Location
Central London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£39,885 per annum

About the Role
We are seeking an experienced communications professional to join our fast-paced national press office, part of the Crown Prosecution Service's HQ Communications team. The press office promotes and explains the work of the CPS by securing proactive, audience-led media coverage that highlights our commitment to fair and independent prosecutions and progress on critical issues such as rape and domestic abuse, terrorism, and organised crime.

Alongside proactive media work, the Newsdesk manages a high volume of reactive media enquiries, defending the CPS reputation by responding to challenging or potentially critical coverage.

Press Officers play a key role in supporting journalists covering live criminal cases by working closely with CPS prosecutors and the police to ensure timely access to court materials in line with the CPS/police Joint Media Protocol.

Key responsibilities include managing multiple media enquiries simultaneously, prioritising urgent deadlines, preparing press releases and social media content with CPS lawyers and Area Communications Managers, providing a first-class media monitoring service, offering timely media advice to CPS lawyers and senior leaders, and supporting a 24/7 news operation through an out-of-hours duty rota with overtime available.

Experience
Demonstrable experience working in a fast-paced media or communications environment is essential.

Desirable experience includes the ability to juggle multiple urgent tasks, strong communications skills, good news judgement, and the ability to deliver effective results.

About you
You will be proactive, organised, and able to work effectively under pressure. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to provide clear, well-considered advice on media and communications matters are important. You should be comfortable working collaboratively with lawyers, senior leaders, and external stakeholders.

You must be able to work flexibly, including participation in an out-of-hours rota covering evenings and weekends.

Qualifications
There are no specific qualification requirements for this role; however, relevant experience in media or communications is essential. A commitment to the values of the Crown Prosecution Service and Civil Service is expected.