive news and visit ideas, PR features and social media opportunities for DCMS policies.
- Work closely with DCMS arm’s length bodies and stakeholders, such as trade bodies and businesses, to plan and maximise announcements and exploit opportunities for joint working.
- Provide first-rate media advice and support to ministers, senior officials and stakeholders.
- Monitor and evaluate media work, and ensure objectives are being met and messages land in the media.
- Expect to take part in the out of hours duty rota, for which overtime is paid.
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