The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MANAGERS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
M
A
N
A
G
E
R
S
More clues leading to the result MANAGERS
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "officials" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case officials = managers.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MANAGERS mean?
MANAGERS noun- A person whose job is to manage something, such as a business, a restaurant, or a sports team.
- The head coach.
- An administrator, for a singer or group.
- (computer software) A window or application whose purpose is to give the user the control over some aspect of the system.