Head of Media Relations
| Posting date: | 08 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £73,165 to £81,535 per year |
| Additional salary information: | 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 May 2026 |
| Location: | London |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 460028/1 |
Summary
Defra leads on some of the most important policy areas in government - from the environment and food security to animal health and flood resilience - making this a rare opportunity for a senior communications professional seeking a role with genuine breadth, impact and visibility.
This is a senior and wide-ranging leadership role, sitting at the centre of the Defra group Communications team and playing a critical part in how the department manages its reputation and tells its story to the public.
The Head of Media Relations will take day-to-day responsibility for leading press office operations across the Defra group, coordinating media response for the department and its operational Arm's Length Bodies, including the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Forestry Commission, the Rural Payments Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The postholder will provide confident, expert media advice to senior leaders, Ministers, Special Advisers and ALBs, helping them navigate complex and fast-moving news stories while identifying opportunities to generate positive coverage.
The postholder will be expected to champion a culture of creativity, collaboration and proactivity across the team. They will work seamlessly across communications disciplines, including digital, strategic communications and stakeholder engagement, to deliver joined-up, high-impact communications that advance Defra's priorities.
A significant part of the role involves leading on crisis and incident response communications. This includes developing and maintaining robust communications contingency plans, coordinating a rapid and effective press office response during live incidents, ensuring accurate and timely information reaches the public and key stakeholders, and working closely with partners across the Defra group and wider government. The postholder will be expected to provide out-of-hours cover during critical situations and to lead the communications function calmly and decisively under pressure.
Given the breadth of Defra's remit, spanning the environment, food security, animal health, flood resilience and more, the postholder will need to be comfortable managing multiple priorities at pace, balancing reactive pressures against longer-term strategic goals.
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