8254 - Head of Content Design

£42,454 - £61,649
1
12 Months
West Midlands
Birmingham
OPG BIRMINGHAM, B1 1TF
Grade 7
A
Permanent
Full Time
Communications / Marketing

Based in Birmingham, with some travel to London and Nottingham

Role overview

Over the past few years, the content design team have been working across the agency to put users at the heart of everything we do. We created the first digital exemplar service to meet the government’s service standard and aim to be a digital by default agency.

The content design team works with developers, creative designers, policy and legal experts and operational colleagues in OPG and with the Government Digital Service (GDS). We produce high quality information and content for services that support individual and professional users. We base our work on user needs and translate these into appropriate digital and print content.

 

Key responsibilities

  • Take ownership of, and set standards for, OPG content design that serves task oriented, internal or external user needs
  • Create content plans, liaising with other leads throughout the business, and present plans to executive board
  • Lead and manage the content design team, clarifying and communicating the team’s goals to them and recruit other content designers where required.
  • Coordinate and monitor team performance, utilising team diversity and skill to maximise effectiveness
  • Commission, write, edit and publish all content needs across all channels (GOV.UK, digital tools/products, mobile, print, business specific) working collaboratively with OPG’s communications team, and its change, customer relationship management and digital teams.
  • Monitor the performance of content and tools and work with product managers and multidisciplinary teams to understand user behaviour and feedback
  • Develop content assets that are accurate, timely, high-quality (based on insight and outputs of user testing, relevant to audience, easily understood) and to OPG’s brand and tone of voice
  • Provide leadership by example, contributing to discussions about content within services and websites, implementing solutions, working closely with product and delivery managers, designers, user researchers and operational colleagues
  • Take an active part in the cross-government content community. Ensure OPG content designers are up to date with GDS thinking and implement accordingly. Work with GDS to interpret guidelines and to collaborate effectively in order to remove blockers and challenges
  • Ensure content relevant to OPG on GOV.UK is developed and maintained to meet user needs and the agency’s strategy, working with GDS content specialists
  • Spend a proportion of time hands-on with team member’s projects - managing quality across team, identifying consistent challenges and helping solve them

 

Specialist skills and experience

  • Experience as a content professional leading multidisciplinary or content-focused teams, with substantial experience of leading on digital content
  • Demonstrable experience working on both print and digital content, creating content that complies with statutory accessibility requirements and using appropriate testing frameworks; proficient in writing markdown and editing
  • Experience of working with content management systems and developing or adapting them to meet specific content needs
  • A strong understanding of content production, content management and analytics and experience of using this data to improve content on the web
  • Experience with editorial training and coaching
  • Self-motivated, detail-oriented and able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
  • Experience working directly in an agile environment with multidisciplinary teams
  • Proven stakeholder management skills
  • Solid experience in ensuring that appropriate user research is part of the process for making content design decisions
  • Outstanding written and verbal communication
  • Strong negotiation skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and stakeholders from internal departments and agencies
  • Solution-focused mindset with the ability to disrupt existing thinking and push projects through to completion
  • A good knowledge and understanding of technology, design and user experience

 

Competencies required

Collaborating and Partnering

  • Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on objectives and shared interests
  • Work as an effective team player, managing team dynamics when working across departmental and other boundaries
  • Actively involve partners to deliver a business outcome through collaboration that achieves better results for citizens
  • Seek constructive outcomes in discussions, challenge assumptions but remain willing to compromise when it is beneficial to progress
  • Encourage contributions and involvement from a broad and diverse range of staff by being visible and accessible

Seeing the Big Picture

  • Anticipate economic, social, political, environmental and technological developments to keep activity relevant and targeted
  • Create policies, plans and service provision to meet citizens’ diverse needs based on an up-to-date knowledge of needs, issues and relevant good practice
  • Identify implications of departmental and political priorities and strategy on own area to ensure plans and activities reflect these
  • Bring together views and perspectives of stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding activities and policies

Changing and Improving

  • Effectively capture, utilise and share customer insight and views from a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure better policy and delivery
  • Encourage and recognise a culture of initiative and innovation focused on adding value – give people space and praise for creativity
  • Spot warning signs of things going wrong and provide a decisive response to significant delivery challenges
  • Provide constructive challenge to senior management on change proposals which will affect own business area.
  • Consider the cumulative impact on own business area of implementing change (culture, structure, service and morale)

Leading and Communicating

  • Lead by example, role modelling ethics, integrity, impartiality and the elimination of bias by building diverse teams and promoting a working environment that supports the Civil Service values and code
  • Be visible to staff and stakeholders and regularly undertake activities to engage and build trust with people involved in area of work
  • Clarify strategies and plans, giving clear sense of direction and purpose for self and team
  • Confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels to generate commitment to goals
The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as salary sacrifice arrangements for childcare vouchers, and voluntary benefits such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

To be confirmed

24/04/2017, 23:55 hours.

Closing Date: 24th April 2017 at 23:55 hours


If you require any assistance please call 0845 010 3512 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment@noms.gsi.gov.uk Please quote the job reference.

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)
Please note the successful applicant will need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Security Check for this post.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Candidate Information

You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:


  • An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
  • A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.

During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.



if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance
Collaborating and Partnering
Seeing the Big Picture
Changing and Improving
Leading and Communicating
Specialist skills and experience

• Experience as a content professional leading multidisciplinary or content-focused teams, with substantial experience of leading on digital content
• Demonstrable experience working on both print and digital content, creating content that complies with statutory accessibility requirements and using appropriate testing frameworks; proficient in writing markdown and editing
• Experience of working with content management systems and developing or adapting them to meet specific content needs
• A strong understanding of content production, content management and analytics and experience of using this data to improve content on the web
• Experience with editorial training and coaching
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented and able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Experience working directly in an agile environment with multidisciplinary teams
• Proven stakeholder management skills
• Solid experience in ensuring that appropriate user research is part of the process for making content design decisions
• Outstanding written and verbal communication
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and stakeholders from internal departments and agencies
• Solution-focused mindset with the ability to disrupt existing thinking and push projects through to completion
• A good knowledge and understanding of technology, design and user experience

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.