Media Manager

Job summary

Energy is making headlines like never before, and, at Ofgem, we're right at the centre of the story. We're looking for a Media Manager to join our busy press office, working on major stories that regularly lead the national news agenda.

Ofgem is Great Britain's independent energy regulator. We're at the forefront of change across the energy sector, driving toward Net Zero whilst protecting energy consumers, especially vulnerable people.

This is a permanent opportunity to build your media career in an environment where no two days are the same. Energy has never been more prominent in the news, giving you the chance to work on high-profile stories and issues that matter to households, businesses and communities across the country.

You'll join a friendly, practical team who'll support you as you take the next step in your career. Growing your media skills and networks, you'll have the chance to work closely with experienced communications professionals and gain fantastic exposure to journalists, senior colleagues and some of the biggest stories on the news agenda.

What's more, you'll turn complex energy issues into clear, engaging communications, and will be involved in everything from responding to fast-moving media enquiries to preparing spokespeople and advising colleagues on high-profile issues. This is a great opening to further develop your press office experience whilst having the freedom to take a different approach to a story when it needs it.

We're looking for someone with press office experience, excellent written and verbal communication skills and fantastic attention to detail. You'll be confident communicating with journalists and senior colleagues, able to turn complex information into engaging content and comfortable prioritising a varied workload when deadlines are tight. The willingness to get stuck in and take part in our out-of-hours media rota, including evenings and weekends, will also be key.

In return, you'll be given the support to grow your expertise and confidence, sharpen your media instincts and take on bigger challenges as your experience develops. Add in a fantastic benefits package and a team that genuinely wants to see you succeed, and you'll have everything you need to take your communications career forward.

We have a critical purpose to protect consumers and support the transition to Net Zero. Join us and help tell the stories behind some of the biggest issues shaping the future of energy.

Read on and find out more.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Get to grips with key policy areas and their impact on consumers and net zero
• Write press releases, briefing papers and Q&As.
• Provide effective communications handling advice to policy colleagues especially over critical and high profile issues.
• Respond to media enquiries and interview requests effectively and quickly, using news judgement to know when the story is moving on, where it’s going and whether to stick to the line or develop the narrative.
• Media monitoring, delivering regular and insightful updates to colleagues on relevant developments from media and political stakeholders.
• Prepare spokespeople for interview, with the support of managers
• Take part in an out of hours media on-call rota at evenings and weekends.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Clear, concise, consumer-focused lines to take and statements that reflect the external mood.
• Represent the press team in a positive manner Well written press releases, bylined articles and blogs.
• Comprehensive Q&A.
• Impactful communications strategies and plans that address the latest media and political developments.
• Regular and insightful updates to colleagues on relevant external developments.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Experience of working in a press office and confidence in communicating with print and media journalists and senior colleagues (LEAD)
• Ability to absorb complex information quickly, and to communicate it to a non-expert audience in a concise and engaging way (LEAD)
• Attention to detail and experience communicating with different audiences
• Understanding of how to engage effectively with the media to deliver the best outcome
• Experience of managing and prioritising varied and complex workloads to tight deadlines, performing calmly in situations where rapid responses are critical
• Willingness to work across teams and get stuck in where help is needed, including 24/7 out of hours rota, including at weekends

Desirable criteria:

• Experience working for a large and complex organisation

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

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

• You'll be asked to deliver a technical presentation at interview stage. Further information on the presentation will be available in the invitation to interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,232, OFGEM contributes £10,206 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).Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 500 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting s