We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Are you a confident and enthusiastic individual with experience of communications, journalism, news or PR?
Do you have excellent news sense and first-rate media handling skills?
Do you want to work at the heart of one the Governments most high-profile departments and shape the news agenda?
If so, then we would love for you to apply!
As a press officer you’ll be helping shape the news agenda every day, securing broadcast coverage across national news bulletins as well as front-page splashes on key Government announcements.
Whether it’s helping to promote our work to revolutionise the country’s bus and rail services, or encouraging the switch to electric – at the Department for Transport you will be working on some of the most important issues facing the country.
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 stories and being proactive to get them corrected swiftly, building relationships with key journalists, shaping the narrative around breaking news, and defending and promoting the department’s reputation.
We believe that different perspectives and experiences improve the calibre of work we produce. Our press office 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.
Find out what it's like working at the Press Office at DfTC
Responsibilities
Key accountabilities 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.
* This will involve drawing up creative media handling and leading on ministerial visits and planning interviews and opportunities in a way that maximises positive coverage.
* You will play an important role in a 24-hour press office 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 and opportunities for flexible working.
* 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.
* All members of the Media Team are expected to take part in the out of hours duty rota, for which overtime is paid.
For an in-depth insight into the role please refer to the Role Profile.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .