Senior Media Operations Officer

Full job description
Details
Reference number
420711
Salary
£46,169 - £50,062
This role will have a Private Office Allowance attached to it at £7,120 to reflect the sometimes long and unsociable hours expected of the post-holder as well as overseas travel.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Senior Executive Officer
Contract type
Fixed term
Loan
Length of employment
Two years.
Business area
CO - Prime Minister's Office - The Prime Minister’s Office enables the Prime Minister to deliver the Government’s overall priorities and to communicate the Government’s policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences. From the Policy Unit, Press Office, Switchboard and C
Type of role
Communications / Marketing
Operational Delivery
Press Relations
Project Delivery
Working pattern
Full-time, Job share
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
London
About the job
Job summary
The Prime Minister’s Office seeks to appoint a Senior Media Operations Officer to the Events and Visits team.

This is a fast-paced role, offering the opportunity to work within a team to lead the coordination of media logistics for the Prime Minister’s domestic and international engagements.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the strategic planning and on-the-ground management of media operations at events & visits, including at Downing Street. They will act as the liaison for broadcasters, wire services, and picture agencies – co-ordinating media access and managing logistics.

The postholder will work closely with the No10 Digital team to identify and shape strong visual opportunities for Official Photographers and Videographers, and facilitating high-quality coverage that aligns with government communications objectives.

This role requires close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders across No10, including Special Advisers, Press Office, Digital, as well as Events & Visits teams across Whitehall and embassies across the world. The postholder will also engage with external production companies, and AV contractors.

The successful candidate will be calm under pressure, adaptable to rapidly changing circumstances, and capable of showing creativity and initiative. They will have excellent communication, organisational, and time management skills, along with experience working in high-profile, high-pressure environments.

The role involves regular domestic and international travel and requires flexibility, including regular work outside of standard hours.

Job description
Lead the planning and coordination of high-quality picture moments during domestic and international visits and summits, ensuring visuals align with the Prime Minister’s communications objectives and policy priorities.

Act as the liaison for broadcasters, wire agencies and picture agencies, building and maintaining strong, trusted relationships with UK and international media organisations.
Manage and negotiate media pool access during domestic and international events and visits, ensuring fair and effective coverage for all pool members.
Work in close collaboration with the No10 Digital Communications team to identify and deliver compelling picture opportunities that support digital content and amplify the Prime Minister’s messaging across social media platforms.
Engage with stakeholders across No10 - including Special Advisers, Press Office and Digital Communications - to translate complex policy areas into clear, impactful visual opportunities during visits.
Lead on media management of Downing Street, working closely with the police to deliver high-profile media moments, including visiting foreign leaders and press conferences.
Oversee and offer advice to Whitehall departments on summits and other high-profile media moments.
Work closely with external stakeholders on technical set-ups, including AV contractors, production companies and broadcast engineers, and oversee any production set-ups including technical equipment, flags and branding.
Person specification
Essential skills & Experience:

Strong creative judgment in identifying and shaping picture moments that support strategic messaging and secure media coverage.
High level of political and media awareness, with the ability to adapt plans in response to changing circumstances and sensitivities.
Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to influence, persuade, and coordinate with senior officials and external partners.
Confident communicator, able to brief senior ministers, media crews, and international stakeholders - including the Prime Minister directly - on media logistics and picture opportunities.
Strong attention to detail and experience making autonomous decisions under pressure, particularly in live or fast-moving environments.
Willingness to work flexibly, including unsociable hours, weekends, and short-notice travel.
Desirable Skills & Experience

Familiarity with managing media access during high-profile events and visits.
Working knowledge of broadcast setups and AV requirements and ability to identify and implement technical solutions to broadcasting and media logistics challenges.
Experience supporting or coordinating visual content creation for digital platforms, including social media.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Managing a Quality Service
Working Together
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £46,169, Cabinet Office contributes £13,375 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Learning and development tailored to your role.
An environment with flexible working options.
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Application process

Please submit a CV and a statement of suitability which demonstrate relevant experience and skills as listed in the advert and provide examples against all four of the Behaviours which are being assessed at this stage of the process: Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together. Please refer to the Success Profiles - GOV.UK for more details.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Communicating and Influencing.

Selection process

Your Behaviours and Strengths will be assessed as part of this process; please refer to the Success Profiles - GOV.UK for more details. If you are successful at the sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will include questions on the Behaviours indicated above and Strengths.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – late August

Expected interview date/s – early September

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via COrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.

You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

This role is full time only (shift working is available). Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback


Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter .
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Medical
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
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 Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Name : No10 Recruitment Team
Email : No10Recruitment@No10.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.