At DSIT, were all about cementing the UKs position as a Science and Tech superpower. Our mission is driving stronger growth, better jobs and bold discoveries. Were the Department investing in today to secure future economic growth. 

To help us get there, our Science and Technology Framework lays out the roadmap for everything we do, giving us a clear plan up to 2030.  Together with stakeholders from across government and the SciTech sector we are:   

• Backing UK science, technology and innovation, boosting investment in our most exciting technologies and sectors of the future, to grow the economy and create high paid-jobs.  
• Tackling global challenges through international influence and partnerships to secure our future and security. 
• Improving lives by championing responsible innovation in the digital economy and public services  

We want DSIT to be the best place to work in government and central to this is our set of core values think big, value people, create connections, cultivate curiosity. We created these together in our first months as a department and they guide how we work: helping us make decisions, informing our behaviour and interactions.    

From delivering the Online Safety Act 2023 and hosting the worlds first inaugural AI Safety Summit to boosting investment in R&D and Life Sciences, we have already achieved so much since we were created. But this is only the beginning and being a department for innovation, were excited to see what the future holds.  

Our Inclusive Environment  

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.  

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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy. 

Find Out More 

You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/    

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is looking for talented, imaginative, and motivated Press Officers to join a high performing and busy team, working on some of the most interesting and varied issues of the day.

Our mission is to help position the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advances. As part of our energetic and growing team, you will help shape stories which bring government announcements to life across a number of policy areas which include, but are not limited to: Scientific Research and Development, artificial intelligence (AI) and the work of the AI Safety Institute, online connectivity, cyber security, semiconductors, life sciences, and new developments in the space economy.

The successful candidate will draft and execute high-quality communications plans across a wide array of areas to tell the story of some of the Government's leading priorities, while also producing robust and precise statements in response to incoming media queries.

You'll need to be able to combine creativity with organisational skills to manage numerous different projects to tight deadlines, working across communication teams and with a range of policy officials, as well as enjoy pitching to journalists, bloggers and commentators. As such, the post holder will be expected to engage with national and international media (print, broadcast and digital), working closely with ministers, special advisers, policy teams and No10 Downing Street to deliver proactive and reactive communications. 

The successful candidate will be experienced in translating detailed information into engaging and easy-to-understand language, delivering creative communications plans that encompass a range of channels including traditional and social media.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is looking for those who enjoy delivering interesting and diverse communications at pace to continue to enhance the reputation of the department and UK Government. 

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week, and one of these roles will be based in a Places for Growth office (Cardiff / Darlington / Salford).

Key responsibilities

The successful candidate will - 

• Create multi-channel media plans to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda and inform the wider communications strategy and the goals of DSIT and its ministers.
• Establish and maintain key relationships with journalists, keeping them across future announcements from the Department and regularly pitching ideas to them to ensure coverage.
• Deliver creative content that tells the real-world story on support for the UKs burgeoning science and technology ecosystems, working constructively with senior policy colleagues and partners to gain expert opinion.
• Provide considered communications advice to ministers, special advisers and senior officials on new, developing and existing policy, which will include working across the comms directorate to provide rounded advice.
• Develop a good understanding of the business priorities for each Ministerial portfolio and identify and flag risks and issues identified.
• Demonstrate excellent written and editing skills to deliver quality and timely press releases, rebuttals, lines to take and social media posts in response to developing stories.
• Deliver strong evaluation of media strategies to inform future proactive and reactive media campaigns.
• Represent DSIT in cross-government meetings, and work with external stakeholders to gain insight, to influence where necessary, to suggest joint initiatives where appropriate and to contribute to the existing or proposed initiatives of others; and
• Participate in the out-of-hours duty rota responding to issues covering the full breadth of DSIT policies. 

Skills and experience

Essential criteria include - 

• Experience of working in a fast-paced media office, with highly effective media, rebuttal and crisis management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Comfortable handling high-profile and sensitive media issues. Adhere to confidentiality and provide clear, trusted briefings to media and other partners.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise and deliver multiple tasks to short deadlines. This is a busy office and the role will require you to handle several tasks at once so adaptability and organisation is essential.
• Sharp news sense and knowledge of the media landscape, particularly popular and emerging online and digital trends to ensure activities reflect policy developments and the emerging news agenda.

Desirable criteria include - 

• Experience of working on issues surrounding tech and science.
• Experience of news management in PR or journalism.
• Experience of using social media and evaluating communications.

As part of the press office, you will report to a Senior Communications Officer.

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

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

• Implementation
• Insight
• Impact
• Ideas

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• Communications Allowance - £5,280.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

Job contact :

• Name : Tom Lewis
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]