Press Officer

Role overview

This position sits within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and is based across Bristol, London, and Wolverhampton. The team is looking for a driven, imaginative communicator with a strong interest in news and current affairs. In this role, you will transform complex policy material into sharp, accessible messages for different audiences, while developing media approaches that extend beyond traditional print and broadcast coverage to include online platforms and content creators.

You will help manage incoming media enquiries, keep watch on breaking stories, provide quick and effective responses, brief journalists verbally, and protect the department’s reputation. The role also requires close working relationships with ministers, policy teams, political advisers, and partner organisations to create concise messaging and effective communications plans.

Key duties

• Handle reactive media work by tracking developing stories, writing short media lines under very tight deadlines, and briefing senior journalists with confidence.
• Lead proactive press activity by preparing releases, consumer-facing factsheets, and media tactics designed to secure coverage in a crowded news environment.
• Work with policy and political teams to align messages and make the most of ministers’ availability with the media.
• Monitor the news cycle to identify both risks and opportunities where the department can contribute a positive government voice.
• Support digital communications by coordinating with social media teams, news outlets, and content creators to shape and share information.
• Take part in the out-of-hours press office rota, acting as a 24/7 contact for media queries and urgent incidents outside normal working hours, with overtime paid in line with departmental policy.

Skills and experience expected

• Strong awareness of the news agenda, including regional, consumer, lobby, online, and social-first outlets.
• Sound political judgement, sharp news sense, and a clear understanding of how stories move through the media cycle.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to produce press releases, briefings, and social copy with little supervision and minimal editing.
• Ability to turn complex and extensive information into clear, targeted messages.
• Strong planning and organisational ability, including comfort with competing priorities and very tight deadlines.
• Confidence in building and sustaining a useful network of internal and external contacts, including journalists.
• Team-oriented working style, contributing to shared goals and supporting colleagues effectively.

Selection process

The recruitment process uses Success Profiles and is split into two stages: an initial sift and an interview. The sift will assess your CV and covering letter, while the interview will focus on behaviours and experience.

Applicants must not include personally identifiable information in their CV. Direct CV submissions are not accepted; all applications must go through the official application route. Your CV and cover letter must be combined into one file before upload, and the cover letter should be no longer than 1000 words, explaining how your experience matches the essential requirements.

At interview, the assessed behaviours are Seeing the Big Picture, Communicating and Influencing, and Delivering at Pace. Candidates will also answer experience-based questions linked to the essential criteria and complete a written test.

Sifting is expected during the week commencing 06/07/2026. Interviews are likely to take place in person at 2 Marsham Street during the weeks commencing 20th July. Interviews cannot be arranged in Wolverhampton or Bristol. Where applicants based in Wolverhampton or Bristol would be financially disadvantaged by travelling, reasonable travel fares may be considered.

Security, nationality and eligibility

This role is broadly open to UK nationals, Irish nationals, Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK, certain EU/Swiss/Norwegian/Icelandic/Liechtenstein nationals and eligible family members under the EU Settlement Scheme, some people with limited or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply under EUSS on or before 31 December 2020, and Turkish nationals and certain family members who have gained the right to work in the Civil Service.

Successful candidates must satisfy security requirements before appointment. The stated clearance requirement is Security Check, and applicants must also complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks where they will work with government assets. A criminal record check is required.

Pay and benefits

The salary for this post is £36,169, with an additional employer pension contribution of £10,478 into the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. The department also offers a range of employee benefits, including tailored career pathways, flexible working, the MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work schemes.

Important application notes

Artificial intelligence may be used to support an application, but all examples and statements must be truthful, factually accurate, and drawn from your own experience. If plagiarism is identified, including the use of generated content as your own, the application may be withdrawn and internal candidates may face disciplinary action.

Before applying, candidates are expected to review the department’s recruitment and eligibility guidance covering security clearance, nationality rules, right to work, the Civil Service Code, recruitment principles, CV declarations, sponsorship, salary and grade, existing civil servants, conflicts of interest, location and flexible working, the internal fraud database, appeals and complaints, and fixed-term appointment rules for external candidates, existing civil servants, secondees, and MHCLG employees.

Civil Service information

The Civil Service recruits on merit through fair and open competition and supports diversity and equal opportunity. It operates a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates who meet the minimum criteria, plus a Redeployment Interview Scheme for civil servants at risk of redundancy. Feedback is only provided to candidates who attend interview or assessment.

Contact

Job contact: Jade Howard, Jade.Howard@communities.gov.uk