Job Description

Senior Press Officer (Band C)

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Vacancy Reference Number
18818


Number of Vacancies
4
(B) OCU
Communication & Engagement
Location
Westminster
Building
NEW SCOTLAND YARD
Band
Band C
Part/Full Time
Full Time
Hours per Week
36 hours per week
Type of Contract
Permanent
Job Advert

Job Title:

Senior Press Officer (Band C)

Salary:

The starting salary is 47,060, which includes allowances totalling 2,928.


The salary is broken down as 44,132 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale 52,652. Plus, a location allowance of 1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of 1,000.

Location

:

New Scotland Yard, Westminster. You may be expected to work at other Met buildings across London as part of a blended working agreement. There are also some opportunities for remote working when appropriate.

Job criteria

Do you have the ambition to drive some of the country's biggest news stories and passion to show Londoners how the Met is changing for the better? We are looking for creative, first-class communicators who want to take their career to the next level with one of the world's biggest police forces.


This is not like other roles. One day you might be handling communications on a breaking operational issue. The next you might be explaining how the Met is upping its game in dealing with violence against women and girls, protecting our communities or using new technologies. Or you could be finding and telling stories of officer bravery on the front line.


As a Senior Press Officer, you will lead a dynamic team of media professionals in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment, where every decision counts. You will need to find impactful ways to keep the public informed and reassured while supporting our frontline officers who keep the capital safe.


In any given month you could go from managing press conferences at the cordon of a major crime scene, to supporting senior detectives and the families of victims during trials at the Old Bailey.


You could be working in our Specialist Operations Room supporting senior officers during the highest profile protests and ceremonial events, or overseeing media as they film officers breaking down doors to tackle drugs gangs blighting communities.


While others say it, we can guarantee it - no two days will be the same.


If you're a great team player, capable of devising and delivering multi-faceted media strategies that shape public perception and shine a light on the Met's work, we want to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead media strategy:

Oversee both proactive and reactive media activities, ensuring high-quality, consistent coverage that aligns with the Met's priorities.

Press office management:

Take charge of press operations, crafting powerful narratives and responding to the fast-moving news cycle with confidence and precision.

Build relationships:

Cultivate strong relationships with journalists and key stakeholders, positioning yourself and your team as trusted sources of information on sensitive and high-profile matters.

Innovate across channels:

Leverage digital tools, insights, and a range of communication channels to ensure our messaging hits the mark with diverse audiences.

Leadership:

Play a pivotal role in shaping long-term communication strategies while offering senior-level media advice on significant incidents and complex issues and supporting your team to do the same.

About you:

You're not just a media professional - you're a strategic thinker with a keen sense of the news cycle, political awareness, and a proven track record of managing media in high-pressure environments. You'll need to be quick on your feet, leading a team with energy and vision while navigating the complexities of policing communications in the capital.

Key skills we're looking for:

A sharp news sense and excellent writing skills. Experience managing teams in a fast-paced, high-pressure setting. The ability to build and maintain relationships with journalists and senior stakeholders. Flexibility to handle both proactive and reactive media strategies. Expertise in digital content creation and using data to target audiences effectively.

Competency and Values Framework for policing

The Competency and Values Framework (CVF) aims to support all policing professionals, now and into the future. It sets out nationally recognised behaviours, which will provide a consistent foundation for a range of Met and national processes.


As part of the role, you are expected to operate and demonstrate the competencies as set out in the national policing competency and values framework to the levels as shown below:

Level 2:

'We are emotionally aware'; 'We are collaborative'; 'We deliver, support and inspire'; 'We are innovative and open minded'

Level 3:

'We take ownership'; 'We analyse critically'

We will also test a number of behaviours you would be expected to demonstrate in this role, these include:

Influencing and persuading Making effective decisions Managing a quality service Seeing the big picture Changing and improving Resilience Line management Achieving outcomes

An overview and full details of the Competency and Values Framework can be downloaded from Met Careers application pages.

Work Pattern:

This is a full-time, permanent position working 36 hours a week, including weekends on a rota basis. You'll also be part of an on-call press office system, ensuring 24/7 coverage.


You will earn further premium pay and allowances through on call responsibilities and weekend working.


Join us at the Met and be a leader in public service communications while earning a competitive salary, premium pay, and excellent allowances.

Are you ready to make a difference?

Apply now and help shape the future of policing in London.

Meet The Team

We will be holding a recruitment event at New Scotland Yard for candidates to meet the team.


This will offer an opportunity for candidates to ask questions and understand more about the role.


This will take place on Tuesday 15 July - please email Megan.Hawkins@met.police.uk and Alexandra.Meek@met.police.uk if you'd like more details and to register your interest.

How to apply

Click the apply now button below and start your career at the Met. Applications will be via a detailed CV, Personal Statement, and online application form. Your personal statement should outline why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role. (NB. Please do not attach 2 copies of your CV).

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 12th of August 2025.

Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. The application review for this vacancy will commence March 2025.


Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Interview dates will commence April 2025.

www.metpolicecareers.co.uk

Essential For The Role
Reports To
Senior Media Manager (Band B)

Disability Confident Statement

The Met is committed to being an equitable (fair and impartial) and inclusive employer for disabled people, striving to have a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and long-term conditions, ethnic minority groups and women.



As a Disability Confident employer, the Met has committed to making disability equality part of our everyday practice. We ensure that people with disabilities and those with long term conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.



The Met is committed to making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure disabled applicants can perform at their best. If you need any reasonable adjustments or changes to the application and recruitment process, we ask that you include this information within your application form. All matters will be treated in strict confidence.




Please note, if you are applying for a police officer role or to become a police community support officer (PCSO) or designated detention officer (DDO), there is a minimum requirement that you must pass a job-related fitness test (JRFT) at point of entry. This does not apply to police staff roles. Find out more about police fitness standards.



Read our full disability confidence statement.