Media Officer

As a media officer at the Department for Transport (DfT) you could be helping shape the national news agenda every day, creating headlines from transport policy and showcasing the latest announcements through creative communications approaches and visuals. No two days are the same in the communications directorate. You might be communicating our reform of the railways, highlighting the department’s work to improve bus services, or promoting transport’s key role in encouraging the transition to electric vehicles.

You’ll need to be a confident and talented writer and at ease working in a fast-paced environment. You’ll also need to show a flair for spotting when there are factual inaccuracies in media stories and be able to build strong relationships with key partners, including journalists, stakeholders, Ministers and Special Advisers.

You will need to be organised, proactive, and confident in taking the lead when it comes to handling news stories or running media visits. Strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills are a must.

We are a modern communications team and are looking for someone with a good understanding of new media, including online outlets and podcasts, social media, and the ability to build partnerships with content creators to extend the reach of campaigns.

Experience of managing visits and working with stakeholders is also desirable.

We believe that different perspectives and experiences improve the calibre of the work we produce. Our communications directorate represents a variety of backgrounds and previous careers, and those who join our team are supported every step of the way as they learn about government communications, develop their skills, and kickstart an exciting career with us.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at Df

T Communications

Communications - Department for Transport Careers

The communications team work closely with Private Offices, Special Advisers, policy officials and external stakeholders. Key responsibilities of the role include:

• You will play an important role in responding to media enquiries, working with policy and Ministerial teams to inform and educate the public.
• You will also work proactively on government announcements on a range of significant transport policies and campaigns, using insight and creative communication handling to speak to our audiences on the platforms they use, including new media and social media.
• This will involve exciting Ministerial visit opportunities, planning interviews and maximising positive coverage.
• You will play an important role in a 24-hour communications team and will be part of a duty rota able to respond to enquiries out-of-hours. This includes working weekends and evenings and comes with a competitive remuneration package.
• When working on Ministerial visits, you will be expected to travel domestically, sometimes at short notice, with some out-of-hours work.
• You will prepare briefing materials for Ministers in advance of a visit, sometimes conducting a recce in advance, and will maintain a close dialogue with key colleagues at all times.
• Our communications are based around campaigns, and you will employ a range of skills and channels to deliver our messages. This includes working alongside strategic communication colleagues to set the direction for the department and creating social media content to tell our stories in the most effective way.

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

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