Department for work and pensions (dwp)
Press Officer
Job Description
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Type of role
Press Relations
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About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
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Location
About the job
Job summary
The Department for Work and Pensions is recruiting for two Press Officers to be part of our supportive and high-performing press team. You will be responding to breaking national stories, planning proactive press activity, and briefing ministers and senior officials on a regular basis.
The work of the DWP makes a difference to the lives of millions of people across the country – from delivering cost of living payments to low-income households and supporting people to start or return to work via our national network of Jobcentres, enacting policy to improve the lives of disabled people and ensuring pension savers are protected from unscrupulous scammers.
To succeed in the role, you will have strong news judgement, the ability to be able to think strategically, excellent interpersonal skills, and an aptitude for digesting complex information and explaining it in plain English.
We are a close-knit team that collaborates closely with the digital, external affairs and campaigns teams, as well as private offices, policy and frontline colleagues.
This post will be based at Caxton House, London.
If this sounds like the right fit for you, we would love to hear from you!
Job description
As a Press Officer you will:
- Develop expertise in DWP policy areas and build strong relationships with officials in these areas, as well as relevant journalists.
- Manage breaking stories on behalf of the department and ministers, providing a timely, accurate and professional service to journalists.
- Know how to use a range of media channels to reach audiences, working with campaigns colleagues and incorporating digital media into all communications plans.
- Produce high quality written work including proactive press releases and op-eds.
- Provide media handling advice to Ministers and Special Advisers on a range of reactive and proactive activity.
- Contribute creative ideas to communicate and promote the department’s policies.
Please Note:
Due to the nature of the role, candidates will be required to work full time hours.
Out of hours working is a key feature of this role and you will be included on a duty rota for weekday evenings and weekend service. There is an additional allowance paid for this.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
Candidates for this role must be able to demonstrate they can meet the following essential criteria:
- Good judgement and understanding of the news cycle, including knowledge of different media channels, including digital.
- Excellent writing skills and experience of planning and working on stories and media opportunities that support communication objectives.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and reacting quickly and confidently to breaking issues.
- Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, and experience of nurturing excellent relationships with internal colleagues and external contacts as part of your work.
- Comfortable working on visits and events.
We will ensure that you are fully supported and can develop your career as a skilled communications professional.
DWP is committed to creating an organisation and workforce which is as diverse as the customers we serve. As such, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified people regardless of gender, race, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Please note – If there are a high number of applications received, an initial sift may be undertaken based on the first 3 essential criteria listed above. Candidates who pass the initial sift may progress to a full sift or may go straight to interview.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Insight
- Ideas
- Implementation
- Impact
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
- 170hrs (23 days) annual leave allowance in year one. This may vary for existing civil servants based on their number of years’ service
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Find out more about Working for DWP
Selection will be by a written sift, followed by a virtual interview (video)
The Civil Service uses a Success Profiles to assess candidates’, knowledge and skills.
You will be assessed against experience, behaviours, strengths and Government Communications Service (GCS) technical skills.
We’ll assess both what candidates are good at, as well as what they enjoy, to help us measure candidates’ behaviours, strengths and their potential. The assessment process comprises of a written application and for shortlisted candidates, a short scenario-based exercise and interview.
Written application
You’ll need to complete a CV and Personal Statement when you apply. Your CV should set out your career history with key responsibilities and achievements. Your Personal Statement (max 1000 words) should explain how your personal skills and qualities make you a suitable candidate for this role. Your CV and personal statement will both be assessed against the essential criteria set out in the advert.
Interview
A ‘blended’ interview lasting around 45 minutes to 1 hour will test a mix of behaviours, technical skills and strengths:
It may help to use the WHO or STAR model to explain:
What the task/ work was, How you approached the task/work/situation and what the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? Or What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?
1. Written Application
The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your CV and Personal Statement and will be assessed against the Essential Criteria within the advert.
Please note – If there are a high number of applications received, an initial sift may be undertaken based on first three essential criteria listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may progress to a full sift or may go straight to interview.
2. Interview
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. This will be a video interview. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. The interview will assess:
a. We’ll assess candidates against the following Civil Service Behaviours at HEO level:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
b. For this professional communications role, you’ll also be tested against the following Government Communications Service (GCS) technical skills at IO level
- Insight
- Ideas
- Implementation
- Impact
c. You’ll also be assessed against two Civil Service Strengths relevant to the role. These aren’t defined by grade.
d. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to carry out a short assessment at the start of the interview, this will be assessed against the GCS technical skills Ideas and Implementation. You will not need to prepare in advance for this.
Sift and Interview Dates:
Our anticipated timetable – which may be subject to change – is as follows:
- Shortlisting will take place commencing 28th January 2025.
- Interviews will commence from 10th February 2025.
- Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided if you are successful and shortlisted.
- To apply for this post please follow the instructions in this candidate pack or the job advert on Civil Service Jobs.
- Please submit your application no later than 23:55 on 27th January 2025.
If you’re an existing Civil Servant and want to know more about transferring to another Department, refer to your current department’s guidance on transfers within the Civil Service.
Candidates should not resign from their current job until all appropriate checks have been successfully completed.
If you have questions about the role, DWP or the application process, please contact Alexander.coogan@dwp.gov.uk
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP’s terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.