Location: Birmingham, Leeds, London (Hybrid)
Salary: National: £57,515 / London: £62,034
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Contract Type: Permanent – Flexible working, Full-time, Job share
As a Chief Press Officer, you will play a key role in telling the transport story effectively to the media and wider public. You will manage a team and be expected to provide leadership for the wider office. Your experience will have given you regular contact with seniors and you should be able to confidently provide ministers with proactive media-handling advice on announcements, visits and speeches. You will set up and manage media facilities, organise interviews, draft sharp reactive statements and brief journalists in order to generate and influence our coverage. You will also play a key role in our Senior Management Team.
Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Play an active role in the senior management team – thinking about the wellbeing and capability of the whole office, as well as your own team.
Coach your team to bring out the best in their ability and drive their continued development through regular objective setting.
Manage a modern media team in developing proactive longer-term handling strategies that set the agenda across the full range of channels, including new media.
Benefits
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:
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).
8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King's birthday.
Access to the staff discount portal.
Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
About you
To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:
You will be an excellent manager, maintaining high standards and coaching your team so it can reach its potential.
You will be able to confidently lead change and improve your team and ways of doing things, looking beyond just your team to the needs of the wider press office and directorate.
You will have experience of working in a press team in the public sector, role modelling leadership, collaboration, teamwork and continuous learning.
You will have a strong track record of planning and delivering campaigns, using a full range of media channels and creative approaches.
You will be able to demonstrate an ability to respond quickly, flexibly, and imaginatively to events and work calmly under pressure. You will be resilient and confident to present to senior colleagues in both formal and informal settings.
You will have a record of strong political understanding and news judgement, including in reactive and crisis communications.
You will have experience of establishing credibility quickly with a diverse network of senior stakeholders and to present issues simply and effectively, including close working with other communications functions.
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 11th March 2026