press officer

About the Group

Ministerial and Communications

The Ministerial and Communications Group sits at the heart of the Treasury. It provides support to Ministers, through the Ministerial offices; it acts as the external face of the Treasury, through the Press Office and Communications teams; and it is responsible for the management of the department, through its support for the Permanent Secretary, the Treasury Board and the Executive Management Board (EMB), and its ownership of Treasury governance structures. The Group is led by the Permanent Secretary.



About the Team

The Communications Team

The Communications Team is responsible for all communications conducted by HM Treasury and its Ministers. It works closely with Ministers, special advisors and policy teams to communicate the full range of the Treasury’s work, through traditional and new media channels.

The team is high-performing, supportive and fun. We work highly collaboratively across the different aspects of communications (press, digital, events). The roles are high-profile and post-holders are given a large degree of ownership for their areas. The team is a flexible resource and the post-holder will need be ready to support colleagues during busy periods as responsibilities can move around to reflect Government priorities.

Key Accountabilities

The Press Officer (Newsdesk) will be part of our Newsdesk and will need excellent news judgement, the ability to spot and respond to emerging issues and the confidence to speak authoritatively to journalists.
You will be adept at using your knowledge of the media landscape to prioritise and respond to calls from journalists. But you will also be expected to draft pithy, succinct lines to get our message across and protect the Treasury’s reputation.
We are a busy and dynamic team meaning that you will have the opportunity to work beyond your remit, including by supporting and helping to set up Chancellor visits and media interviews. You will contribute to communicating vital Chancellor priorities such as the Plan for Jobs and our response to coronavirus.
You will play a full role in the proactive delivery of high-profile fiscal events such as budgets and spending reviews. This could include identifying positive stories and drafting press releases.
This position is also likely to hold some line management responsibility.
Responsibilities will include:
1. Leading on the Newsdesk’s reactive call handling function.
2. Using a suite of tools to monitor social and traditional media, ensuring that the right people in the Treasury have sight of emerging stories.
3. Identifying stories and social media content that the Treasury should seek to rebut or respond to.
4. Writing briefings for the Chancellor’s media engagements
5. Leading on media queries on corporate issues such as staffing and procurement
6. Standing in for the Head of Newsdesk and Union Communications when necessary.
7. Playing a full role in the proactive delivery of key fiscal events such as the Budget and spending reviews
8. Contributing to corporate workstreams on important issues. Examples of ongoing work includes wellbeing and diversity and inclusion
9. Supporting the Head of Newsdesk and Union communications in communicating the strength of the Union.

Responsibilities

Sift criteria
Candidates – Please note, you will be asked to give evidence in your application of how you meet these criteria.

Required Behaviours:
1. An ability to communicate complex issues in an easily accessible, eye-catching way. (communicating and influencing)
2. Excellent judgement and awareness of the broader context. (seeing the big picture)
3. Someone who thrives working independently in a high-paced environment. (delivering at pace)

Required Experience:
1. Communications or media experience, and/or an understanding of presentational issues in government.

The lead criteria is: experience

If we receive a large number of applications, applications will be assessed against this criteria alone first. They will then be assessed against the other criteria if they have met the minimum score on the lead criteria.

Closes: 2nd March
Sift: w/c 1st March
Interviews: w/c 8th March

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

Flexible working arrangements:

HM Treasury views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including; working from home, compressed hours and job sharing. Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees to take up to an additional 2 days off each month, providing you work enough hours to meet business need.

We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.

At HM Treasury we have an incredibly broad remit; our work touches every citizen of the country. So, it’s important our employees come from the widest possible range of backgrounds, bringing us the widest possible range of perspectives and ways of thinking. We are committed to ensuring that all staff are able to realise their potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Benefits:

• 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the Queen’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant)
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
• Onsite restaurant and coffee bar. The London office also offers a gym, showers and prayer room
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving
• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity (e.g. women in the Treasury, ethnic minority network, LGBT* network, faith and belief network)