The Home Office is looking for an experienced, confident and ambitious Press Secretary to the Home Secretary to work on some of the highest profile, challenging, and interesting issues in government.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to work closely with the Home Secretary to explain to the public and our stakeholders the action the Department takes to tackle issues that impact peoples’ lives: delivering 20,000 new police recruits and getting crime down; restoring confidence in the criminal justice system; working with law enforcement and the security services to keep our country safe; taking back control of our borders and introducing a new points based immigration system.

Responsibilities

The main role of the Press Secretary will be to provide media handling advice and support to the Home Secretary, working closely with special advisers, private office and the communications team. 

The successful candidate will need a strong understanding of the Home Secretary’s priorities and be clear on how communications can help to deliver them. They will need first-class written and oral communications skills and a thorough understanding of the media landscape. Excellent news judgement and political awareness are a must and the candidate should have a proven track record in providing high quality advice and products at pace.

You will need to develop first class relationships with key home affairs and lobby journalists, work with colleagues in the visits and events team, social media team and press office to ensure the smooth running of all potential media opportunities involving the Home Secretary. This will include accompanying the Home Secretary on visits, speeches and events; ensuring consistent and timely responses to high profile media enquiries; identifying opportunities in media and on social media to help explain work around her priority policies to a wider audience. You will form part of the Home Secretary’s private office and will report to the Head of News.

Closing date: 25 September 2020.