Communications Officer (Planning and Insights)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK’s role in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners. We employ more than 17,000 staff in 179 countries and territories, across our diplomatic and development offices worldwide, which consists of 282 officially designated Posts. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street, London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes.

The Communication Directorate helps the FCDO explain its priorities clearly and confidently to people in the UK and around the world. We support ministers, senior leaders and teams across the department through media, digital, internal and campaign communications, as well as planning, insight and evaluation. Our work helps protect British nationals, strengthen the UK’s reputation, support change across the organisation and make sure staff across the global network are informed, engaged and connected to FCDO priorities. We work at pace on complex issues and use evidence, audience understanding and continuous improvement to deliver clear, effective communications.

This role sits within the Strategic Planning and Insights team, whose purpose is to ensure the Communication Directorate delivers high‑quality, insight‑driven activity that supports organisational priorities. Working closely with colleagues across internal communications, campaigns, digital teams, senior leaders and corporate partners, we provide advice, evidence, and forward‑look analysis to ensure communications are purposeful, targeted and coordinated.

Roles and Responsibilities

The purpose of this role is to:

• Improve the quality and timeliness of Directorate communications planning by ensuring planning products are accurate, consistent and up to date, enabling teams to coordinate activity effectively.
• Support alignment of communications activity with departmental objectives and ministerial priorities by providing clear insight on emerging risks, opportunities and recommended actions.
• Enable better prioritisation and decision-making by making dependencies, capacity pressures and delivery risks visible to senior colleagues and communications teams.
• Champion the use of evaluation, analytics and audience insight so communications activity is more evidence-led, coordinated and effective across the Directorate and global network.

To deliver this, the successful candidate will:

• Lead the delivery of planning and insight products by gathering, analysing and synthesising information into accurate, timely planning outputs such as grids, weekly and monthly notes, and horizon scanning.
• Provide evidence-based advice using insight, evaluation, analytics and staff or user intelligence to support communications teams in shaping objectives, messages and plans.
• Maintain and improve shared planning tools, digital platforms and resources that support effective coordination across the FCDO.
• Prepare concise briefings, updates and recommendations to inform senior decision-making, prioritisation and strategy.
• Promote data-driven communication by championing evaluation, analytics and audience insight to improve effectiveness and build capability across teams.
• Support the wider Insight function, for example in the delivery of audience research, monitoring or evaluation reporting.

As part of this role, you will also need to cover occasional out of hours work/weekend work and be on a crisis duty rota.

We operate an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.

Open to UK nationals only.

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

Application Stage

You will be required to complete a short online application form. You will then be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal test. If you successfully pass this test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application, which comprises of the following:

• A CV detailing your employment history. CVs will be assessed against the Essential Criteria outlined in the Person Specification section above.
• A Personal Statement of up to 1,000 words explaining how you consider your skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with specific reference to the five Essential Criteria. These responses will be explored further during the interview process for shortlisted candidates.

Please ensure that you allow sufficient time to complete the whole application process before the closing deadline.

IMPORTANT: If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and require Reasonable Adjustments in order to complete your application/online test, please ensure Government Recruitment Service (GRS) are aware of this on the date of application and certainly by the closing date.

In the event of a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift on part of your Personal Statement. The aspect that we will prioritise is:

Strong analytical skills, with experience in gathering, interpreting and presenting insight, data or evaluation.

Only candidates who meet the minimum standard in this will have the rest of their application fully assessed.

Interview Stage

At the start of your interview, you will be asked a non-assessed warm-up question about your motivation for applying for the role.

Candidates will be required to give a 5-minute Presentation at the Interview, and the topic will be sent to you with your invite to the interview. This will test the role specific skills of analytical judgement and communication.

You will also be asked questions about your Experience of the Essential Criteria at the interview.

Please note that the FCDO carries out name-blind (anonymised) recruitment to help build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The personal information on your Application form and/or CV will be concealed during the sifting phase, and only the names of those who are being invited for Interviews will be made known to the Panel.

The FCDO has appointed the Government Recruitment Service to manage the process.

Please see the timetable below for indicative dates:

Closing date for completed applications

23:55 on Monday 7th December 2026

Online Testing

Between Tuesday 10th November 2026 and Monday 7th December 2026

Panel Interview

Week commencing 18th January 2027

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This will be held remotely on Microsoft Teams and details will be given to candidates who are successful at the sift stage.

There may be other opportunities in the future. Candidates who meet the required level at interview, will be kept on a Reserve List for 12 months. Should this, or another substantially similar role arise within this period, we may fill it with a Reserve candidate from this campaign. There is no guarantee that Reserves will be offered a role. If you are conditionally offered, and accept, a role your name will be removed from any other FCDO Reserve Lists.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

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

Contact Government Recruitment Service via fcdorecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.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.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to FCDO from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems reading the Candidate Pack, such as through screen reader software, please contact our Team via fcdorecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk and we will share a Word version of this.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Terms of Appointment

This is a Fixed Term appointment for 2 years. It is graded at FCDO Pay Band HEO. This role is in the Home Service of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The probation period for this role will be 3 months. Provided the period of probation is completed successfully, the appointment will be confirmed. However, if the standard required for confirmation of appointment is not met, the appointment may be terminated.

Former members of the Home Service/Diplomatic Service who are re-employed as substantive civil servants after a period of five years or more, will be required to serve another period of probation. You will also be required to serve a period of probation if you are re-employed at a Band higher than that at which you left the FCDO.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.