Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

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 people’s lives. 

Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re 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 you’re thinking of joining us, there’s 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. You’ll 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 you’ll: 

• work collaboratively to manage the team’s 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 you’ll: 

• 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%

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Digital Data Jobs
• Email : Digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk