Deputy Head of News

The Home Office communications team is one of the busiest in Whitehall dealing with some of the most important, complex and high-profile issues facing the UK.

The Home Office is rarely out of the news and our team is a 24/7 operation - our newsdesk takes more than 12,000 calls a year, we produce a range of proactive media products every day, support Ministers, senior leaders and operational teams carry out media engagement and navigate communication risks.

We are creating a new post of Deputy Head of News, who will be charged with driving the Department’s news response, ensuring we are delivering insight-driven communications plans and take a strategic approach to planning, capability building and news output.

The position is a key leadership role within our high-performing, fast-paced Communications Directorate. The successful candidate will work alongside a multi-disciplinary team to deliver the core campaign priorities of the Home Office’s communications strategy, and ensure we can react to events with agility and authority.

This is an exciting opportunity to not only work on one of the most demanding briefs in public sector communications but deliver on the Home Office objectives to keep its citizens safe and maintain the security and economic prosperity of the UK.

You will work in tandem with the Head of News to improve the news offering and operations of the communications team. As well as delivering media campaigns and moments, we want a candidate who is constantly looking to the future to ensure the team have the right capabilities, we are utilising the correct technology, and we are performing.

We are looking for a highly motivated, confident communications professional with a proven track record of working in and leading multidisciplinary communications teams delivering measurable attitudinal and behaviour change. You will be able to demonstrate particular expertise in media relations covering online, print and broadcast.

Due to the nature of the work, this role is only available on a full-time basis.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

Responsibilities:

• Taking forward a continuous programme of improving the media output within the Department across print, broadcast, online and other new media, ensuring creative thinking and high standards are at the heart of all we do to support delivery of the Department’s priorities
• Have a specific responsibility for ensuring that junior Ministers are supported and have a media strategy that ladders up to their objectives and objectives of the Department
• Be one of the voices of the Department – engaging and building relationships with journalists, broadcast producers and opinion formers to ensure the Home Office priorities are communicated
• Identify and address any capability gaps within our directorate. Drive innovative solutions to automate work and work to harness AI and technology to streamline processes and improve efficiency
• You will line manage the Newsdesk, monitoring and rebuttal team and support media leads across the directorate in ensuring the Department’s position is accurately and clearly represented in coverage and the media receive a first-class service. You will line manage a Chief Media Officer
• Providing robust media handling advice to Ministers and senior leaders on complex policy, issues of reputational risk and long-term strategy
• Ensuring high standards are maintained in the drafting and deployment of all media lines, that enquiries are dealt with in a timely manner and that all relevant parts of the Department and wider government are involved in the response to significant stories
• Playing a full role in Communications Directorate SMT, helping to shape future communications strategies and ensuring smooth running of the office as a whole. Taking part in the out of office back up rota and taking responsibility for the on-call duty arrangements and out of hours rota as a whole.

Essential criteria:

• A phenomenal news sense with a high degree of experience in media or media relations Politically aware with a sound understanding of the media and political landscape
• Experience of planning and delivering media strategies across broadcast, print and online
• Adept at leading and working through a team to deliver on objectives while juggling multiple competing priorities
• Significant level of communications leadership and management experience
• Ability to work at pace to very tight deadlines, under significant pressure. Confidence and ability to make immediate decisions in rapidly changing environments
• Excellent organisational skills including strategy development, workforce planning and evaluation/reporting to Ministers, policy colleagues and partner organisations
• Proven track record of using evaluation to shape future work
• Significant level of communications leadership and management experience.

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture.

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing.

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

• Communications - Impact
• Communications - Implementation.