Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Darlington, Leeds, Manchester, Wolverhampton About the job Job summary Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to peoples lives. Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities were all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if youre thinking of joining us, theres never been a more exciting time. We have over 3,500 staff who are based in 20 offices across the UK. We are looking for 4 content designers to join the Publishing Team: 3 roles will focus on GOV.UK content (FTC for 23 months) 1 will split their time between GOV.UK content in the central Publishing team and leading the management of the consultations process for the department (permanent role) You will triage inbox requests, assessing the level of content design work needed and making sure that resources are allocated appropriately. Youll be involved in the end-to-end publishing process, taking requests from the draft stage to an accessible, content-designed final version. For the consultations-focused role, at least 40% of your time will be spent leading the management of the consultations process for the department. This includes administration for our online survey publishing platform, CitizenSpace. You will be experienced in writing content in line with GOV.UK style guidelines, turning jargon-heavy drafts into clear and simple pages. You will be comfortable handling an unpredictable workload and capable of prioritising your time accordingly, as well as making quick, evidence-led decisions. Some requests may require out-of-hours working, however as a team we do our utmost to complete all requests during working hours where possible. We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work. Find out more about what it's like to work in a digital, data and technology role at MHCLG including our culture, ways of working, career progression and staff benefits. You can also read the MHCLG Digital blog to learn about the work we're doing. Job description As a Content Designer youll: work collaboratively to manage the teams shared GOV.UK inbox, triaging requests into business-as-usual and larger content project work apply and advocate for user-centred design principles, especially to stakeholders unfamiliar with content design work closely with subject matter experts such as policy, data protection, legal, data analysis and various stakeholders to make sure content is accurate use Whitehall Publisher to publish content on GOV.UK take part in team content crit sessions, content audits and user research sessions ensure compliance with accessibility regulations, including best practice and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) In addition, the consultations-focused role will: act as the department lead for the consultation process, including the governance process at MHCLG, both externally and internally manage Citizen Space (consultations platform) to build accessible applications, surveys, data gathering forms and feedback Person specification We will use the essential criteria below to evaluate you during the recruitment process. Make sure your CV and cover letter details how you meet the criteria. As a Content Designer youll: be experienced with user-centred design principles and content accessibility be experienced in managing a busy inbox, working quickly in a fast-paced, collaborative team, while also making use of quieter periods to use your initiative in finding other tasks be comfortable working independently to manage your workload and prioritise tasks effectively have experience in working with stakeholders to communicate what you can and cannot deliver, and being comfortable saying no under pressure understand how your work contributes to wider business objectives, taking the initiative to suggest improvements or efficiencies when you see them Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Managing a Quality Service Benefits Alongside your salary of £40,669, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £11,781 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience. Selection Process Details MHCLG want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels. Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise). Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates responses to Seeing the Big Picture rather than seeing a candidates full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible. Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors. When writing your application, remember: The assessor wont be reading your answers sequentially. Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers. If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on) CV and Cover Letter Declaration We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called anonymous recruitment. Please remove references to your: name/title educational institutions age gender email address postal address phone number nationality/immigration status You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter. Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors. In the event that we receive a large amount of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the Lead Sift Question listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may progress to a full sift or progress straight to interview. Lead Sift Question (Behaviour: Delivering at Pace ): In no more than 250 words, please e xplain how you ensure consistency and best practice across your work At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing: Experience Technical In your CV and covering letter, please include: a. why you are interested in the role; b. how you meet the essential skills and experience required The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements: Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing A Quality Service Ability There will be a one-page proofreading exercise during the interview. In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements: Experience: Experience will be tested at sift around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the person specification Technical: Technical will be tested at sift around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the person specification Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing A Quality Service Ability: Yes - Ability questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the person specification We do not consider direct CV applications you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs : Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign. SEO salary The salary for this role is £40,669 - £48,509 (National). For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges. Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisations terms and conditions. Benefits Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018 : Any move to MHCLG 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. For further information about the benefits available to MHCLG employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. Geographical Location: Leeds Manchester Wolverhampton Darlington There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service. This role is based at MHCLG and we will be joined on the campus by: HM Treasury Department for International Trade Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Office for National Statistics Department for Education For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. Sift and Interview Dates Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 24th February 2025 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. Reserve List In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitmentcommunities.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. Candidate Pack Information Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. Before starting your application its very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the MHCLG candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules Internal Fraud Database The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to MHCLG as a participating government organisations. MHCLG then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented. For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register Fixed Term Details For external candidates you will be offered a 23 month fixed term appointment with a possibility of permanency. For existing civil servants you will be offered a 23 month loan opportunity. Before applying for the role, you will need to seek approval from your parent department to take up a loan appointment should you be successful. For Secondments - you will be offered a 23 month secondment opportunity. Before applying for the role, you will need to seek approval from your employer to take up a secondment opportunity should you be successful. For MHCLG employees - you will retain your existing contract. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements 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) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Digital Data Jobs Email : Digitaldatajobscommunities.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : Digitaldatajobscommunities.gov.uk Attachments 1a. MHCLG Candidate pack 4 Opens in new window (pdf, 835kB) 1b. Candidate Guidance 4 Opens in new window (pdf, 355kB) 1c. Success Profiles Candidate information 4 Opens in new window (pdf, 936kB) Darlington Economic Campus Career Pathways 5 Opens in new window (pdf, 452kB) Apply at advertiser's site Share this page Print Email Gmail Facebook LinkedIn