Press Officer

Location

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Stratford, London -100 Parliament Street, Westminster, London, SW1A 2BQ

About The Job

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

At HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), we're dedicated to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive workplace that reflects the diversity of the society we serve. We believe in unlocking the full potential of everyone who works with us, offering flexible working arrangements and comprehensive support to help you build a fulfilling career.

We value diverse perspectives and experiences, recognising their importance to our success. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds who bring the skills and expertise required for this role.

HMRC is one of the UK's largest government departments and a key organisation in the country, interacting with nearly every individual and business. We collect over £500 billion annually from more than 50 million customers.

Joining HMRC at this time is particularly exciting as we continue to push boundaries in becoming one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world while under a new Government. We're making significant investments in innovative programs that will transform our systems and grow a dynamic culture focused on continuous development for all our people.

HMRC Communications is recognised as one of the largest and most respected communications teams in government, and we take pride in running a top-tier operation within Whitehall. Fast-paced, creative, and collaborative, we are motivated by our big mission and offer a unique opportunity to make an impact on the lives of millions.

Job Description

Our Press Office runs one of the most high-profile 24-hour news operations in government, dealing with subjects from Self Assessment to Inheritance Tax, and tax avoidance and offshore evasion to Child Benefit.

With a proactive approach to media and stakeholder engagement, we are breaking new ground in digital and social media news management, directly influencing the daily lives of every UK citizen.

Our team is dispersed across the UK, making teamwork and support among colleagues essential. Building strong relationships with HMRC teams, other government departments, and the media is crucial for promoting and explaining HMRC's policies effectively. This role requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to present compelling communications strategies to senior leaders.

You'll need to be an excellent writer, capable of explaining complex issues clearly. Your writing skills will be tested during the interview, and your application will be reviewed for accuracy in grammar, punctuation, and content. Only candidates demonstrating these high standards will be invited for interview.

If you're up for a dynamic challenge and enjoy a fast-paced role where every day is different, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

Person specification

• Develop and implement proactive media plans that align with HMRC’s campaigns and business milestones across all platforms.
• Respond to media enquiries within agreed deadlines, working closely with colleagues and officials to agree on suitable messaging.
• Collaborate across the press, digital, campaigns, and business partner teams to deliver effective, targeted communication strategies.
• Evaluate results and use insights to inform and improve future activities.
• Anticipate and address potential issues before they arise, handling them effectively and rebutting inaccurate media stories.
• Keep the Press Office Planner updated on key events and opportunities.
• Identify opportunities for specialist media coverage and lead the execution of those stories.
• Monitor media coverage to stay informed on relevant stories.
• Build strong relationships with journalists, stakeholders, and officials across HMRC and other government departments to ensure accurate, timely messaging.
• Participate in the out-of-hours press office on-call rota .
  
  
  

Essential Criteria:

• Extensive experience in professional external communications roles, such as a journalist or press/public relations officer.
• Strong writing skills with attention to detail, including the ability to convey complex information clearly to non-expert audiences.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners, while serving as an ambassador for HMRC Communications.
• A creative, forward-thinking approach with the ability to generate innovative ideas for media and stakeholder content.
• Strong decision-making and organisational abilities, able to deliver accurate work under pressure.
• Capable of thriving in fast-paced, high-pressure environments, and providing constructive feedback to senior colleagues.
  
  
  

Technical Skills

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

• Insight – Press & Media
• Ideas – Press & Media
• Implementation – Press & Media
• Impact – Press & Media
  
  
  

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

• Ideas – Press & Media
• Implementation – Press & Media
  
  
  

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,092, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £10,166 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.
  
  
  

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

How To Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A name-blind CV including your job history and previous experiences. This is for information only and will not be scored.
• A 500-word personal statement. Your Personal Statement should be used to describe how your skills and experience would be suitable for the advertised role, making reference to the essential criteria outlined in the advert. 
• Separate 250-word statements addressing the  GCS technical skill s Implementation – Press and Media and Ideas - Press and Media .
  
  
  

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift will be carried out against the GCS technical skill Implementation - Press & Media. Only applications passing this initial sift will progress to a full sift.   

At full sift your Personal Statement and  GCS technical skills Implementation – Press & Media and Ideas - Press & Media  , will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview

During the panel interview, you will be asked  questions about the four GCS Technical Skills.  Additionally, you will be required to carry out a written exercise, details of which will be provided at the interview.

Further information about level appropriate skills that will be assessed can be found in the GCS Competency Framework.  https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/publications/competency-framework/ .

Interviews will take place via video link.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’.

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application .

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

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

• Contact the UBS Recruitment team via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.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.

Additional Security Information

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you can travel to.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations .

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

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.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

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

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 (opens in a new window) . See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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) (opens in a new window)
• 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 (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window) .

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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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 : Clare Merrills
• Email : clare.merrills@hmrc.gov.uk
• Telephone : 03000513706
  
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk
  
  
  

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.