Channel Lead (G7) New Media Unit - GCS in London

The New Media Unit (NMU) is part of the Government Communication Service (GCS) and sits within the Cabinet Office. The NMU was established in November 2024 with the clear goal to reach, connect and rebuild trust with audiences in the most effective way possible. The government has signalled a clear intention to focus on ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that deliver better outcomes for citizens. This requires a new way of doing government which is more joined-up and better reaches the public to build awareness, understanding and trust in the government’s missions.

The New Media Unit is a critical lever in achieving these long-term aims, bringing together the specialist skills required to reach citizens with content they want to consume at a time and place they want to consume it. The team is evolving, and works in an agile way proactively delivering on missions-based campaigns and responding to nation-wide communications. We need people who think differently and who can respond in an agile way to the ever-changing media landscape.

At its core this team is focused on flexibility and collaboration across the three pillars (Strategy, Campaign and Creative), working closely with the GCS Strategy & Campaigns and Applied Data & Insight teams, alongside No 10 and departmental communication teams across government. This is a really exciting time to be joining the NMU as we look to expand our activity, test and learn different approaches and deliver communications which make a difference to people’s lives. This is a rare chance to be part of something truly groundbreaking, where your ideas will directly influence the future of digital communications at the heart of government.

About the Government Communication Service: By joining a communications team, you will become a member of the Government Communication Service (GCS), a professional network of communicators working in government departments, agencies and arm’s length bodies. You’ll benefit from continuous professional development from our new learning and development curriculum, a network of skilled communicators sharing best practice, mentoring opportunities, and more!

What we’re looking for: We need outstanding specialists in design, content production, digital strategies, marketing and partnerships, who have a high level of digital expertise and will put audiences at the heart of everything they do. We're seeking innovative minds and creative talents to help craft our evolving vision. This is a unique opportunity to grow, learn and share your talent with a team of diverse experts with passion and a genuine curiosity to innovate government comms. Most importantly, we want people who care passionately about delivering outstanding communication for the public.

We value colleagues who embrace change, think outside the box, and thrive in a dynamic environment where responsibilities evolve with our ambitions. We welcome applications from the widest range of people of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. If you're passionate about making your mark and flourishing in an atmosphere that champions fresh thinking and adaptability, we want to hear from you.

Digital Campaigns: These staff collaborate on insight and strategy, and create a digital marketing plan to deliver the agreed campaign objectives, through collaborating with GCS, No.10, external partners, creators and influencers, agencies and media owners.

Job Description: As a Channel Lead in the New Media Unit, you are responsible for the strategic direction and operational excellence of our paid digital media ecosystem. Reporting directly to the Head of Marketing, you will ensure that all paid activity supports the government’s goals of increasing public understanding, trust, and confidence in UK government activities.

While you will maintain "hands-on" ownership of high-priority channels, you will additionally lead and develop a team of three Channel Managers. You will support the Head of Marketing to develop our media framework, designing the processes for testing, optimisation, and measurement that allow us to deliver impactful messages to UK citizens at scale. You will act as a senior liaison between the New Media Unit, 10 Downing Street, and our media agency partners to ensure world-class execution across the digital landscape.

Key Responsibilities & Duties:

• Strategic Campaign Management: Plan and execute paid digital media strategies that support the government’s long-term goals of increasing public understanding, trust, and confidence in UK government activities.
• Portfolio Oversight: Directly manage 5 "Always-On" campaigns covering key policy areas and 6 tactical campaigns, ensuring impactful message delivery to UK citizens.
• Cross-Government Collaboration: Work closely with government departments and 10 Downing Street to create and implement targeted campaigns that align with national priorities.
• Reactive Agility: Lead fast-paced reactive elements, either by rapidly adding assets to existing "Always-On" campaigns or launching new in-platform activations to meet shifting communication needs.

Hands-on Channel Ownership & Agency Partnership:

• Operational Management: Take full ownership of assigned paid media channels, managing the hands-on optimisation and refining performance to meet public engagement goals efficiently.
• Agency Leadership: Manage the media agency relationship to ensure strategic plans are executed with precision, including direct oversight of trafficking and financial reconciliation.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Partner with Campaign Leadership to bring strategies to life, and collaborate with Creator Leads to integrate creator-led content into the channel-specific media mix.
• Creative Technical Specs: Work with the Creative Team to ensure they have clear requirements for formats, variations, and technical specifications for your specific channels.

Developing Best Practice & Channel Excellence:

• Strategic Benchmarking: Through a test and learn framework develop best practices for your assigned channels, defining which solutions and formats to use across the funnel to maximise impact.
• Performance Thresholds: Establish a measurement framework and monitor channel-specific KPIs, including minimum weekly spend and reach thresholds required to move citizens through the engagement funnel.
• Asset Optimisation: Determine the ideal number of asset variations and creative rotations needed to maintain campaign freshness and combat ad fatigue.

Team Leadership & Management:

• Line Management: Directly manage and mentor three Channel Managers, overseeing their professional development and ensuring the successful 6-month rotation of channel ownership.
• Stakeholder Bridge: Act as a senior point of contact for government departments, ensuring the team’s paid media tactics align with broader communication goals.

Frameworks, Processes & Innovation:

• Process Architecture: Develop and implement standardised processes and frameworks for media delivery to be used across the entire unit.
• Optimisation Strategy: Create the unit’s roadmap for testing and optimisation, moving beyond basic metrics to find innovative ways to drive public engagement and trust.
• Measurement & Attribution: Own the unit’s approach to measurement and attribution, defining how the New Media Unit calculates ROI and tracks "trust and confidence" through the digital funnel.