Location
City of Westminster

Hours
Full Time - 37 hours per week

Salary
£74,535 per annum

About the Role
Are you an exceptional leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment? Do you think in platforms and channels as naturally as in headlines? The Department for Transport (DfT) is a high-profile department at the heart of UK government, working with agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest to make journeys better.

As Deputy Head of Media, you will be a senior leader with a specific focus on new media — shaping how DfT tells its story in an environment where news breaks online first and public narratives can shift within hours. You will work closely with the Digital Communications team to deliver joined-up, campaign-led communications that cut through.

You will be one of two deputies reporting to the Head of Media, managing two Chief Media Officers and focusing on the fast-moving world of digital media — monitoring emerging narratives, spotting issues gaining traction online before they become crises, and driving agile, coordinated responses across all channels. Acting as the bridge between the Media Team and Digital Communications, you will ensure media handling and digital activity are aligned and mutually reinforcing.

You will lead on embedding campaign ways of working across the Media Team, working with the Strategic Communications Team to bring structured planning, audience insight and measurable objectives to both proactive and reactive media work, ensuring earned media is fully integrated into wider campaign strategies.

Out-of-hours working is a core part of this role, including participation in the management back-up rota for out-of-hours duty press officers, with overtime payments provided.

Joining DfT comes with many benefits including a generous employer pension contribution, annual leave entitlement increasing with service, bank holidays plus a privilege day, flexible working options, and excellent career development opportunities.

Experience
You will have substantial experience in a senior media or communications role, ideally in a fast-paced and politically sensitive environment. You must demonstrate a strong track record in new and digital media — understanding how stories move across platforms, building real-time monitoring and response capability, and bringing structure and discipline to reactive work without losing pace.

You will have hands-on experience working in campaign ways of working, integrating media, digital and other communications disciplines around shared plans, objectives and evaluation. Experience working closely with digital teams and understanding how earned media and owned channels can be used together effectively is essential.

You will be resilient, calm under pressure and confident presenting to and advising Ministers, Special Advisers and senior officials, including in high-pressure, time-sensitive situations. Excellent political and news judgement, particularly in the context of social media, is required.

You will have a strong record of building and sustaining relationships across complex stakeholder environments and leading and developing teams to achieve high performance.

About you
You are an exceptional leader with excellent communication and influencing skills. You are adaptable and able to work flexibly to support priority delivery. You demonstrate strong political awareness and the ability to operate effectively in a complex and fast-moving environment.

You are committed to embedding campaign-led communications and fostering collaboration between media and digital teams to deliver impactful outcomes.

Qualifications
While specific qualifications are not stipulated, professional development opportunities are available, including the potential to undertake relevant professional qualifications such as CIPD or Prince2, supported by the department.