Head of Media Analysis & Response Hub - GCS

About the Role

As the Head of Media Analysis & Response Hub (G6), you will lead and build the strategic analytical capability of the government’s Media Analysis & Response team.

You will directly manage the Grade 7 Analysis Leads, providing executive oversight, technical direction, and strategic coherence across all analytical operations.

This role requires a senior leader who combines deep technical expertise in information environment analysis, with the strategic gravitas needed to advise Ministers, senior officials (SCS), and cross-government committees. You will be ultimately accountable for the quality, accuracy, and operational impact of the team’s information environment assessments, ensuring insights inform the communications response framework to foreign interference, coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and disinformation.

Due to the nature of the work, you will need to obtain DV clearance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Team Management

● Manage & Develop Leadership: Direct line management of G7 Analysis Leads, fostering their professional growth, strategic thinking, and ability to manage analysts

under high-pressure conditions.

● Team Strategy & Vision: Set the strategic roadmap for the unit, continuously evolving analytical methodologies, ways of working, and operational structures as threat vectors mutate.

● Resource & Tooling Ownership: Manage team resourcing, commercial tool procurement (e.g., social listening platforms, digital forensics software), and technological investment.

2. Technical Direction & Analytical Rigour

● Set the Analytical Standard: Maintain ultimate accountability for the rigour, objectivity, and quality of all analysis products, daily information environment summaries, and crisis briefings.

● Future-Proofing Capability: Drive the integration of advanced analytical techniques, including LLMs, AI-driven data processing, synthetic media/deepfake detection, and network analysis tools.

3. Senior Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Advice

● Ministerial & SCS Briefings: Act as the primary technical authority on information environment analysis to No10, Ministers, Civil Service leaders, and cross-government Directors of Communications.

● Cross-Government Leadership: Lead the broader inter-departmental 'information environment analysis community' establishing strong operational linkages with threat analysts, the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office, and communications insight colleagues.

● Strategic Incident Guidance: Advise senior leaders on high-stakes communications interventions, using internal playbooks to recommend when to pre-bunk, counter false narratives versus exercising strategic silence.

4. Policy Frameworks & National Capability

● Governance & Playbooks: Own and update communications national response frameworks for information incidents, ensuring playbooks reflect emerging digital tactics.

● Whole-of-Government Upskilling: Leverage team insights to build systemic capability across all government communications departments, raising baseline awareness and counter-disinformation resilience.

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)

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

Application process

For your application, you will need to submit your CV outlining any employment history, experience and qualifications relevant to this role. You will also need to submit a personal statement of no more than 1000 words, outlining what makes you a suitable candidate for this role using information that can be found in the job description.

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

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the experience section of your CV.

Selection process

If you are selected to be interviewed you will be assessed on the following

• Behaviours Seeing the big picture
• Changing and improving
• Delivering at pace
• Working together
• Your employment history from your CV
• A presentation, details of which will be sent to candidates attending interview

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – tbc

Expected interview date/s – tbc

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

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.

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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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 an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

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

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

Any move to Cabinet Office 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

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.

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.

Please note that this role requires DV clearance, which would normally need 10 years’ UK residency in the past 10 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Feedback

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