Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location This role is based in London at 102 Petty France. There is a minimum expectation of two days office attendance per week, however this is a high-visibility leadership role and applicants should be aware that greater levels of office attendance may regularly be required. About the job Job summary CPS HQ Communications is delighted to advertise the role of Senior Press Officer. The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If youre applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of you r role. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that this approval will be granted. Please note that applicants must be aged 16 before starting in the role, start dates would be expected to be 8-12 weeks after the closing date of this advert. Please note that as part of this role you will be expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities. Please note that the below are deemed essential experiences to be eligible to apply for this role: Previous experience of working in a challenging, fast-moving media or PR environment. Please note that you must be able to meet the essential technical skills detailed below to be eligible to apply for this role: We will be testing you throughout the process on the Government Communications Services professional competency framework. This will be assessed against level 3 of the GCS professional competency framework. Insight Review communication and media plans to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda. Implementation Handle high-profile and sensitive media issues. Adhere to confidentiality and provide a clear, trusted brief to media and other partners. Demonstrate strong editing skills to ensure quality and timely press releases, rebuttals and lines to take in response to developing stories. For further information on how to apply, please see the Candidate Pack at the bottom of this page. Job description As a senior press officer, you will play a vital leadership role in the busy CPS national press office, managing a small team of press officers to deliver the highest standard of media relations and communicate the work of the Crown Prosecution Service to the public. Leading our newsdesk, you will be responsible for ensuring all incoming media enquiries handled appropriately and effectively to tight deadlines. You will not only be able to give confident direction to team members about how to approach difficult enquiries, but also to help team members prioritise a high volume of competing deadlines. You will also play an important leadership role in the wider press office, ensuring the smooth operation of key press office processes. Person specification You will drive first-rate reactive rebuttal across the Press Office ensuring challenging stories are gripped with confidence and speed from the outset. You will oversee the CPS Press office inbox and ensuring timely allocation and progression of all media enquiries. You will line-manage and support the development of three Press Officers providing clear direction and guidance, allocating tasks, and providing ongoing support for professional development. You will own key press office products and processes such as our rolling briefing pack, distribution lists, and media monitoring products. You will uphold the national press office clearance process, and providing initial clearance for reactive responses to media enquiries. You will support our 24/7 press operation by being part of the out-of-hours duty rota, which includes working evenings and weekend shifts [for which overtime can be claimed]. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Delivering at Pace Seeing the Big Picture Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: We will be testing you throughout the process on the Government Communications Services professional competency framework. This will be assessed against level 3 of the GCS professional competency framework. Insight Implementation Benefits Alongside your salary of £42,360, Crown Prosecution Service contributes £12,271 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Join the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and have a future that matters: Find Your Purpose CPS is passionate about ensuring that we are a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We are committed to be an equal opportunities employer and creating a culture where everyone can bring their whole self to work and individuality is truly appreciated. We want to ensure all our employees can thrive at work and home and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes where possible, flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment, which means that where you work (i.e. a court, an office, or a remote setting such as your home) will be based on the kind of work you are undertaking. This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering Disability, Faith and Belief, LGBTQI, Race, Social Mobility alongside our Mental Health First Aiders Programme and Wellbeing Sessions. CPS commits to offer its employees the following experience Impactful, purposeful work making a difference to your local communities The ability to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources To care about your wellbeing To feel valued, trusted and included We also offer the following range of benefits: Civil Service Pension Access to employee savings Cycle2Work scheme 25 days leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years service. 1 extra privilege day entitlement to mark the Kings Birthday. Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave Flexible working and a family friendly approach to work. Childcare vouchers unless already registered with the Government Tax Free Childcare Scheme Diversity at the Crown Prosecution Service is about inclusion, embracing differences and ensuring our workforce truly reflects the communities we serve. We want you to feel that you belong and can thrive, whatever your background, identity or culture. As a Disability Confident employer, we're happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments and improve your recruitment experience. If you'd like any reasonable adjustments made to our recruitment process, let us know within your application or contact Cara.Thomascps.gov.uk We want to ensure our employees can thrive at work and home, and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment. We offer a hybrid working policy. From September 2024, you must spend at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period at court, in an office or another official workplace depending on business need and the kind of work you're doing. The CPS also has a range of development programmes to support all aspiring, new and experienced managers with developing the skills, behaviours and knowledge to build their confidence and capability. Our Manager Induction Programme is mandatory for all managers appointed from April 2024. This is a fantastic opportunity to arm all our new CPS managers with the tools required to perform effectively in their roles. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills. The recruitment process will consist of an online application, interview and assessment which are expected to take place on either week commencing 13th January 2025 or week commencing 20th January 2025 at Petty France, London. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with further guidance, if you have any queries about this please contact Cara.Thomascps.gov.uk You should keep these weeks free or notify us if you are not available. We will make every effort to accommodate you in your preference for dates; however we cannot guarantee that they will be met. Assessment Please note, you will be asked to undertake an assessment as part of the recruitment process for this role, details of which will be provided immediately prior to your interview. P ersonal Statement In the personal statement section of your application form in no more than 1000 words set out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience demonstrate the following core behaviours and technical GCS competencies for this role. These are: GCS technical competency (Press & Media): Implementation GCS technical competency (Press & Media): Insight Delivering at Pace Seeing the Bigger Picture In addition, you need to demonstrate the CPS or Civil Service values and refer to the essential experience required for this role. Please note, the panel reserve the right to sift applications on only the essential technical criteria (GCS competencies) required for this role. CV You will not be required to upload your CV however, when submitting your application there is a CV section. You will be required to provide information regarding your employment/academic history for the past 3 years. Please note that it is the candidates responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that they are considered for the post. Please note, if you are unable to cover 3 years through employment/ academic, a character reference will be required for clearance purpose s. Strengths Please note, strengths will be tested at interview stage, the strengths being tested will not be shared in advance of the interview. Use of AI Candidates must ensure that their applications, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note, that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Other This is a full-time post. However, requests for flexible, part-time working and job share will be considered, considering at all times the operational needs of the Department. Clearance Required The successful applicant will be required to secure DB & SC clearance. If successfully appointed, you will be asked to complete the Character Enquiry Form and Nationality and Immigration Questionnaire and National Security Vetting Form. (If you are an internal member of staff, you will not be required to undergo this DBS check as you will already hold this clearance) The job you are applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act does not apply. For the reasons outlined above you are required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions, including spent convictions. Failure to make a full declaration will result in the withdrawal of an offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that have not been disclosed. To be cleared to SC clearance level the candidate has to be able to meet the residency requirement as per Cabinet Office guidance. They are as follows for CPS. SC 3 years within the last 5 years Feedback Feedback will not be provided until the vacancy is complete, please note that written feedback will not be provided for candidates who do not pass the application stage. Fair Processing Notice (FPN) From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances. The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD. Civil Service Commission If you are dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcingcps.gov.uk with your concerns. If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/ Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found here https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/ Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. 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 The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. 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). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Cara Thomas Email : Cara.Thomascps.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : strategic.resourcingcps.gov.uk Attachments COMM3287 - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (docx, 208kB) NEW CPS Personal Statement Guidance 2023 Opens in new window (docx, 269kB) NEW CPS Terms and Conditions 2024 Updated Opens in new window (docx, 253kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail