External Affairs Officer

Job summary

The External Affairs Officer leads the coordination and delivery of Specialist Military Units (SMU) external affairs functions, with a primary focus on strategic communications, media handling, parliamentary business and secretariat support. The role ensures that the organisation’s external engagement is coherent, timely and aligned with Defence’s operational and national security requirements, supporting effective responses to Parliamentary, media and public scrutiny.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Working closely with the Policy Adviser (POLAD) and wider Branch leads, the post enables the translation of policy intent into clear, consistent and defensible external messaging. This includes supporting the preparation and assurance of Parliamentary Questions (PQs), Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, ministerial correspondence and briefing material, ensuring outputs are accurate, proportionate and delivered at pace. The External Affairs Officer plays a central role in coordinating the proactive and reactive management of media activity relating to SMU. This includes developing and shaping lines to take, supporting responses to emerging issues, and ensuring that engagement protects operational security while maintaining reputational assurance across Defence.

The role also establishes and maintains effective internal communications networks to support consistent messaging across SMU organisations and stakeholders. Through structured communication channels and engagement mechanisms, the post ensures that policy decisions, lines and organisational positions are clearly understood and applied.

In addition, the External Affairs Officer provides secretariat and coordination support across high-profile work areas, including inquiries, inquests and major reviews. This includes managing information flows, maintaining oversight of tasking and deadlines, and supporting senior stakeholders with high-quality briefing and outputs in complex and sensitive environments.

Operating within a high-tempo headquarters environment, the role requires strong judgement, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple workstreams. The post contributes to wider Branch resilience, including quality assuring outputs, supporting cross-portfolio delivery and sustaining high standards of performance under scrutiny.

You will bring experience of working in demanding environments involving media, communications, and/or Parliamentary business and public scrutiny. The ability to build effective networks, coordinate across organisational boundaries and deliver clear, defensible outputs in sensitive contexts will be key to success in this role.

• Support SMU Parliamentary business, including contributing to the drafting and assurance of PQs, FOIs, ministerial correspondence, tribunal submissions and briefing notes for ministers
• Control the proactive and reactive management of public media activity to maintain National Security, assisting in preparing lines, coordinating responses and ensuring consistent handling of SMU‑related issues.
• Establish and run an internal communications network to support regular messaging to SMU organisations, through both internal and external channels.
• Contribute to wider Branch resilience, including surge support, quality assurance of submissions, and cross‑portfolio tasking to maintain delivery across the policy and media function.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be a confident and reliable professional, able to operate effectively in sensitive, fast‑paced and scrutiny‑heavy environments. Experience in communications, media handling, or coordination roles would be advantageous, but is not essential; greater importance is placed on sound judgement, the ability to rapidly assimilate information, and the delivery of clear, accurate and well‑structured outputs.

You will have strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to work across MOD, OGDs and specialist organisations. The role requires the ability to coordinate inputs across multiple stakeholders, manage competing priorities, and support the delivery of coherent and consistent external communications.

Excellent written, oral and presentational communication skills are essential. You will contribute to Parliamentary business, media lines, public‑facing responses and senior leader briefing, ensuring outputs are timely, accurate and aligned with strategic messaging. The ability to distil complex or sensitive information into clear and accessible language will be critical.

You will be a collaborative team member, supporting the delivery of communications, media handling and external engagement activity across the Branch. The role includes significant secretariat responsibilities, requiring strong organisational skills, the ability to manage tasking and deadlines, and the discipline to maintain oversight of multiple workstreams in a high‑tempo environment. Experience in parliamentary business or fulfilling a secretariat function would be desirable.

Attention to detail, situational awareness and resilience are essential, along with the ability to operate effectively within a secure and disciplined environment under sustained scrutiny.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions ar