The Cabinet Office is looking for a new head of news as Shaun Jepson gets ready to leave in August after landing a job at British Airways.
Jepson, whose role includes leading the department's press office and acting as press secretary for deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, announced the move on Twitter.
“I'll be leaving the Cabinet Office at the end of August and I'm thrilled to be joining British Airways as its head of media relations,” he said.
“My current role is therefore up for grabs.”
The head of news leads the Cabinet Office’s 24/7 media team, which is responsible for media operations for all Cabinet Office ministers, the cabinet secretary and the civil service chief operating officer.
They set the Cabinet Office’s media relations strategy, providing expert advice to ministers and senior leaders and executing communications plans.
In a video on the job advert page, Alex Aiken, director of communications for the Cabinet Office, said the role “sits at the heart of government” and is “above all else” a leader who is “there to provide inspiration to empower the team, but also to be confident and give the best advice to ministers and to their colleagues to get the job done”.
Jepson has held the role since April 2022, joining from No.10, where he was deputy head of news. He has also worked in the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence in communications roles.
Jepson said he had been able to learn from some “inspiring leaders” and work alongside some of the most talented and committed communications professionals around in his 10-year civil service career.
“I have enjoyed it immensely and now look forward to getting stuck into a new challenge at a globally-recognised brand,” he said.
The head of news position, which is at deputy director level or SCS1, is being advertised on Civil Service Jobs with a salary of between £73,000 and £118,800. The deadline to apply for the role is 23 July.