Head of BBC Content and Culture Policy (Maternity Cover)

Posting date:	22 May 2026
Salary:	£54,582 to £61,584 per year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	03 June 2026
Location:	M2 3AW
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Temporary
Job reference:	462920/1

Summary

The successful candidate will hold a key role in the really welcoming, collaborative and high-performing BBC Policy team. We are a large team responsible for a wide range of high profile BBC related policy areas that are priorities for DCMS Ministers and No.10 Downing Street, especially as we progress Charter Review.

The BBC Policy team sits within the wider Media and International Directorate (MINT) which covers a broad range of work on sectors including: TV, radio, press, and advertising; as well as having a key role leading the department’s international work. We work very collaboratively with other teams in MINT and more widely across DCMS.

As a team we have a significant presence in both the London and Manchester offices. We also pride ourselves on our inclusive and respectful team environment, with ample opportunities to get involved in corporate work such as our social committee and staff networks.

The successful candidate will join the BBC Policy team as 12 month maternity cover and work in a stretching and a high-profile role at a particularly important and fast-moving time. The BBC team is focused on the ongoing BBC Charter Review, which sets the constitutional and regulatory framework for the BBC and needs to be completed during 2027. The Government’s objective is to ensure the BBC can thrive for decades to come, and Charter Review is a rare opportunity to look at the future role of the BBC in this context and develop the framework that will enable it to do so.

The successful candidate will be part of the senior leadership of the BBC team, and will line manage two junior staff members as you lead policy work on how the BBC’s content and cultural offering best delivers for audiences across the country as it tells an inclusive national story; how the BBC ensures it has a workplace culture that supports staff and has public confidence; and alongside that how the BBC and Charter Review best supports Minority Language Broadcasting (in particular the Welsh and Gaelic languages). Additionally you will oversee the team’s collective work on managing correspondence.

You will ensure your team delivers on Ministerial and departmental priorities by creating a sense of purpose and focus on outcomes, evaluating and making evidence-based decisions, empowering and developing the individuals in your team, and building strong, constructive relationships with stakeholders and other government departments.

This is an area of significant political interest and offers an exciting opportunity for candidates looking to work on a priority project, with significant exposure to Ministers and senior officials.

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