Vacancy -- Press Officer

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Chief Operating Officer’s Group
Communications
SEO - £41,700 - £49,370
£41,700 - £44,200 can be offered for exceptional candidates based on their skills and experience. This is in no way guaranteed and remains at the discretion of Welsh Government.
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Permanent
Other location
Pan Wales with regular travel to Cardiff (approximately fortnightly) to meet business need.
TBC

Purpose of Post:

As a Senior Press Officer, you would lead on communicating some of the most important and high-profile issues facing Wales today. You would work alongside our corporate and departmental communications teams to develop creative and effective content on behalf of Ministers and the wider Welsh Government.

Background

Welsh Government press office is a key part of the Welsh Government Communications Service, delivering a 24/7 news service.

The press office is a busy and interesting place to work, which handles lots of media enquiries, while also developing proactive, creative opportunities to promote the Government. 

Role

Working with policy, marketing and digital colleagues, you’ll lead on communicating our messages through the media, engaging with different audiences and developing exciting campaigns. 

You will provide trusted media advice and support to Ministers and senior officials.

Developing strong and constructive working relationships with journalists is key to the role, as well as reaching out to key external influencers and experts.

Delivering positive coverage in the media is a central part of the job, so a good news sense, creativity and enthusiasm is essential. A big part of this is successfully selling-in stories to news editors and journalists – so, we’re looking for someone with a positive, resilient, can-do attitude.

Responding swiftly and accurately to breaking news, you must be able to effectively horizon scan to spot potential problems. Working with your line-manager and press office team, you will implement crisis management strategies if they arise.

As a member of our press office, you will be expected to take part in the out-of-hours duty rota, for which overtime is paid.

Key tasks:

Working to your Chief Press Officer, and deputising for them when necessary, you will:

  • Work closely with Ministers, senior policy officials and communication teams to develop and deliver creative and imaginative media campaigns;
  • Cultivate strong relations with UK, Welsh, regional and specialist media, as well as key digital platforms;
  • Respond swiftly and accurately to reactive media queries and breaking news stories, as well as looking towards the future to predict and pre-empt potential issues;
  • Correct/rebut inaccurate news stories when necessary.
  • Use excellent judgement to become a trusted adviser to Ministers and senior policy colleagues;
  • Support the Chief Press Officer in managing the press team, setting priorities and managing workflow, providing leadership and guidance and supporting their development;
  • Use insight and evaluation tools to target communications and assess their impact, using the information to continuously improve;
  • Adhere to high professional standards, including very good writing skills;
  • Keep abreast of developments in the communications landscape and share learning with colleagues;
  • Work with communications colleagues in other disciplines to deliver cross-cutting strategic communications activity and develop wider knowledge of all communications activity;
  • Be part of the press office duty rota, providing 24/7 media cover for Welsh Government.

Development opportunities:

Your role will form part of Welsh Government’s Communications profession. This is a demanding, rewarding role in a key communication area at the heart of Government. The post offers the opportunity to develop skills in the areas of press and media, as well as experience of working closely with and advising Ministers, special advisers and senior Welsh Government officials.

Closing Date:

24/03/2023, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Essential
Full understanding of all work related material
Fluent
Can understand all work-related conversations
Can prepare written material for all work-related matters

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competencies / Job Specific Criteria

The following job specifics skills are ESSENTIAL for this role.  Please ensure your covering letter demonstrates your ability and experience in relation to these skills.

  • Ability to plan targeted and creative media strategies and campaigns;
  • Excellent bilingual communication skills; including excellent written skills;
  • Ability to cultivate strong relationships with journalists and other key partners;
  • Experience of managing and developing a team, setting priorities, managing workflow, and providing leadership;
  • Ability to build strong relations with UK, Welsh, regional and specialist media, as well as key digital platforms.

Assessment Process  

To apply for this role please attach an up-to-date CV, and covering letter evidencing the essential job specific criteria (above). Each of these must be no more than two sides of A4.

Please ensure your covering letter fully reflects the essential job specific criteria. As the job specific criteria are scored, we would recommend that you give clear examples for each, including the impact of your actions.

If you are successful at the sifting stage, you will be invited to take part in a written exercise and interview.

The written exercise will evidence your written communication, Welsh language and media handling skills. Further details of the written exercise will be made available to you prior to your interview.

The interview will focus on your skills and experience in relation to the role, aligned to the six behaviours below.

Civil Service Success Profile:

Communicating and influencing: Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same.

Delivering at pace: Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance.

Government Communication Service framework:

Insight: Review communication and media plans to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda.

Ideas: Work constructively with policy colleagues and partners to gain expert opinions.

Implementation: Demonstrate strong written communication skills. Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on writing clearly for target audiences.

Impact: Analyse media monitoring results to assess the effectiveness of media strategies and inform future proactive and reactive media campaigns.

Following the interview, if successful, we may keep your details for up to 12 months on a reserve list should other similar posts become available.

Assessment Process

Assessment Process  

To apply for this role please attach an up-to-date CV, and covering letter evidencing the essential job specific criteria (above). Each of these must be no more than two sides of A4.

Please ensure your covering letter fully reflects the essential job specific criteria. As the job specific criteria are scored, we would recommend that you give clear examples for each, including the impact of your actions.

If you are successful at the sifting stage, you will be invited to take part in a written exercise and interview.

The written exercise will evidence your written communication, Welsh language and media handling skills. Further details of the written exercise will be made available to you prior to your interview.

The interview will focus on your skills and experience in relation to the role, aligned to the six behaviours below.

 

 

 

Civil Service Success Profile:

Communicating and influencing: Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same.

Delivering at pace: Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance.

Government Communication Service framework:

 

Insight: Review communication and media plans to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda.

Ideas: Work constructively with policy colleagues and partners to gain expert opinions.

Implementation: Demonstrate strong written communication skills. Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on writing clearly for target audiences.

Impact: Analyse media monitoring results to assess the effectiveness of media strategies and inform future proactive and reactive media campaigns.

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.

The Welsh Government offers a variety of benefits, including:

Frequent development discussions and the training you need for your role and to grow

  • 31 days annual leave, plus a day for Christmas and the King’s Birthday
  • Generous parental leave, including 26 weeks at full pay for qualifying employees
  • Generous pension scheme with employer contributions
  • Cycle to Work Scheme: choose a brand new bike up to £1000, saving at least 32%
  • Advances of Salary: request advances for Christmas, computer equipment or Tenancy Deposits
  • Season Ticket Loans
  • Flexitime policy

Secondments will also be considered as part of this scheme. Secondments are only open to non-Civil Servants and successful candidates taking up this option will remain on their employer’s terms and conditions.

ExternalRecruitment@gov.wales

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.