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Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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Communications Manager X 2

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Description

  • Job grade: Higher Executive Officer
  • Contract type: Fixed term, Loan, Secondment
  • Length of employment: 2 years
  • Business area: DCMS - Communications
  • Type of role: Communications / Marketing
  • Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share
  • Number of jobs available: 1

Location

Richmond (Greater London), Manchester

About the job

Job summary

The communications team at DCMS is a friendly, creative and collaborative team working to tell compelling stories about the work we do and the sectors we support.

It's an exciting time to join us, with plenty of opportunities to bring fresh ideas, shape how we work and make your mark.

Our work is varied and fast-paced, covering a wide range of high-profile issues that matter to people across the UK. We work closely with colleagues across the department and value creativity, curiosity and a willingness to try new approaches.

Above all, we're a supportive team that looks out for one another, particularly during busy periods.

Job description

Are you a creative, proactive and results-focused communications professional with a passion for delivering impactful campaigns, news and engaging digital content? If so, we want to hear from you.

You will be a key member of the communications team, supporting the development and delivery of high-profile paid and no/low cost campaigns, news or digital content that reach and engage audiences across the UK. From promoting growth and opportunity across DCMS sectors to identifying PR opportunities and developing innovative, audience-led approaches and partnerships, you will help deliver communications that make an impact.

A self-starter, you will build effective relationships internally and externally, representing the department while bringing creativity, energy and fresh thinking to our work. This fast-paced role requires a proactive team player with the ability to work across multiple projects, spot new opportunities, and bring enthusiasm to everything they do.

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience:

Essential requirements:

  • Experience of supporting the design and delivery of paid-for and no/low cost communications campaigns to deliver impactful, audience-led results.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective internal (including ministerial) and external working relationships.
  • Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities at pace.
  • Proven ability to write clear, accurate and engaging content for different audiences and purposes, including press releases, statements, lines to take and social media content.
  • Experience of handling media enquiries, drafting responses and building relationships with journalists - including new media.
  • Experience of creating, editing and publishing content across digital channels, including websites and social media, with an understanding of how to tailor content for different platforms and audiences.
  • Proven ability to use data and analytics tools to monitor the performance of digital content and channels.

Desirable Skills:

  • Awareness of the GCS communications professional assurance process.
  • Experience working within or closely with DCMS sectors.
  • Experience supporting the management of agency contracts and working with external suppliers to deliver campaign activity.

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Holly Dunkley, and will take place on:

  • 12th November 2026 at 11am

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this Registration form and you will be sent an invitation. Invites will only be sent after this deadline has passed.

Please note that the session will not be recorded and will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to resourcing.team@dcms.gov.uk

Behaviours

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

  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

  • The technical skills we will assess are in-line with the government communications technical specifications, to include insight, ideas, implementation and impact.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,734, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £10,641 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We’re committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:

  • Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working - DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home

  • 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service

  • A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

  • Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice

  • 3 days of paid volunteering leave

  • Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave

  • Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year

  • Occupational sick pay

  • Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice

  • Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks

  • Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work

  • Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!

Terms and conditions at SCS grades will vary. Those applying for SCS roles should refer to the candidate information pack for more information on terms and conditions.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply for this vacancy, you will need to submit the following documents which will assessed against the experience success profile:

  • A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
  • A Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed however these will not be considered in the assessment of your application except in circumstances where there are a high number and calibre of candidates.

For the shortlist, we will select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability. Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.

For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the ‘Application and Interview Guidance’ document attached to the job advert.

The interview process will assess behaviours and technical skills.

The behaviours to be tested at interview are:

  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Delivering at pace

You will also be required to prepare a presentation to assess your technical skills. The technical skills we will assess are in-line with the government communications technical specifications, to include insight, ideas, implementation and impact.

Full details of this, including the topic, length of time, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview.

Your interview will take place remotely via Teams.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Candidate Information Pack’ attached.

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.

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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

Reasonable Adjustment

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process.

In order to request an adjustment, please:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on 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 a verbal test rather than a written one.

Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the 'contact point for applicants' section of the job advert.

Feedback



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
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 : Holly Dunkley
  • Email : holly.dunkley@dcms.gov.uk
Recruitment team
  • Email : dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact/

Attachments

1317051 Opens in new window (docx, 67kB)
POSN544517 Communications Manager x 2 - Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 7169kB)
DCMS Application & Interview Guidance for Candidates Aug 23 (1) (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 180kB)

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