Menu
Warning This job advert has expired and applications have closed.

Press Officer

Job details
Posting date: 10 November 2025
Salary: £34,765 to £41,375 per year
Additional salary information: National: £34,765-£37,080. London: £38,795-£41,375. Plus additional overtime payments for out of hours duty shifts. For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.
Hours: Full time
Closing date: 21 November 2025
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Company: Government Recruitment Service
Job type: Permanent
Job reference: 436193/3

Summary

We are looking for ambitious, talented and motivated press officers.

Whether it's actions to enhance and improve the environment, protecting the nation from flooding and animal disease outbreaks, or preparing new approaches to farming and fishing, the work of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is of huge public interest.

You will have an excellent knowledge of the news agenda, combined with strong news judgement, political awareness and the ability to confidently present your work. 

Successful candidates will join a Press Office team working on some of the highest-profile issues in Government. Your role will include:

  • Providing timely proactive and reactive media handling advice to ministers, senior officials and leaders from across the Defra group.
  • Producing external communications products in the forms of press releases, reactive media lines and social media content.
  • Helping organise ministerial or senior leader interviews, visits, announcements and publicity around speeches and events.
  • Effectively briefing journalists accurately and with authority.
  • Provide a monitoring service across online, print, broadcast and social media.
  • Work with colleagues across the communications team to develop strategies to communicate our work.
  • Developing an understanding of issues across the Defra group, enabling you to play an effective part in the wider communications team.
  • You will also be expected to participate in the out of hours duty rota for which there is additional pay.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.